Kodak film Packs - mystery film

[Donald Qualls]

Okay, Bill, you were thinking of the 500 series films that fit the 550 holder, not the 50/70 that fit 500/545/545i, or the 660 series in the 405. BTW, Fuji still sells films that fit the 550, so if you have one, don't scrap it yet.

Also worthy of note, apparently the old 3x4 film packs would drop right into a Polaroid camera or film back that accepts 660 series films, though I don't know how you'd go about advancing them -- might just pull all the tabs out where the single tab emerges in the Polaroid, though you'd be likely to damage something trying to tear the tabs off.

Certainly seems as if there'd be a market for film packs (the fellow who found a pallet of Tri-X 4x5 film packs in a warehouse somewhere doesn't seem to have had any trouble selling them off despite being 20 years expired), and heaven knows the adapters are easy to come by. Maybe some dealer like J&C Photo could get some of their house-brand 120 film stock cut to pack film dimensions and mated up to backing paper. Get the work done in China or India, and you might well be able to make the film competitive with big name sheet film in singles. Cut and load it in 4x5 and 9x12 cm to start, and then branch out if there's demand...

[Ed Shapiro]

When I first started as a wedding photographer in the late 50s all work was done with 4x5 press cameras. Most studios required that the candid photographer be equipped with enough standard film holders (2 sheets) or Graphmatic Film Holder (6 sheets) to accommodate 120 sheets of cut film. We were given a film pack or two but theses were only to be used in dire emergencies.

Every darkroom guy in the City of New York HATED film packs because of the thin film base. This requires special film hangers that were difficult to use and oftentimes released the film in the middle of processing. Some brave souls would process film pack film in large trays, 100 at a time, handling them like a deck of cards. Imagine trying to do this in a busy studio with dozens of weddings every weekend????????

Suffice it to say that “film pack” became a dirty word in the trade. Too bad at the time because a dozen 12 sheet film packs weighed less than 3 Graphmatics let alone 20 of them. OOF- It makes my back ache just thinking about that plus the weight of the press camera and those Ascor strobes with 10 lb external power packs!

Them was the (good?) ol’ days!

Ed

[MakingKODAKfilm]

The film in Kodak Film Packs was on 120 support which is why it feels so thin. This was necessary in order to get 16 sheets in the thin space allocated for the pack. The last film packs a were 4x5 Tri-X Professional.


From a manufacturing point-of-view it is very difficult to make. The operator needed to manually assemble the various pieces of paper, film, tape and metal. Only the most highly skilled operator could do this. Volumes could not justify automated equipment. It required a special work station prepare the film and assemble the various parts.

I discontinued the manufacturing of the product when the factory floor was reorganized perhaps in the early 90's. Volumes were very small and declining. Most of the use was US military. By modern manufacturing quality standards (Six Sigma) it was not manufacturable without redesign of both the pack and the manufacturing technique.

[Jim Noel]

Oh how I miss film packs. I only have 5 Super XX left in the freezer. I hoard them until I want to take a hike with the little field camera.

Made on roll film stock which accounts for the flimsiness, but two packs weighed little more than the film itself. And as someone mentioned, rob the exposed sheets then re-close the pack so it could still be used. An added advantage - the images were a full 4x5 inches, not 3 3/4 x 4 3/4. Of course the labs disliked this feature because it took a different carrier in the enlarger.

[Jan Pietrzak]

Jim,

I just gave the last of my holders to Gordon. He said something about wet plate holders?????? TriX and film pack and I was off for the day one for plus, one for normal, and one for minus. Ah the good old days, when film was film and cameras was cameras.

Jan Pietrzak

ps going to the Platypus Party this afternoon I will say HI!!!!!! for you.