Film Holder brand? Does it matter?

[Tony Flora]

I am new to 4x5 and have read that some film holders are prone to light leaks (wood). Is there a specific brand that is less prone to light leaks? Do any of them tend to hold the film flatter then others? What's your favorite 4x5 sheet film holder and why?

Thanks,
Tony

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Tony,

Most of the Fiedelity, Lisco or Linhof holders will be fine. They come up for sale on eBay all the time and you can score 10 or so pretty cheaply. I have used all of these brands and they each are fine.

Hope that helps.

[Merg Ross]

My collection of film holders includes Lisco, Fidelity, Riteway, Burke & James and Graphic. The latter two are wooden holders. I can not recall ever having a light leak due to a particular design or brand. However, I would suggest that when in the field it is wise to shield the holder with a dark cloth when removing and inserting the slide. As to film flatness, it has never been an issue although I have read of such concerns by other photographers.

[Gordon Moat]

Hello Tony,

I went with the Kodak Readyload and Fuji Quickload packet systems for a few reasons. Mostly convenience, portability, processing simplicity (lab drop-off), consistency, and reliability. That last one should surprise a few people, since it seems like many people have posted comments on the internet about problems with both. They are not ideal, but the film flatness seems quite reliable for long night exposures, selective focus, or any other type of shooting. They are almost entirely dust free, though it can depend upon your shooting conditions. The downside for many, which admittedly is a huge issue, is the lack of film choices. If you want to use a wider range of films, or you favourite films are not available in these packet systems, then they are a bad choice. This is also a more expensive way to do 4x5, since the available film choices are more expensive. Anyway, you asked about favourites, and these are mine.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Brian Ellis]

I've never heard that wood holders are prone to light leaks. I've had quite a few and never had a leak that I can remember. I guess warpage is at least a theoretical problem though I've never had that either. The only real downside I know of is that they tend to be a little heavier than plastic. Nevertheless, I've always liked the wood holders. I sometimes remove the paint and find a very attractive wood underneath. They're also usually less expensive than newer plastic ones.

[reellis67]

I've used the old plate holders that came with my Korona 4x5 (with film sheaths) and not had light leak problems. I have Toyo (bought new), Lisco, Fidelity, and 4 cherry plate holders and they all do a good job. I mostly use the newer holders, but if I need a lot of sheets at one time, I have no problems with any of them. Mostly the problem children are the holders that have been ill treated, and some of the older holders have been around so long it's hard to think that they haven't been rode hard and put up wet, so to speak.

As far as flatness goes, the only problem I've ever seen was once, and only once so far, the film wasn't sitting square in the holder - it was higher at one end than the other - but all that did was create the need for a slight rotation of the negative carrier in the enlarger. I've never had flatness problems with any holder, vintage or new.

- Randy

[Glenn Thoreson]

I use all kinds of old holders. Rarely do I ever have a problem. When I do, it's usually the light trap felt. Draping the dark cloth over the whole thing is not only a cure for these things, but good practice in general. The biggest concern I have when I get a new batch of holders is replacing hinge tapes, cleaning really well and keeping them clean. I rarely pay over a buck or two each for holders.

[David Karp]

I have heard that the Tiltall brand of film holders is prone to light leaks.

[cyrus]

Wood holders don't generate static electricity when pulling the darkslide and hence less dust

[Capocheny]

Tony,

I've used pretty much all the major brands available out there but my favorites are the Linhof and Toyo brands. IMHO, they're built like brick walls and "seem" to hold the film a bit flatter. These tend to be the most expensive of all the varieties out there.

[If you're going to pick up some of the Linhof holders... just make sure that they're not of the plate holder variety.]

The Lisco and Fidelity brands are also pretty reliable.

That said, the choice of favorites is mostly a personal thing.

Like Brian, I've also not heard that wooden holders leaked light any worse than any of the others. And, I've never had any of mine warp on me...

As for the wooden ones not generating any static electricity and, hence, are less attractive to dust... interesting! I'll have to test that this out with some of my wooden holders.

Cheers