Film Holder Suggestions

[Sounguru]

I have 2 4 x 5 cameras that I recently aquired.

One is a View Grapic and the other is a Speed Graphic.

What I need are film holders I have about 40 but several are on their last leg due to age. i want to get around 150 so I can pack at home for a weekend of shooting without having to try and reload in the field.

Any suggestions I have seen them ranging from $10 to $80 with $10 being more in my price range.

[j.e.simmons]

It just depends on what you are willing to do and what your budget is. I've bought a lot of filmholders on eBay - some have been perfectly good - others in need of repair. I've used some of the holders for parts. The Fidelity holders seem to have held up best. I also have come across a number of good wooden holders that seem to be rather unpopular. If you're buying used, inspect them closely, then test them, either with paper cut to fit or with some outdated film. Take the loaded holders outside and wave them around in the sunlight for a few minutes. Any leaks will show up when you develop. Also, be sure to check that they fit well in the camera. Some holders can be off a bit and not seal well.
juan

[naturephoto1]

I have 2 4 x 5 cameras that I recently aquired.

One is a View Grapic and the other is a Speed Graphic.

What I need are film holders I have about 40 but several are on their last leg due to age. i want to get around 150 so I can pack at home for a weekend of shooting without having to try and reload in the field.

Any suggestions I have seen them ranging from $10 to $80 with $10 being more in my price range.

Do you really expect to take 150 to perhaps 180 4 X 5 images in a day???

You may want to take a look at this thread:

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=22380

Rich

[Ed Richards]

150 is a lot of holders! I admire your ambition for a weekend of shooting, combined with two weeks of processing.:-)

The best way to get holders at reasonable prices is to just haunt ebay, put your best bid on every set of good holders you see, and wait. About half the time someone will come in and make a high bid, but many times no one will bid and you will get holders cheap. I picked up 30 good holders over a couple of months and I think I averaged less than $10 a holder, some for $5.

[photographs42]

300 exposures in a weekend? When I make an exposure, I make a back-up and on a really good weekend outing, with lots of photo opertunities, I might expose 20 sheets (10 different images). If you are photographing 10 hours a day for two days, that’s 1200 minutes. 300 images works out to an exposure every 4 minutes. Then, it takes me about 2 hours to develop, proof and catalog 6 negatives so there is another 100 hours of work. I don’t have that kind of stamina.

Jerome

PS: I just reread your post and see that you have 2 cameras and one of them is a “SPEED” Graphic . Maybe that’s what I need.

[cyrus]

Buy grafmatics.

[naturephoto1]

Buy grafmatics.

50?????

Rich

[Sounguru]

Well I figure that I may come back with some film not shot but I don't want to miss any. When I first took it up and was shooting just with the Speed Graphic I was chasing a chipmunk and went thru all 10 sheets I had in about 15 to 20 min. Now if I shoot alot of landscape I'm sure I won't use as much.

Thanks for all the input so far guys.

[Alan Davenport]

If chasing chipmunks is what you like to do, you might consider a 6x7 camera. (i.e., 120 roll film) How many times did you get close enough to the chipmunk to use more of the film area than that?

[Sounguru]

Actually he was only 3" to a couple feet away most of the time he was a friendly little guy