I'd Like to Find The Guy That Invented Readyloads....

[Bill McKinley]

I did have one trip where a box of film was ruined by a malfunctioning Quickload holder.
After that disaster I have developed a more refined feel for the actions of the holder and can more or less tell if things are working correctly. But (just to be sure things really are working right) I always carry a 'sacrificed' sheet and occasionally run it through the holder to test the system. Who needs to be worrying all trip long that the holder might not really be working correctly?

[Brian Ellis]

"So I jump out of bed and throw a sheet in the holder with it out of the camera, I pull back back the packet and the film stayed in the packet. I tried another sheet and the same thing again."

There's an easy way to check to see if this has happened before you make a photograph. Just run your thumb and forefinger lightly back and forth a couple times across the top of the envelope after pulling the envelope up and before making the exposure. If you feel a slight bump or ridge around the center then the film stayed up in the packet. Reinsert it and try again. If it happens a couple times discard that packet. It takes only a couple seconds to do and is good insurance against losing a photograph because of the film not staying down in the holder. This tip was given to me by a Kodak rep after I had my one major Readyload problem.

[william linne]

I am curious about one thing, given that this was a "big time paying gig" why didn't you test the film and readyload holders out beforehand?

I guess I'm just not a pro like you, dude.

[darter]

Why is it whenever anyone has an issue with a product, three people immediately chime in: "I never had a problem with it." Two imply that the complainant is "an idiot", "not a pro" or guilty of laziness. Another has to state that he/she "Loves the product and (superior intelligence implied) has frozen X cases of it." There is always one who writes: "I've never used that product" but has to comment anyway. Lastly two compulsive "thread rage" addicts have to get into a tit-for-tat fight about something and hijack the thread. Its getting a bit predictable.

[Dave Parker]

Well Darter,

I think it is fully expected that even when someone does have a problem with a product that it stands to reason that there are many others who have not had a problem, normally products with a lot of problems don't stay on the market very long, myself personally don't think it has anything to do with being a pro, or operator incompetence, but if one person has a problem all the time and others don't have a problem, it seems there would be something else going on that causes the problems and failures, which of course could be incorrect use, but in a group like this, I would suspect there is a problem with the particular holder that was used, if a 40% failure rate is the norm for a person, then there is obliviously something going on..

And saying that someone loves a particular product in no way implies superior intelligence, that is a connection I can't make, and don't understand how you came to that conclusion because someone loves a product?



Dave

[Ben Crane]

There has been a lot posted on this, but I'm still not sure what the nature of the 40% failure rate was? I.e., was the film never exposed, was there a light leak, does the clip get jammed, problems with the emulsion itself, etc.

Like many others here I have used several hundred sheets of Readyload and had very few failures. Fortunately Almost all the failures I have had were evident in the field such as the clip coming off the end or the film never being pulled out of the sleave (I always feel to see if this occurs as a previous poster described).

[Brian K]

I guess I'm just not a pro like you, dude.

I guess not. I asked a serious question and in return received an immature response. Why am I not surprised that you had serious issues on a shoot?

When you accept a "big time high paying gig" you owe it to your clients to approach your work in a professional manner and a big part of that is doing your homework beforehand. You test your gear, you test your film and supplies and you do any scouting or testing that the photograph or location may require beforehand.

Screwing up a shoot may prove only to be an inconvenience to some photographers, but sometimes the AD who put their trust in a less than professional photographer lose their job.


BTW while there are manufacturing defects in products, the vast amount of problems always trace back to the same source, user error.

[John Brady]

Hi Ben, in my case the failure is a cse of the clip not catching so the film stays in the packet. I have never had this happen with velvia in my fuji holder, but have had it happen with two different kodak holders. I don't know if it's the film packet or the holder, all I know is that when it happens it's not a pleasant experience.

Brian makes an excellent suggestion on how to tell if the film stayed in the packet. I tried it with my holder last night and it works as he mentions.
thanks jb

[turtle]

I have not had problems. I have the latest single sheet Kodak holder (I bought this as you can use readyloads and quickloads in it...with the fuji holder the kodak film is a problem). I have had a 100% success rate with Tmax single shhet reaadyloads.

[turtle]

I have not had problems. I have the latest single sheet Kodak holder (I bought this as you can use readyloads and quickloads in it...with the fuji holder the kodak film is a problem). I have had a 100% success rate with Tmax single sheet readyloads and Fuji Acros quickloads.