How many holders do the 5X7 and up crew carry with them for a shoot?

[John Kasaian]

I think of it as a logistical challenge really. I've gotten my 8x10 in some pretty bizarre places and I've found it personally rewarding even if I didn't get the shot I was after. Just getting there is fun Try taking a lf camera sking or up in a piper cub or in talus. It's a blast!

[Vaughn]

I usually have 8 4x5 holders with me, I'm just starting 8x10 and I have two holders so far. I'm curious how folks carry their 8x10 holders, they take up alot of space!

My converted travel pack has a zipped-on (removable) daypack on the front of it. It holds 5 to 6 holders...though 6 is tight. The main pack is a large well designed panel-loader. The panel unzips within an inch or so from the bottom of the pack.

I can put up to three more holders inside the pack. I put in the camera, GG down, into the pack then put a piece of close cell foam (old backpacking sleeping pad) on top of that, then a bag with up to 3 holders on top of that. BTW, that foam pad is great to have -- for setting equipment on and for sitting on on wet or sharp rocks, and snow.

I do not think I have ever carried more than 8 holders at one time. But I might be able to find a way to cram up to 12 holders, but it would be awkward and heavy.

In theory, I could carry another 6 in a zippered insulated bag...but I'd have to hand carry that, or find a way to strap it to the outside of my pack. Would work for a very short distance.

Vaughn

PS...John, Yep! Being there is half the fun! The other half is getting there and then wondering how in the world one is going to get out of there! Getting an image along the way is the gravy!

[audioexcels]

hmm... when i'm not using movements i usually go through 24 shots in a matter of an hour or less. i keep a changing bag and a pack of film in my car. the thing holding me back from shooting my 4x5 more is the cost of color slide film and then scanning them. for B&W my 35mm equipment already does an incredible job. amazing tonal range, beautiful texture, as well as 10x the resolution of my DSLR, what more can I ask for? 4x5 is overkill here.

the main problem i see with 5x7 is the cost of a dozen holders, carrying them, and the high cost of shooting slide film. i already mentioned the my own practical problems of 4x5, so 5x7 is twice as bad as the film is twice as big.

personally, i don't see the fun in hiking 30 miles just to get... 2 shots. whoop-dee-do. i guess you can tag your DSLR along to get the remaining shots, but in practice you'd wish you can take more of the shots with your large format.

I think a 30 mile hike with 6-8X10 holders would be an interesting one vs. a 4X5 kit with 24 holders...8X10 being 4X the area of 45, of course.

You know that the Nagaoka 57 weighs 3ish lbs. It can have a 45 reduction back making the total a huge 4.2ish lbs. Cutting expired 810 film is no more expensive than using 45 film. Can take 6-10 67 holders easily on a 30 mile pack especially if you use the Nagaoka. Even hiking with a 5-6lb field 5X7 wouldn't be difficult.


I'm shocked you shoot slide film with 45 but b/w in 35mm. The whole point of using sheet film is to have grainless prints and many argue 57 has far less grain than 45. But you can get TONS of b/w film for 45 and just carry a 50 sheet box with you on the hike.

[cotdt]

I'm shocked you shoot slide film with 45 but b/w in 35mm. The whole point of using sheet film is to have grainless prints and many argue 57 has far less grain than 45. But you can get TONS of b/w film for 45 and just carry a 50 sheet box with you on the hike.

Hehehe =)

I started out shooting slides in 35mm and B&W in 4x5... but now it's the other way around. The thing is that I notice a huge difference between the quality of 35mm slides and 4x5 slides, but when it comes to B&W prints up to 11x14, my 35mm is just as grainless and detailed as the 4x5. My 35mm film is like ISO 16, so I still have to use a tripod, but yeah... I'm really impressed by the quality. There's more detail than the naked eye can see.

I guess 5x7 is doable since they are still pretty light. But 8x10... too much! And such large films will have to be scanned or contact printed for sure, because few people have enlargers that big. I once read about this guy who had to punch a hole in his ceiling to fit just a 4x5 enlarger.

[audioexcels]

Hehehe =)

I started out shooting slides in 35mm and B&W in 4x5... but now it's the other way around. The thing is that I notice a huge difference between the quality of 35mm slides and 4x5 slides, but when it comes to B&W prints up to 11x14, my 35mm is just as grainless and detailed as the 4x5. My 35mm film is like ISO 16, so I still have to use a tripod, but yeah... I'm really impressed by the quality. There's more detail than the naked eye can see.

I guess 5x7 is doable since they are still pretty light. But 8x10... too much! And such large films will have to be scanned or contact printed for sure, because few people have enlargers that big. I once read about this guy who had to punch a hole in his ceiling to fit just a 4x5 enlarger.

ISO16???????????????...no wonder...LOL!

What do you shoot with on 35mm btw? Do you even shoot digital? I didn't recall reading if you did, but if you can nail down b/w with 35mm and get color with 45, I don't see a reason to have anything but a decent point and shoot digital for snaps, though 35mm is easy for snaps especially if you use a rangefinder.

That's funny about the guy punching a hole in the ceiling...haahaahahahah...makes for a nice bass trap eh?

[Jiri Vasina]

I'm not shooting 5×7 for long, but for dedicated photography outing I carry all my 8 holders with me. On several occasions I have shot all of them. Twice I even had to resort to 4×5, because I was seeing more shots. (There are also outings all-day with just 1 or 2 shots, and even those are a bit forced).

But anyway 8 5×7 holders, and some (I'd say around 5) 4×5 holders.

If it's not dedicated to photography, I'd either take a 4×5 camera with 5-8 holders, or if even lighter, I'd go with my Fuji 6×9cm rangefinder (and both slow and fast film and no tripod).

[Scott Squires]

I am getting ready to head to Arizona for a couple Spring Training Baseball games (Angels) and also Wild Flowers and Saguaro NP. I am taking my Canham 8x10 with 8x10 and 4x10 backs and 12 - 8x10 and 6 - 4x10 holders. I have an AWB case that holds six 8x10 holders or I can fill it with four 8x10 holders and four 4x10 holders. Works nicely for a days shooting!

[Clay Turtle]

Not to shooting 8x10 yet but I did pick up a holder as a guage for build. Funny thing my niece bought a new lab top & lent me her old one came with a carrying case which incidental would work nicely for 8x10 film holders!
PS My more recent shoots, I have been using a shooting vest (gun hunting camo type).
As I have two such vest during a recent cold snap I decided to wear one & as odd as it may look to others, I like it! The vest has upper zipper pockets large enough for your meter & lower flapped pockets with snaps or velcro for secure storage but large enough to stick the slide in during the shoot . . . makes for a convenient place to put slide. The lower pockets has elastic web for shells which I use to store clips for closing & holding the dark cloth & as they are inside the pocket, I don't have to worry about losing them. The back panel is a zippered game bag which you could velcro your dark bag into for travel. Makes an excellent shooting vest for LF camera as it does for hunting. I used to carry a lot of things in a separate bag which have found a new home in the vest! Delete 1 bag from portage.