Adjusting to a World Without Quickloads

[goamules]

Option 5: Make your own film (wetplate collodion or dryplate). But you won't want to hike with it!

[Riverman]

I invested in the Harrisson pup tent, some more darkslides and a few boxes of Acros (that I used to shoot in QL) and best of all - of Kodak Portra 400NC which is an absolutely fantastic film that (to my knowledge) was never available in Readyload.

I was worried about dust but it hasn't been a real problem. The changing tent is great and I've also got into the habit of always making two identical exposures for each shot (which I never bothered doing with QL). When I've had one frame with a dust spot I've been saved by the backup that luckily turned out clear.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

This whole Quickload situation has caused me to redo the price comparison calculation. I've been paying more than twice as much per sheet of Quickload than I could have gotten slightly out-of-date conventional film for! With all the savings over the past few years, that would probably buy a couple really sweet lenses! Looks like I'm switching to regular holders regardless of if they bring back QLs.

By the way, it's not the difficulty of loading conventional film holders or the weight of carrying them that drove me to using QLs- I do that all the time with my 8X10. Rather, it was the convenience of using QLs on multi-day, labor and travel intensive photo trips. On those, I'm usually up well before sunrise, hike around most of the day, and then shoot until dark. Getting back to camp at night, the last thing I want to have to do is load a bunch of film holders and worry about keeping track of which sheet is which...

[Darren H]

Brian, I am right there with you about Quickloads. As a color chrome landscape guy, it was always and only Quickloads for me. I always thought of handloading is nigh impossible in a place like Big Bend and did not want to ever do it. I was shocked and really disappointed when I heard the QL news. Then, as Dirk points out, the lack of definate answer from Fuji makes it worse.

So, I am sitting on about 300 sheets in the fridge and will make that last.

I also did the waht would have been unthinkable in December and figured out how to load a regular film holder. But now that I have and have a few holders I am going to do B+W with them and am going to sample the landscape with Efke 25. I'll probably just preload at home and only use what I have with me on location. It might not be much, but its a start.

That will keep me busy with both color and B+W and preps me for the post QL world.

BTW- I also hope that a Chinese company considers setting up a packet film. If one did I'd try 'em.

[MITCH FALK]

Its not only Quickloads, they also (to my surprise) just discontinued making 4x5 Velvia 50 sheetfilm.

I just got off the phone with a "Samy's" salesman - there down to the last few boxes.

[domaz]

For those of us no longer doing conventional analog D/R printing, and especially not Ilfochrome, dust just isn't the issue going forward that it once was. For me the Quickload rationale has been convenience and getting film through TSA checkpoints without Xrays and just hand screening. I recently ordered some QL stocks to save this TSA use.

Why worry about the TSA? I've had no problems taking loaded film holders and boxes of film through checkpoints. They have never asked to open any of them. If your paranoid just take factory sealed film boxes and ship all your used sheets home via Ground shipping. International may be more an issue but domestic is a non-issue.

[vinny]

Its not only Quickloads, they also (to my surprise) just discontinued making 4x5 Velvia 50 sheetfilm.

I just got off the phone with a "Samy's" salesman - there down to the last few boxes.

that's bullshit. Don't start another rumor because of some shit the no it all at Samy's told you. If you want some, go to badgergraphic.com and order some.

[MITCH FALK]

its no BS, I wish it were.

It just disappeared from the Adorama site as well, I'll try Badger next.

[MITCH FALK]

Thanks for the Badger tip, just ordered some.

[MITCH FALK]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...VP_4_x_5_.html