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Thread: 8x10 film holders a concern

  1. #1

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    Exclamation 8x10 film holders a concern

    I just received 4 used 8x10 film holders (plastic Fidelity) from a very reputable shop. Upon inspection, the top of the holders (where the dark slide goes in) is bowed in the middle. The center is wider than the ends. the fellow I bought them from said they should be fine and this is common. Another friend told me the same thing...light leaks usually occur at the bottom where the tape is.
    Do you agree with this?
    I already loaded color transparency film in the holders (expensive), and haven't shot due to poor conditions. i will test them ASAP, but wanted your input.

    Thanks,
    Jon

  2. #2
    Octogenarian
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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    Those folks are wrong. it's the opposite.

    Leaks will occur at the top slots where the dark slides are inserted if the light traps are not sealing properly. This is a common occurance with older holders.

    Test them out before you make the purchase.

    The tape at the bottom merely serves as a hinge.

    Fidelity film holders have a built-in light trap in the bottom flap and don't usually leak there.
    Last edited by Gem Singer; 30-Jun-2010 at 16:36.

  3. #3
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    I have seen the bow (usually with the latest holders -- one piece pllastic) and it has yet to be a problem. It is reassuring to have strong springs on the camera back as they'll keep it sufficiently closed when you pull the darkslide.

  4. #4
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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    Jon, I've shot this kind of holder in 4x5 for many years and the bow has always concerned me. I have done two things to be sure of no leaks. One is to flip the camera back so that it is always pointed away from any direct light source such as low sun from either side. The other is to carefully shade the opening with my hand while pulling the slide and then replacing the slide just enough to stay in before making the exposure.

    The second step effectively blocks any light that might leak during exposure and has a side benefit of letting me know when any wind dies down enough to safely expose at very long times. Of course, any continuous wind will treat the slide like a sail and create stability problems, but I have found that a little patience to wait out the wind pays off with very stable exposures.

    In one of his books, Adams talked about keeping the dark cloth over the camera to assure no light leaks around the back, Cumbersome to pull the slide and reinsert under a heavy cloth, especially in 8x10, but it would obviously work.
    "One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude." Carl Sandburg

  5. #5

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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    My plastic holders have the bow, and it's never been a problem, even in full sun. From what I can tell, the light seals are still working even if the holder is bowing.

  6. #6

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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    I agree with Ben and Vaughn. I have some that bow, and have never had a light leak...except those that happened thru my own sloppiness.
    Bruce Barlow
    author of "Finely Focused" and "Exercises in Photographic Composition"
    www.brucewbarlow.com

  7. #7
    Maris Rusis's Avatar
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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    I have three 8x10 holders with the light trap ridges bowed out. Putting the vernier calipers across the top they measure 22.7mm thick in the middle and 20.5mm thick at the edge. Some bow! These holders are perfectly light tight when I turn them every which way in bright sunlight....BUT..

    I notice these holders work fine in the studio but not outdoors where I get light leaks everytime. Why? The bow in the holder prevents the camera back (Tachihara in this case) from closing fully and the tiniest crack of daylight will ruin film. In subdued studio light the effect is too mild to notice. I guess a camera with a very strong bail operated back like a Sinar might be able to squash the bow out of the holders enough to make them safe but I don't have a Sinar.
    Photography:first utterance. Sir John Herschel, 14 March 1839 at the Royal Society. "...Photography or the application of the Chemical rays of light to the purpose of pictorial representation,..".

  8. #8

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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    Same as above, my fidelity holders have the bow (4x5), and the springs for my back aren't strong enough to straighten it out, so I get leaks in the field. I keep the dark cloth on the camera to avoid them, and try and use my Lisco's instead.

  9. #9

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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Barlow View Post
    I agree with Ben and Vaughn. I have some that bow, and have never had a light leak...except those that happened thru my own sloppiness.
    I have two film holders with the bowed center and don't get light leaks either. I do tend to follow the AA dark cloth procedure. But my one instance of serious light leaks came after an entire weekend of shooting after taking my 810M apart to clean the dust out of the bellows. I didn't get the bottom of the bellows frame secure in the film back and the $%$^## film holders leaded light all over the place.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

  10. #10
    village idiot BennehBoy's Avatar
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    Re: 8x10 film holders a concern

    They are easy to disassemble if you want to carefully adjust the light seals (felt with a fingered sprung metal backing) and clean. Take a look a this article I wrote on it for info:
    http://benneh.net/blog/index.php/200...e-dark-slides/

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