John Kasaian
5-Jan-2015, 22:51
I've got a good collection of 8x10 film holders---not a huge collection, but enough to last me, I figure. I also keep a
"cannibal box" for parts which I occasionally transplant into ailing film holders to make them good to go again.
I do have quite a variety---black wood "Graflex Made for Eastman Kodak"s, a few mahogany, then there are plastic Liscos, both Regals and Regal II. With the cost of holders on the high side these days, I would like to keep them as functional as possible for as long as possible. When a shoot demands it I can load all of them but in reality that seldom happens--I'll take maybe 6 or 8 film holders with me on local outings, but there is no rhyme to which 6 or 8 film holders. They get selected at random unless I plan on a mixed bag of emulsions, then say HP-5+ will go in the Lisco Regals and perhaps Adox Ort25 in the Graflex woodies---I'll use the film holder its self to distinguish which the emulsion resides inside.
But I was thinking, in the interest of longevity should I "mothball" the bulk of my fleet of film holders and hold back, say 12 holders (which will empty a box of 25 sheets minus 1) and use them exclusively until they develop a problem, then either repair using the cannibal box or replace the offender from my mothball fleet?
Or should I keep rotating through the whole enchilada?
Which discipline would best prolong their useful life expectancies?
Is non-use more harmful to film holders than frequent usage?
"cannibal box" for parts which I occasionally transplant into ailing film holders to make them good to go again.
I do have quite a variety---black wood "Graflex Made for Eastman Kodak"s, a few mahogany, then there are plastic Liscos, both Regals and Regal II. With the cost of holders on the high side these days, I would like to keep them as functional as possible for as long as possible. When a shoot demands it I can load all of them but in reality that seldom happens--I'll take maybe 6 or 8 film holders with me on local outings, but there is no rhyme to which 6 or 8 film holders. They get selected at random unless I plan on a mixed bag of emulsions, then say HP-5+ will go in the Lisco Regals and perhaps Adox Ort25 in the Graflex woodies---I'll use the film holder its self to distinguish which the emulsion resides inside.
But I was thinking, in the interest of longevity should I "mothball" the bulk of my fleet of film holders and hold back, say 12 holders (which will empty a box of 25 sheets minus 1) and use them exclusively until they develop a problem, then either repair using the cannibal box or replace the offender from my mothball fleet?
Or should I keep rotating through the whole enchilada?
Which discipline would best prolong their useful life expectancies?
Is non-use more harmful to film holders than frequent usage?