Organizing Film Holders

[m00dawg]

Curious what folks use to organize film holders? As in, do you organize by brand, then number, or just number them all sequentially regardless of brand, or use some other means?

So far I've been doing it by brand/number since most of mine are used and were already numbered. I've been putting thought into if I can improve upon that. I wrote a web app to help track my film work from logging and printing out shot sheets with it to keeping track of darkroom print settings and I've thought about adding in the tracking holders.

The problem I've run into is I'll load a buncha holders, carefully right down in a notepad what's in each holder. But then I might not use all of them in a session/trip but might write more notes down in the notepad later on. That makes finding all this stuff hard and I've now exposed enough sheets by accident to realize I need a better way. A notebook works great in the field, especially when I'm gloriously out of cellphone reception (which means I'm probably someplace awesome!) but not so great once I get home. And since I already transcribe my notes into the app, updating my the state of my holders isn't much extra work (eventually I'd envision having a mobile app that can do this but I'm not a mobile app dev - I'm a Database Admin and Linux Sysadmin that sometimes plays web developer).

Obviously I'm over-complicating it so no doubt someone is going to school me on a simpler solution, but still curious what ya'll tend to come up with!

[John Kasaian]

I've pared my 8x10 holders down to woods(Kodak/Graflex) and plastics (Lisco Regals) Slow ISOs go in one, fast ISOs go in the other, or Ortho depending on what I'm shooting. Those round stickers from the office supply section I use for numbering. Notes in a note book---I've lost too many Post-its:(

[earlnash]

I've numbered all my 4x5 holders with a unique number, and A and B sides (e.g. 35A, 35B). Those with different films are kept in different labelled bags. When shot, the dark slide is turned to "exposed", and put back in the same filmbag. My "app" is a pocket-sized moleskine notebook, in which I record the shot - film holder #, exposure, subject, etc. I also keep a log of any light-leaks or mechanical problems with holders, and if a particular holder shows recurrent problems I throw it out. I don't differentiate by brand or make - if it's a reliable holder, then I keep using it.

[Liquid Artist]

I just number mine, and use a letter on the second side.
Since I started with 4x5 they start from #1 and go up to something like #30A

With my 5x7 and 8x10 it is still the same, except I start the number with 57 or 810

Since I keep a sticky note on my film holder with all the info on my numbering system doesn't mean much unless I start seeing issues like obvious light leaks in just 1 photo.
Then I can grab out the sticky note describing the negative, and look at the film holder shown.

[Christopher Barrett]

When we shot film for work, we carried three types of transparency film and after loading the holders, each one got a strip of tape over the top of the holder (front to back). It was just 1/4" tape that helped insure that the darkslides stayed in place. The main function of the tape was color coding for the film. Blue was daylight balanced, red was tungsten balanced and green was Velvia.

This helped us keep the emulsions sorted and we'd flop the darkslides as well... (white tab out unexposed, black side exposed).

Sometimes I used white tape to note exposure differences. This stuff was all artist's tape, so it didn't leave any residue on the holders.

[m00dawg]

Ah keeping notes about light leaks is a good point. For the app I was going to have a "notes" section although nothing as fancy as a log of sheets. Didn't think of A and B sides (mine were just flatly numbered when I got my first used ones) but that's a good idea. Also those garage stickers are a super good call!

I've been using masking tape for my Chamonix - they didn't come with a space to write on but since they are new (and very pretty) I've been wary of which adhesives I use (masking tape probably not the answer here). Typically I just load them up with all the same film (since I only have 2 holders and usually shoot films in batches of 4 since that files nicely into a PrintFile.

[Sandro]

I use an App named PhotoExif to sign all data about the shoot for a specific holder.
Than I can transfer all data to the scanned file.
Using Grafmatic mostly, this process is excellent: each Grafmatic has a number
When I use standard holders I name a batch of 6 holders in the app, and each shoot with a number from 1 to 6. The rest of the procedure is the same.
When I use more than one film, I have multiple batches in the app.

[Mfagan]

Mine (4x5) are numbered sequentially regardless of make. Some years ago I measured all of them and discarded those not making spec for film plane depth, so I am missing some numbers now. If I ever get more (unlikely), I’d continue the sequence. I put a strip of blue painter’s masking tape, with the film type written on it, over the top at the edges so I know for sure they’re loaded and with what. I replace the tape after exposure. I take notes on paper the old-fashioned way.

[AuditorOne]

For me it is pretty simple. I am usually more interested in the print itself and less interested in any of the supporting information.

I just number the film holders sequentially regardless of brand. If they leak light they get culled.

Once I have a negative it gets a unique file number that has nothing to do with the file holder itself.

I use a web database called Film Tracker to keep track of each negatives aspects such as camera, lens, date, film type, ISO and so on. I also have a text file that details more specific information regarding the location and exposure information if I have held onto it.

Some negatives don't get developed right away and I am pretty bad about keeping notes during the shoot itself so I may not have exposure data. I have some nice notepads that would help but rarely carry them with me. Location, time of day, etc. I can usually dredge up from memory if it hasn't been too long.

Even though I do try to hold onto some of this information my database is really pretty blank. I can usually tell you the camera, film and lens but after that it gets a bit chancy.

[m00dawg]

Thanks everyone! Gives me some things to think about for how I can better improve my workflow.

[Jim Jones]

I used consecutive numbers on each side of holders. A series of narrow and wide notches was cut into each flap with the holder number encoded with binary math. Thus the negative always carries the holder number. This simplifies record keeping. Adding a date to the negative gives a unique catalog number.

[m00dawg]

I used consecutive numbers on each side of holders. A series of narrow and wide notches was cut into each flap with the holder number encoded with binary math. Thus the negative always carries the holder number. This simplifies record keeping. Adding a date to the negative gives a unique catalog number.

WOW that's awesome! Super clever - I assume you use those notches to make it easier to load/unload batches in the darkroom? I find it gets real tedious when I use multiple film stocks on a trip because I do them a group at a time.

[mikey1two]

I too use a notch system on my holders. I bought my 5x7 holders with them filed in (only thing I don’t like is that it’s numbered as A&B sides) It simplifies tracing down light leaks and I use it in conjunction with a home made exposure sheet with info like film holder/film stock/subject and exposure information, just to name a few. My 4x5 holders are also numbered 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b… no notches, but will probably change them to a sequence as well as it would be easier for me to keep track of.
I’ve heard some say they don’t like the notches as they have to crop their negatives to get rid of them, but that’s not an issue with me.
Anybody remember that app called Holders? It was useful.

Mikey

[Jim Noel]

My holders of all sizes are numbered sequentially according to size (4x5,5x7, 8x10, 5x12, 7x17). I write the type of film in pencil on each holder as I load.
All notes are kept in one of my Ansel Adams pocket notebooks. It's too bad these are no longer available as the make it easy to keep track of all pertinent info,even time of day, and type of light.

[Roberto Nania]

I've numbered all my 4x5 holders with a unique number, and A and B sides (e.g. 35A, 35B). Those with different films are kept in different labelled bags. When shot, the dark slide is turned to "exposed", and put back in the same filmbag. My "app" is a pocket-sized moleskine notebook, in which I record the shot - film holder #, exposure, subject, etc. I also keep a log of any light-leaks or mechanical problems with holders, and if a particular holder shows recurrent problems I throw it out. I don't differentiate by brand or make - if it's a reliable holder, then I keep using it.

Hello,
I use exactly the same system and I must say it is very reliable.
I use not more than two film type so it is easy to sort them (FP4 ones have no marks and lay dark slide left in my backpack compartment, Foma 400 ones have a pencil mark and lay right side).
My moleskin notebook is the wider one (13x21cm) because I started inserting excell shit of paper made by me as a test for a blurb log file project but I would turn to the pocket size one when it's over.
Every shot has a sequential numbering. When I have done with a certain number of sheets, I list the developing times of each holder/film/E.I. combo and then collect the first six with the same times and proceed with developing.
I take note of problems with holders in the same why and put apart the ones that are not reliable.
If I have to look for improvements, maybe numbering the holder with single number each side (so 1-2 instead of 1A-1B) is even more error-proof.

[Greg]

The first time I "notched" my film holders was in the 1970s. Easy mistake to make is to make way too big of notches. Current film holders are "micro" notched. My notches are less than 0.5mm deep. Micro-Mark has several micro file sets that make notching very easy to do.

[Heroique]

If, by chance, you notice a "veteran" holder with a possible problem you've never noticed before – say a tiny crack, warped dark slide, quirky hinge – you might want to inspect your past shots from that holder for any subtle image issues that may have escaped your notice, and could be growing worse over time. One might consider if a labeling process allows for this to be done quickly and efficiently – from holder to multiple film sheets, instead of particular film sheet to specific holder.

[Drew Bedo]

I've pared my 8x10 holders down to woods(Kodak/Graflex) and plastics (Lisco Regals) Slow ISOs go in one, fast ISOs go in the other, or Ortho depending on what I'm shooting. Those round stickers from the office supply section I use for numbering. Notes in a note book---I've lost too many Post-its:(

I do the same, mostly to separate color from B&W.

[barnacle]

A thought: this might resolve a minor issue I've had for a while: how to tell an empty film holder from a full one. Usually I load and go on the day I expect to shoot, but sometimes things get left loaded but unexposed in the holder. I have been known to weigh the damn things... with mixed success.

As I get *loads* of stuff from Digikey for the day job, I've got a fair few of their antistatic ziplock bags around the place. These are the ones they use for the reeled components for pick'n'place machines. They're about eight by seven and three-quarter inches internal, plenty of room for a 4x5 holder; full ones, exposed or otherwise, in a bag; empty ones loose.

Sorted - thanks!

I'll see how they go in practice. There's always plan B - a suitably sized elastic band around loaded holders.

Neil

[John Layton]

Micro-Notches...gotta do this!

[Doremus Scudder]

I notch too.

I use a Roman-numeral system. A small half-round notch = 1, a small "V"-shaped notch = 5, a small square notch = 10, a slot-shaped notch = 50 and a larger half-round notch = 100. I don't need more than four notches per holder to number up through 100. It's pretty easy to do this with a set of small files.

Best,

Doremus