Toyo 45AX field camera: are the film holders held tight enough?

[StevenJHintz]

Hi.
I'm just trying to get started in 4x5, and read several nice reviews of the Toyo cameras, including the 45AX, and bought one. The build quality seems excellent, BUT it seems that you must take off the ground glass back completely to load the film holders (I bought Toyo holders)--the little sliders that secure the holder seem not particularly tight, and I'm concerned that the space might leak light. Do I have this wrong? It doesn't help that the manual supplied is for another similar but still different camera (the 45II I believe)...Forgive my newbie-ness

[Doremus Scudder]

Steven,

All cameras load in basically the same way: the film holder slides in under the ground glass/spring back. You should not have to remove the back to load film!

I think you are removing the spring back completely and using the Graflock sliders. These are intended for other accessories, such as roll film holders, etc. The ground-glass portion of the back should just pull away from the rest of the back with some pressure. The holder then slides in between the two parts.

Check out this video; it should give you all the answers you need...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Izdotk9g5Y

...or check out page 9 in the following:

http://www.art.ucla.edu/photography/downloads/Toyo_45CF.pdf

Best,

Doremus

[Vaughn]

The little sliders are for use with holders (and accessories) that have a corresponding slot along the sides...usually not used. Looks to be a nice camera to be starting off with. Have fun!

If the back of your camera is significantly different then the one on the above video (around minute 16), take a photo of it and we'll see what's up.

I should have made a similar video for the 4x5 cameras I checked out to the students. Though with some students, showing them and getting them to handle the camera the first time with guidance works best. I would have had to make many videos because of the variety of types and brands of 4x5 cameras. I had to check out: Speeds, Horseman Woodmans, Tachihara, Calumet rails of a couple different models, Graphic View II, and a couple more in there somewhere. The only cameras that did not hold up well under student-abuse were the Tachiharas...pretty cameras and nice to use, though. Our new instructor wanted us to buy a couple Toyo CFs...again nice cameras, but they have a history of not taking student-abuse (easily broken important plastic/carbon fiber part if I remember right). But both cameras are fine tools for personal use and care.

[Dan Fromm]

BUT it seems that you must take off the ground glass back completely to load the film holders (I bought Toyo holders)--the little sliders that secure the holder seem not particularly tight

This somehow doesn't seem right. I just looked at a Toyo catalog, the sheet film holders shown in it are conventional and should slip in under the focusing panel easily. They don't seem to have slots in their sides, but pictures can deceive. Toyo's roll film holders are much thicker.

Not to be a complete idiot or anything, but which do you have?

[Peter De Smidt]

I've used a Toyo AX as my main camera for a long time. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Holders insert normally, just as they do in all my other cameras. There's no need to take off the back.

[StevenJHintz]

I've used a Toyo AX as my main camera for a long time. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Holders insert normally, just as they do in all my other cameras. There's no need to take off the back.

[StevenJHintz]

Thank you for the help! I got off on the wrong foot partly because I did the technical support chat thing with the large camera store I bought it from and they said take the glass back off! Embarrassing but thanks again.

[Peter De Smidt]

Go to 20:40 to see a holder loaded into a Toyo AX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKm1vJk3Xac&t=400s

[StevenJHintz]

Thanks again for your help, I figured it out. The manual Toyo supplied had pictures of a lever--a "bail" they called it--to pull out before the back could open. There is no lever, on my version of the AX anyway, you just grasp the back and pull it open.

[Keith Pitman]

I'll have to add this to my file of "Things That Can Go Wrong With A View Camera." :-)