First time opening a sheet film box (Shanghai Film): looking for warnings and advice

[Reverb]

I've never handled sheet film or opened a box of the stuff. Obviously, when handling 35 mm or 120 film, there's very little to watch out for.

To avoid doing something foolish that I haven't taken account of, is there any advice members could give about how to deal with sheet film? This is a 25-sheet box of 4x5 Shanghai Film. I will be using a changing bag. From a video I saw, I understand that this brand comes in a box consisting of an upper and lower box section only: no third section. One concern of course is putting everything back in the box and making sure it would be light tight when it comes back out of the bag.

As a starting point, I want to remove a sacrificial sheet for handling in daylight, learning how to load in holders, etc.

[Alan9940]

I've never used Shanghai sheet film, but its packaging sounds like Foma films. Therefore, the film itself will be inside a black plastic bag which is folded over and inside the outer box. Being a bit paranoid myself with 8x10 Fomapan 100, I slip the entire box inside an outer heavy black plastic bag before exposing the box to room light. I'm sure that's overkill, but it makes me feel better. ;)

The most important part of loading film holders is ensuring that the emulsion side is facing out. I do this by having the notch in the upper-right corner when holding a sheet with my right hand. Keep the holders as clean as possible and avoid dust as much as possible. Sacrificing a sheet to learn how to load a holder will be beneficial. Do it in the light until you feel comfortable with the procedure, then practice in the dark.

Good luck and have fun!

[Kino]

Just my take on it; others may have other opinions or helpful tips...

First of all, make darned sure your changing bag is CLEAN. Turn it inside-out, vacuum the hell out of it and inspect/trim any loose fibers. Any dirt in the bag can be attracted to the film's surface by even mild static electricity. Wash your hands very well to remove as much skin oil as possible before handling the film. Put a lint free cloth in the bag too if you think your hands will get sweaty...

Second, if there is any room, a small frame made of wooden dowels that will lift the top of the changing bag off of your box and hands is a great thing to make. You can just lash it together with tape and stick it in the bag with the film box and film holders. The less you allow the bag to touch the film, the less likely dust will fall on the surface.

Third, the film will be in a black plastic bag, folded over and taped. Take care peeling back the tape, but don't lose it! I cannot remember if the Shanghai sheet film has a cardboard sleeve, but if it does, remove it with the film and place it sideways across the box, leaving the plastic bag in the box or under the film (however it works out). If there is no cardboard sleeve, take care to only touch the film on the edges.

Fourth, open the cardboard sleeve (or not) and feel on the top and bottom of the film for the edge notch. When the notch is in the upper right-hand corner, the emulsion faces YOU. Orient the film so that you know where the notch is automatically.

Fifth, remove your practice sheet carefully, holding by the edges only and reverse the steps to place the film back into the plastic bag, refold it, tape it down and close the box. Retract one hand from the bag, keeping the other one on the box in the bag.

Sixth, open the bag and use some painter's or masking tape to tape down the box top. Write how many sheets you removed and the date.

Of course, if you are loading film holders, you should have cleaned them with an anti-static brush or vacuum, retracted the dark slides to fully expose the holder but still leaving them in the holders, loaded and closed them one by one, but that's after you have practiced with your single sacrificial sheet.

My 2 cents...

Good luck!

[sharktooth]

A poster here named grit posted a YouTube video about film loading for beginners. It should answer many of your questions.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuP9F8LUzk8

[Reverb]

Thanks all for the link and advice.

The cloth suggestion is good: if it's standard advice, I hadn't noticed before. It's guaranteed that my hands get sweaty in the bag, as I found on first use of a changing bag yesterday, playing around with some 120 film. Anything longer than a few minutes.

Keeping things dust-free as far as possible is also something I'll have to remember. I noticed that advice elsewhere from several sources, about vacuum cleaning bag, holders etc. I also thought that it might help to experiment with a Zerostat when static electricity is an issue (we've already moved on from the dry part of the year here). I already use one of those for records, which are notoriously prone to static buildup and provide a handy rear surface to to pull in dust wiped off the top surface. If for nothing else, it seems like a Zerostat could be good for film holders.

[Duolab123]

I would find a interior bathroom at night and seal yourself in. First get used to loading the holders without the sweating hands.

MHOFWIW

[John Layton]

When describing the correct orientation of the notch (to ensure the emulsion is correctly oriented), it is imperative to also describe the orientation of your film holder while loading. For example, I load horizontally from the right...therefore I orient the notch to the lower right. Just sayin'! :)

[Alan9940]

When describing the correct orientation of the notch (to ensure the emulsion is correctly oriented), it is imperative to also describe the orientation of your film holder while loading. For example, I load horizontally from the right...therefore I orient the notch to the lower right. Just sayin'! :)

Good point! I load my 4x5 holders with the holder placed vertically, but load my 8x10 holders horizontally like you.

[Graham Patterson]

I take my (old-fashioned) watch off when using a changing bag. It should not be a problem as the luminous dots are on the outside of my wrist away from the expected film location, but it is one less thing to worry about.

If you have a device that might light up, definitely take it off.

I try to keep film in the bag it comes in as much as I can when loading holders.
A large rubber band or hair tie can be kept on your wrist and used as an extra box closure.

[dave_whatever]

One thing you might consider, depending on the size of your changing bag, is inserting some kind of makeshift frame or even just a suitably sized box with the side and bottom cut off, to form a sort of frame to lift the material up and turn it into more of a changing tent than a bag. Tends to make the whole loading film affair a bit easier without material draped across your hands.

[Reverb]

Using the changing bag, I have loaded one holder. One of the sheets wasn't in fully - I assumed when the dark slide stopped that it was fully back in, but no. If I'd realized, I'd have pulled the film out and tried again. So anyway, that has become a dummy sheet for practice. The other was (and still is) correctly loaded. Having a dummy sheet to horse around with, I practiced loading it into another holder a few times (in changing bag) and I think I've worked out how to do it without the previous misstep.

As a complete beginner, the more difficult part, in my opinion, is the critical aspect of opening a film box, which is why I originally asked this question. It's a bit anxiety inducing when you don't know exactly how the boxes are packed. About Shanghai film, I read that they come in a 2-section box, and also that in the past, there seems to have been some variation in notch placement on the film sheet. I also wasn't sure what would be taped down, and again, fumbling with all this blind is what concerned me.

In the end, the box I received is a 3-section box, the film was in a small plastic bag within a larger plastic bag (both taped, if I remember correctly), and had the notch in the expected place in relation to the emulsion side, fortunately.

This is probably not my first choice in film; I expect to be using Ilford when I can get it at a reasonable price. There wasn't much difference on the day I purchased: the Ilford was a bit more, but I bought the Shanghai mainly because I could receive it the next day, and I think the delivery date of the Ilford was a bit vague.

It's going to take me a while to do my first test shots - first ever large format photos! - and develop them, as I want to work out my developing technique with some TLR photos and 120 film first. And when the day comes I'll probably cram those 4x5 sheets taco-fashion into a 2-reel Paterson tank. Not ideal, from what I've read, but doable. Once I have a bit more budget at my disposal, I'll move to something more suitable for 4x5.

[Reverb]

Good reminder on the watches, as I have a few with lume. Luckily, with a changing bag, I'm more likely to want to take off the watch anyway before shoving my arm through the elastic cuff.

I'll try out the frame idea to lift the bag "ceiling". Maybe a small cardboard box, or the dowels if that doesn't work out.