Keeping the slides in film holders

[Ed Richards]

I have a number of 4x5 film holders where the little turn hook to hold the slide in has loosened up. They drift out of position, leaving the slide prone to come out if I grab the holder wrong, or if it snags on the bag. They do not bounce out on me while driving, I just have problems when I am using or moving them. I could use the big rubber band solution, but that is a real pain in the field. Any way to tighten them, or any other ideas?

[John Kasaian]

Are the holders made of wood or plastic? On woodies you can fabricate new ells by shortening the ells you can buy at hardware stores--a slightly thicker guage to allow the threads to "bite" is al it takes.

For plastic holders you might try those big purple rubber bands that come on your asparagagus and broccoli at the market---just don't try any LF at altitude right after eating your greens! ;-)

[Ron Marshall]

I keep my holders in a plastic film storage bag that takes four stacked holders. They just fit across the bottom of the bag, so the slides can't come out. I bag is deep and the top folds over. Cheap, light, and no worries aboot light leaks.

[Ed Richards]

>Are the holders made of wood or plastic?

Plastic.

[Capocheny]

Ed,

Personally speaking... I'm not a big fan of those little locks, especially the ones where you have to push the little white button (on the front side) in order to release the slide. So, the majority of my holders have the ells turned so that I can just grab the holder, insert it, and away I go. It's not a big deal, of course, to turn the ells but I prefer not to use them. :)

Like Ron, my holders sit upright inside a Rubbermaid container and, if I have to go without the container, I usually use a rubber band, which holds 5 or 6 holders along with the front of a film box... eliminates film mix-ups!

Works for me but YMMV. :)

Cheers

[Ed Richards]

I must be ham-handed. I sometimes grab a slide when I am getting a holder. This is made worse because my holders are pretty right in the belt pouch I keep them in when working. I mostly work out of the car, carrying the camera and 6-7 holders, with the holders in an old Zone VI belt in two pouches. Do you carry the rubbermaid tub with you in the field? When you grab a stack of holders with the rubber band around them, where do you put them? Since I am often in places where I cannot put anything down, my stuff stays in my pockets and my apron, with the camera on the tripod over my shoulder.

[Capocheny]

Hi Ed,

It usually depends on how far I'm planning on going with the gear... if it's a fair distance, then the holders go into a Ziplock bag and into a backpack.

If I don't plan on going very far away from the vehicle, I'll lug the Rubbermaid container along with me. Although you can buy pretty substantial size Rubbermaid containers the ones I have are quite manageable for film.

However, now that I've entered into another dimension of reality (8x10) I'm in the process of re-thinking my strategies. I've been looking at those Zone VI bags but haven't yet decided whether this is the way to go. We'll see! :)

Lastly, you can also find vests that will have pretty substantial sized pockets in them. For carrying film (4x5 or 5x7) in Ziplock bags... this works pretty nicely too [of course, it'll depend on how many holders you want to take with you! :)]

Cheers

[Nigel Smith]

Ed, I've had/got the same problem. I've had a dark slide vibrate out while in the car, managed to pull one out while extracting the DD from the bag I carry them in. I put a rubber band around the DD lengthwise, so it holds the darkslides in regardless of the position of the catches. When I want to use one, I remove the rubber band and hang it on the tripod head handle, then replace once the shot has been taken. So far, no more 'oops'

[Ed Richards]

Nigel,

I may have to go that route as well, although I will see if I have fewer problems if I do not pack as many holders into the case. I typically go through 20-30 holders in a day's shooting, so the rubber bands would be a pain. Of course, not as much of a pain as losing a shot from later in the day when pull out a darkslide when I meant to grab a holder.:-)

[Leonard Metcalf]

216See attached photograph, of the last time this happened to me. Mind you I haven't done anything about it yet.

I was about to take another photograph when I noticed the slide had pulled out partially. I shoved it back in quickly and made a wish that it wouldn't be an important photograph. I discovered the glyph unexpectedly by wandering down a path less trodden. It was one of those photographs I remembered taking and was looking forward to seeing it. Luckily I also took another composition in colour which I am still to process. Fingers crossed.

I was thinking of making elastic bands out of dressmakers elastic (ie at least 1/2 inch width). Mainly so I would make sure I didn't loose them. I was trying to think os something that wouldn't catch as I removed them from my bag. Rubber tends to stick to plastic...

I tried clip lock plastic bags, but they didn't last too long. I will use them again only in wet or sandy conditions.

[Glenn Thoreson]

On some holders you can screw the little hooks in a bit to make them tighter (clockwise). On the old wood holders, you had to do this or they would eventually get unscrewed to the point where they would fall out on the ground. I'm not familiar with the latest holders, though, because mine are rather old. Some are downright ancient.

[Alan Davenport]

The secret is to NOT use "big" rubber bands. It really doesn't take much to hold the slide in place. I recycle the rubber bands that come wrapped around my newspaper. On a loaded film holder, the rubber band gets put around the long dimension to hold the slide in. When the holder is empty, the rubber band goes around the short dimension; that way I can differentiate empty holders from those with exposed film, without having to check them in the dark. In the field, the rubber band gets pulled off and hung on one of the tripod head adjusting handles. After exposure, it's right there to put back on the holder as it is removed from the camera.