Looking informations about Great basin film holder...

[TML74]

Hello everybody, sorry if my english level is bad.

I would like to have informations about 7x17 great basin film holder. Please can you tell me what you think about them ? (answers of users would be appreciated).

It seems that there is a special way to load the film, is it a problem ?
Where can we buy one of this holder new ? Impossible to find the answer on the web.
How much do one of this NEW holder cost ?
How long do we have to wait to recieve it ?

For information I have an old but nice Korona 7x17 camera with only one film holder and I want to have more.

Thank you for your answers, Thierry M.L.

[John Powers]

Thierry,

Welcome to the Large Format Forum. Where do you live?

Here is some of the story. I hope others will correct any mistakes I have made and add new information.

I have two Great Basin 7x17 film holders that I purchased on eBay from someone who said they had been used on a Korona 7x17. As you may know there is no standard size for 7x17 holders. To fit my Phillips 7x17, the camera builder Dick Phillips suggested I add a 3/16 inch or 4.7625mm strip of wood to the short side of the film holder. After this was done it fit and functioned perfectly.

Dick told me that Great Basin film holders were made by a man in the Great Basin area of Nevada, USA. The man whose name I have forgotten has since retired and no longer builds or offers Great Basin film holders new.

Dick felt that this was the best design that had been made for film holders and had used some when he shot Ulf. The advantage of the design as I understand it is that there is no end flap to open. This eliminates most of the light leaks of other film holders and most of the wear problems. All film holders have a notch on either side of one end of the film. The GB film holder has a 10 cm notch, much longer than normal. When the dark slide is out the film is slid into this larger notch on each side. Once the film is in the holder it is buckled a slight bit at the end. The end of the film then slides in place and is held by the frame work. There is a small notch in the end of the frame work for your finger nail to lift the exposed film out. It is much easier to do than to describe. I have used these two film holders for about six months now and am very pleased.

John

[Oren Grad]

As John said, Great Basin is no longer in business. They used to make contact printing frames and film holders, and if I recall correctly they did repairs on wooden field cameras as well. For a while it was possible to find the remnants of their website with information on the holders through the Wayback Machine, but now a search on greatbasinphoto.com returns a message that site access is blocked.

In addition to a couple of printing frames, I have some of the Great Basin film holders in the 5x12 size. John's description of how they work is just right. I've been very pleased with mine. Loading them took a bit of getting used to, but now I'd say that they're the easiest- and quickest-loading holders that I have for large sheet sizes. Build quality is very solid. If you can find used ones in good condition they're well worth taking a chance.

[John Powers]

John's description of how they work is just right. .

Thanks Oren. I struggled over putting those steps in words.

John

[TML74]

Hello John than you for your answers.
I am living in France just near Geneva in switzerland.
As you seem to be happy with theese film holders, I will buy 2 of them that I have seen on the web last week.

Thank you for the help,Thierry M.L.

[Dave Wooten]

Thierry,

The gentleman that made the holders you are talking about is Don Ginthner, I did talk to him this morning, he lives not far from me. He is no longer able to make the photography products and has not done so for quite some time. His products made under his company name Great Basin have a good reputation for their design and reliability. He was quite pleased when I mentioned your inquiry to him this morning, that his products are still well received and being used. He is active as a photographer and uses a 5 x 12 camera of his own design.

Dave in Vegas:)

[sanking]

Dick felt that this was the best design that had been made for film holders and had used some when he shot Ulf. The advantage of the design as I understand it is that there is no end flap to open. This eliminates most of the light leaks of other film holders and most of the wear problems. All film holders have a notch on either side of one end of the film. The GB film holder has a 10 cm notch, much longer than normal. When the dark slide is out the film is slid into this larger notch on each side. Once the film is in the holder it is buckled a slight bit at the end. The end of the film then slides in place and is held by the frame work. There is a small notch in the end of the frame work for your finger nail to lift the exposed film out. It is much easier to do than to describe. I have used these two film holders for about six months now and am very pleased.

John

I think this describes the design and method of loading very well.

The design does eliminate one of the vexing problems of ULF holders, i.e. lack of light integrity at the flap end. But the method of loading, buckling the film, can produce stress marks on the film if one is not careful. To be fair, one can also get stress marks loading film with holders that have regular hinged ends but I think it more likely if you have to bend the film.

I have used Great Bassin holders in 5X12, 7X17 and 12X20 size. Loading the smaller holders was quite easy, about as easy as loading film into holders with hinged ends. However, loading the 12X20 size I found very difficult.

The gentlemen who made these holders also made large and very beautiful contact printing frames. Like the holders, the frames were made of walnut. I own one of these frames, 18X24", and it is very functional and quite beautiful. The only complaint I have is that it was delivered to me with the edges of the cut glass not sanded down. I wound up with a very severe cut that sliced through a tendon when I removed the glass to clean it.

Sandy King