On Film Holder Brands...

[Michael Graves]

I've spent most of my life shooting with Fidelity and Lisco film holders, which are basically the same holders with a different name ink-screened on. I also have a dozen Riteways and a few of those locking Riteways, which I despise, but my wife loves. So I'm glad I have them. Recently I purchased some new Toyos from Freestyle, and to be honest, wasn't really blown away by their "superior quality". In browsing ads, I've seen holders by dozens of different camera manufacturers and perhaps independent manufacturers, since I wasn't familiar with the name. Is there anywhere one can learn about all the different brands of film holders? If not, can we start a thread where somebody describes a brand they own and what makes it different from the old standbys?

[Ash]

I've been wondering the same.

I don't even know what brand my holders are, because I don't pay that much attention. All I know is the ones with plastic tabs on the darkslides are newer and slide in and out easier, and the metal-topped darkslides are a PITA to use.

I'd use anything put in front of me so long as it's light tight. Be interesting to see about brand-loyalty though.

[Peter K]

Don't forget the Linhof double holders, a little bit thicker as Fidelity etc. but both plates and films can be loaded and easily ejected by a lever. Also each film or plate gets a number between 1 and 12. This holders where made for formats 6,5x9cm, 9x12cm, 4x5" and 13x18cm.

Peter K

[Frank Petronio]

At some point the Fidelity/Liscos switched to using a more flexible material for their darkslides. These are easier, at least for me and they seem less prone to cracking than the older brittle/rigid ones. They have a duller finish than the older shiny ones.

[PViapiano]

What didn't you like about the Toyo holders?

They consistently get high marks from all the users I've talked to, and I like them as well...I also happen to have a few sets for sale in box ;-)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I quite like the Toyos. They seem to be made to tighter tolerances, so the film always stays straight in the holder, and are said to have better flatness, though this is more difficult to detect without having done a careful test.

There are a couple of good articles on filmholders at www.butzi.net.

[Don Hutton]

I like Toyos the best of what's available - everything seems to fit better, there's never any play in the darkslides and the film rails seem to hold the film a little better (slightly tighter) than on others and it always sems to be easier to get the film under the end rail - i.e. at the slot end. However, in 8x10 they are a fair bit heavier than Fidelities.

[Brian Ellis]

Don't forget the Linhof double holders, a little bit thicker as Fidelity etc. but both plates and films can be loaded and easily ejected by a lever. Also each film or plate gets a number between 1 and 12. This holders where made for formats 6,5x9cm, 9x12cm, 4x5" and 13x18cm.

Peter K

I used them for about a year. They're bigger, heavier, and more difficult to load than other holders yet sell at a premium compared to Fidelity etc. They were the worst holders I've ever used.

[Bob Salomon]

Don't forget the Linhof double holders, a little bit thicker as Fidelity etc. but both plates and films can be loaded and easily ejected by a lever. Also each film or plate gets a number between 1 and 12. This holders where made for formats 6,5x9cm, 9x12cm, 4x5" and 13x18cm.

Peter K

You are talking about the Linhof double plate/sheet holders. Linhof also made regular double sheet film holders that were no thicker then a Fidelity/Lisco/Riteway holder. Like the double plate holders the double sheet film holders were available with and without a numbering system built-in.

[Michael Graves]

I like them just fine. They just don't seem to me to be any better than the Liscos and Fidelities that I have. Everything I ever read hyped them as being so much better, and it was just a bit of a disappointment to get pretty much more of the same, is all.


What didn't you like about the Toyo holders?

They consistently get high marks from all the users I've talked to, and I like them as well...I also happen to have a few sets for sale in box ;-)

[Terence McDonagh]

I have some old Ansco 5x7 holders that are bomb-proof. The darkslide handles are steel tabs with finger-holes in them. A bit heavier than the regular ones, but the quality/durability are obviously much higher. Though I bet the price when new was too.

[Michael Graves]

My first 5x7 came with some Kodak holders, but they were in such poor shape that I simply threw them away. I don't know how good they might have been when new.

[C. D. Keth]

My first 5x7 came with some Kodak holders, but they were in such poor shape that I simply threw them away. I don't know how good they might have been when new.

I had about 10 of the wooden eastman kodak 5x7 holders and they were great. Everything was very tight. The darkslides slid very smoothly and never tried to get crooked and bind up. On top of that, they were noticeably lighter than plastic holders.

[raucousimages]

ALKON

Rather old and made from aluminum. If you can find them in good shape they are nice. Smooth, tight, easy to load and very durable. Most I see are realy beat or oxidized. If they were used around the ocean long they will be trashed. I use them for my kids and for teaching LF classes. They can be droped without breaking.

[Frank Bagbey]

Just send me all the Toyo holders you do not like! Especially needed are 8x10 Toyo holders. Seriously, I was able to test many types and I will take the Toyo holders over anything made. All the others, today, for the most part, are made by one company.

[Kirk Fry]

I like the Linhof ones, they have this nice pin locking system. Wish I had more of them, I have only one, otherwise any clean holder that does not leak light and has the twisty pins to lock the dark slides is fine. K

[John Kasaian]

4x5--my favorites are the old riteway graphics and Bacos. The runner ups are Agfas.
5x7--Agfas and Graflex. I haven't yet tried the Photons (or izzit Photec?) that came with the last batch I won. I'd love to get a hold of some Baco 5x7s though.
8x10--Lisco Regals (not the II) and the wooden ones marked "Graflex made for Eastman Kodak"

[Brian Ellis]

Just send me all the Toyo holders you do not like! Especially needed are 8x10 Toyo holders. Seriously, I was able to test many types and I will take the Toyo holders over anything made. All the others, today, for the most part, are made by one company.

Just curious - what were you testing for and how did you conduct the tests? Years ago - about 8 - 10 - View Camera or one of the other magazines back then published an article by a guy who exhaustively tested all sorts of different holders for film flatness. The winner, IIRC, was one of the old Graflex wood holders.

[David A. Goldfarb]

There was a test of 4x5" filmholders in PopPhoto or Modern back in the 1970s or 1980s (and standard filmholders haven't changed much since then) that said that Grafmatics had the best film flatness.

[Renato Tonelli]

I recently used the Linhof 6x9 holders and liked them - perhaps a bit over-engineered, but I have a weak spot for over-engineered equipment. I also appreciate the numbering system.

The Toyo holders have a very "clean feel" to them and of all the types I have they load the easiest.

Are the Linhof 4x5 holders still made? I don't see them anywhere.

[seawolf66]

Have any of you folks run into a Film holder by ALKON "49" NYC-USA, is it alum or white metal ? I have a couple Thanks

[gary mulder]

sinar made a all metal 4 X 5 holder for 1 sheet film. Very heavy, but for studio use it is absolutely the top.

[Scott Davis]

I've had ALKON 5x7 film holders and they were my favorites in that format, but I only had two of them. They don't show up very often, and I didn't want to wait around for potentially years of ebay surfing to find more. Now I have the Shen Hao 5x7 holders, which are made of some relatively soft wood. They are light tight, reasonably light weight, and the darkslides work smoothly. They were available for about $70 each new, but I just went to look on the Badger Graphic website and they don't have them anymore.

[Rodney Polden]

I've used most of the makes available, and it seems some serve specific uses better than others - light weight, locking methods etc. It sounds like the Grafmatics have the best film flatness, from what I've read. The Alkon is certainly an impressive and well built holder, with a really durable hinge & light-trap, but as you mentioned, Scott, they show up rather rarely.

[Brian Ellis]

I recently used the Linhof 6x9 holders and liked them - perhaps a bit over-engineered, but I have a weak spot for over-engineered equipment. I also appreciate the numbering system.

The Toyo holders have a very "clean feel" to them and of all the types I have they load the easiest.

Are the Linhof 4x5 holders still made? I don't see them anywhere.

Linhof holders aren't still made and haven't been made for quite some time. They show up on ebay occasionally. I owned six of them and sold them for about $300 on ebay some years back.

[Chuck Pere]

Has anyone used the Hoffman Metal Master film holders? I recall seeing ads for them years ago.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I don't know if they're Metal Masters, but I have two Hoffman 11x14" holders that are quite well made.

I have a couple of 8x10" vacuum holders that I purchased here in the classifieds from Robert Zeichner if I remember correctly. They are adapted by Management Graphics, Inc. of Minneapolis from plastic Fidelity elites. The septum of each holder has been replaced with an aluminum vacuum easel, so they only hold one sheet, and they're quite heavy. I haven't set them up yet to function as intended yet, but even without the vacuum, they're very precise filmholders. The vacuum hose fitting is in the center of the holder, so I have to find some kind of flat 90-degree hose fitting that will function and fit in a normal groundglass back (i.e., so the hose doesn't crimp, the connector doesn't break the glass, so the holder is firmly seated, and it all fits under the groundglass). I'm guessing that these were for some sort of equipment that didn't have a groundglass back or had a removable groundglass back.

The design is similar in principle to the homebrew 4x5" vacuum holder that you can find plans for on the web.

[Frank Petronio]

I no longer shoot 4x5 but when I did, after switching to Grafmatics I can't imagine why anyone would want to fumble around with double-darks. Not only are the Grafmatics more compact and faster to operate, but they hold the film flatter and are quite easy to load.

[Michael Graves]

I no longer shoot 4x5 but when I did, after switching to Grafmatics I can't imagine why anyone would want to fumble around with double-darks. Not only are the Grafmatics more compact and faster to operate, but they hold the film flatter and are quite easy to load.

Funny. I tried one and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep it clean enough to keep the dust specks off the images. So I sold it.

RE: the flat versus glossy darkslides. I'm glad to see an explanation for that difference. Most of my4x5 have the flat and not the glossy. I like it better for the simple reason that they feel smoother and are less prone to moving the camera when removing the darkslide.