Do Kodak and Fuji still make their Ready-Load and Quick-Load film packs that work in Kodak's 'Ready-Load' holder? If so, is there any advantage to using them instead of the classic Grafmatic film holders?
Do Kodak and Fuji still make their Ready-Load and Quick-Load film packs that work in Kodak's 'Ready-Load' holder? If so, is there any advantage to using them instead of the classic Grafmatic film holders?
in a short answer: NO
Kodak's RL system died when Polaroid went belly-up. They(Polaroid) were packaging it for Kodak
Fuji, I have no clue. Fuji Japan doesn't always release updates/useful data as to currently available(even if only in Japan, for the home market) products to the rest of the world.
Just get used to loading regular film holders, not that big of a deal really.
Grafmatics are nice, but IMO, regular filmholders are much easier to use in the long run, unless you NEED to shoot successive shots, FAST
-Dan
Actually, the Single Sheet Kodak holder works with both Fuji QL and Kodak RL (which the Fuji version is supposedly not so great at doing).
You can still find QL and RL being sold out of refrigerated or outdated stock on eBay, for a price
If, as the saying goes, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, and we assume Fuji Japan to the left hand, then not only does Fuji NA have any clue what Fuji Japan is up to, they're not even the right hand. Fuji NA is like someone else's pinkie toe at best, on a good day.
That said, basically, no, there's nothing on the market that is currently produced and which utilizes the read load/quickload holder.
My darkroom used to be a meat freezer.
Polaroid 545 holders are common and work with all the various film packets, generally better than the dedicated plastic Kodak or Fuji holders. But any of these holders
should be dirt cheap since the remaining stocks of film are getting scarce.
What was then the advantage of ReadyLoad and QuickLoad? Sorry i am not yet a 4x5-user, but soon.
Can we load our own material? or is there no real benefit?
Have everything except Kodak ReadyLoad.
www.stereopan.org
3DStereo-Aeropanorama-Jungfraujoch
Each uses a single film factory sealed packet. When inserted into the appropriate holder, the user pulls a paper sheet to ready the film for exposure. The advantage I appreciate is a no-dust (or highly unlikely dust) film sheet.Originally Posted by europanorama
They applied the design of the Polaroid 545 holder to traditional 4x5 film. It made sense, like the existence of Polaroid itself, until the market, post-digital, got too small. Fuji is still riding parts of the niche, as they always did.
"Build a bettr mouse trap . . ."
With all that said (above): Why not an updated, and effective, NIDO type system or maybe better yet, a light weight, mostly plastic Grafmatic? The old Grafmatics sell all day for $75 to $225 on e-Bay, so the market is there and the price point established. I would think that the design is now in the public domaine.
Drew Bedo
www.quietlightphoto.com
http://www.artsyhome.com/author/drew-bedo
There are only three types of mounting flanges; too big, too small and wrong thread!
Loading one's own film is not likely. The envelope design requires special manufacturing machinery to crimp the metal clip on end of the packet. I like using both Kodak RL and Fuji QL film, and still have some with a couple of holders. It's a slightly different film handling workflow while out shooting. The regular double sided film holders remain the best option.
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