Highest quality film holders out there?

[Greg]

Since last year have always just used Riteway of Fidelity film holders. Through this forum purchased some (practically new) Chamonix film holders. I am just amazed by their quality and precision construction. Have never seen nor used Sinar, Linhof, or Toyo film holders but have read that they are superior to Generic brands. Even have slight recollections of either Sinar to Linhof offering vacuum back film holders but may be mistaken on this. In any case vacuum film holders probably are not practical for in-the-field use.

Would love to read of some opinions that Forum members have as to which are the best quality film holders out there.

[Bob Salomon]

Linhof did offer 45 vacuum sheet film holders but they were discontinued after a couple of years. But their regular sheet film holders as well as their glass plate/sheet film holders were superior to the other holders that you mentioned. But you left out the Long Island made Hoffman vacuum sheet film holders. These were also superior quality holders.

[Kevin Crisp]

A decent Riteway is an excellent film holder, so I seriously doubt brand shopping will net you any gain in your images. Of the brands I've used (Kodak, Riteway, Fidelity, Lisco and Toyo) the Toyos seemed to me the best made. But it really doesn't matter in my opinion, I've never had a film holder issues with any of them, including ancient wood ones I had to rehab.

[Leigh]

I have lots of film holders, easily over 100.

When I want to have a permanent record for documentation, I use the latest Riteway holders with the two number discs that imprint in the image area of the film, so there's no question which image is which.

As to quality, I just bought another two dozen TOYO holders from Kumar in Japan.
I think they're the best holders made.

- Leigh

[Ari]

I've never had a reject out of the hundreds of Toyo holders that have passed through my possession. They are/were all great, not a flaw to be found.
I can't say the same about Riteway/Fidelity/Graflex, and the larger the holder, the worse the problems.
I've heard only good things about Chamonix holders, but I wouldn't use holders that were made of wood, even partially so.

[JMO]

+1 for the Toyo 4x5 film holders, which are the best I've used. However, I agree that if examples of the more common brands mentioned are in good condition they won't vary significantly in the results you'll achieve. That said, if I were to buy some more new holders, I'd go for Toyo. ...

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

No one remembers the Hoffman holders that were sold 15 to 20 years ago ! All metal and without the end flipper !

[dodphotography]

I've never had a reject out of the hundreds of Toyo holders that have passed through my possession. They are/were all great, not a flaw to be found.
I can't say the same about Riteway/Fidelity/Graflex, and the larger the holder, the worse the problems.
I've heard only good things about Chamonix holders, but I wouldn't use holders that were made of wood, even partially so.

Why no wood?

I've handled a friends Lotus holder before, wow.... but at like 350 euros a whack, too much for me

[Bill_1856]

I'm a big fan of the Graflex multiple-shot holders which use septums to hold individual films, such as the 6-shot Grafmatics and the old "bag-mags."
I also have a bunch of 9x12 Linhof holders, and it seems too me that the extra complexity doesn't mean that they're any better than my Riteway holders.

[Bob Salomon]

I'm a big fan of the Graflex multiple-shot holders which use septums to hold individual films, such as the 6-shot Grafmatics and the old "bag-mags."
I also have a bunch of 9x12 Linhof holders, and it seems too me that the extra complexity doesn't mean that they're any better than my Riteway holders.

Bill, Linhof sheet film holders are anything but complex. They have a dark slide, a flip down entrance slot and that's it, unless you have the ones that numbered the film, then each one has a permanently attached numbered friskit.

Perhaps you are confused by the difference between the Linhof sheet film holders for film and the thicker Linhof Glass Plate/Sheet Film Holders which added a spring loaded internal plate to adjust for the difference in thickness between a glass plate and a piece of sheet film. The only difference otherwise between these two different types of holders is the glass plate/sheet film ejector lever as it would otherwise be almost impossible to pull a glass plate out of the holder without putting your fingerprints all over the end that you try to remove from the holder.