Over the years - sheet film holders question - your most preferred and maintenance

[Maris Rusis]

Grafmatics for me.
Give them a CLA in the beginning. Then straighten the septums and make sure the little spring "fingers" that hold the film are doing their job.
In use I go slow and gentle with them, no rapid fire stuff like the old press photographers did. The design is so good that a well adjusted 70 year old Grafmatic will work like new.

[r.e.]

Grafmatics for me.
Give them a CLA in the beginning. Then straighten the septums and make sure the little spring "fingers" that hold the film are doing their job.
In use I go slow and gentle with them, no rapid fire stuff like the old press photographers did. The design is so good that a well adjusted 70 year old Grafmatic will work like new.

I acquired a couple of these as part of a purchase, as well as a Fujifilm QuickChange Film Holder. It's about time that I tried them out.

[Tin Can]

Grafmatics for me.
Give them a CLA in the beginning. Then straighten the septums and make sure the little spring "fingers" that hold the film are doing their job.
In use I go slow and gentle with them, no rapid fire stuff like the old press photographers did. The design is so good that a well adjusted 70 year old Grafmatic will work like new.

Agree

[Bob Salomon]

Grafmatics for me.
Give them a CLA in the beginning. Then straighten the septums and make sure the little spring "fingers" that hold the film are doing their job.
In use I go slow and gentle with them, no rapid fire stuff like the old press photographers did. The design is so good that a well adjusted 70 year old Grafmatic will work like new.

If they would work like new then they would work rapid fire like they did for press and sports in the day.
I have a different perspective on them. It depends on who made them. Old Graphic, Singer Graflex or those idiots in FL tha bought the tools and name from Singer.
LInhof used to sell a lot of them in Germany. When the guys in FL became the manufacturer LInhof asked us to buy them from the FL people as their agent. We did. And sent them on to LInhof, unopened, as received from FL.
LInhof found that they were experiencing a defect rate greater then 70%. They then sent the defective ones to me to have them replaced or credited.
FL simply was incapable of delivering working units and didn’t have money to credit us back for them.

So, if you end up with those FL ones, beware!

[Serge S]

Bob,

How do you distinguish the FL ones from the earlier ones?

Thanks

If they would work like new then they would work rapid fire like they did for press and sports in the day.
I have a different perspective on them. It depends on who made them. Old Graphic, Singer Graflex or those idiots in FL tha bought the tools and name from Singer.
LInhof used to sell a lot of them in Germany. When the guys in FL became the manufacturer LInhof asked us to buy them from the FL people as their agent. We did. And sent them on to LInhof, unopened, as received from FL.
LInhof found that they were experiencing a defect rate greater then 70%. They then sent the defective ones to me to have them replaced or credited.
FL simply was incapable of delivering working units and didn’t have money to credit us back for them.

So, if you end up with those FL ones, beware!

[Bob Salomon]

Bob,

How do you distinguish the FL ones from the earlier ones?

Thanks

Since they were on the same tools you can’t. Unless they have a FL label on them.

[Chauncey Walden]

For 4x5, all of my holders are Grafmatics or Kinematics. Some came from the Air Force - Bob may have used them;-)

[Bob Salomon]

For 4x5, all of my holders are Grafmatics or Kinematics. Some came from the Air Force - Bob may have used them;-)

No, we used 5 and 9” roll film and occasionally some sheet film.

[Per Madsen]

I have only Toyo holders in 4" * 5" (36 of them). Very stable and good quality.

I have not run into smelly Toyo holders, so it could be a specific batch, which had the smell problem.

They are bought between 1994 and 2008.

[Paul Ron]

the differences must be so slight, ive never noticed. ive got just about every brand, they all work fine for me.