Are Graflex Grafmatic film holders more trouble than they're worth?

[Certain Exposures]

These things:


Source: Mercury Camera Article

I'd like to try one. I'm split on whether or not they introduce more opportunities for an error or less.

Let me know if there's already a great thread dedicated to this. I didn't see one.

[BrianShaw]

To me they are more trouble than they are worth.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I usually use Grafmatics for 4x5. They do take a little getting used to, but I would not say they are problematic at all if they are in good condition. They have a few advantages like less volume than normal double sheet holders. They also reduce the need to manage the dark slide while it’s pulled, which can be an advantage. The main disadvantage is I tend to shoot more sheets when using them. Sometimes it’s because I have more film with me, and sometimes it’s because I take the shot when I would have returned the dark slide for some reason, but with the Grafmatic it’s a minor hassle to cycle through the 6 sheets to get back to the right spot in the stack.

[sharktooth]

I really like them for size and speed, but they have one major drawback that you need to be aware of.

When you pull the dark slide on a Grafmatic, your film is unprotected after you push the dark slide back in. In order to protect the film for the next shot, you need to advance to the next sheet.
This becomes a problem if you pull the dark slide, but then decide you don't want to take the shot after all. You can push the dark slide back in, but your film is still "out". At that point you can advance to the next sheet, and thereby save that sheet of film, but now it's going to be a problem keeping track of it later.

To avoid this issue, you need to commit to the shot when you pull the dark slide, so make very sure you really want the shot first.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I really like them for size and speed, but they have one major drawback that you need to be aware of.

When you pull the dark slide on a Grafmatic, your film is unprotected after you push the dark slide back in. In order to protect the film for the next shot, you need to advance to the next sheet.
This becomes a problem if you pull the dark slide, but then decide you don't want to take the shot after all. You can push the dark slide back in, but your film is still "out". At that point you can advance to the next sheet, and thereby save that sheet of film, but now it's going to be a problem keeping track of it later.

To avoid this issue, you need to commit to the shot when you pull the dark slide, so make very sure you really want the shot first.

You can cycle through the six sheets to get back to the same number. This must done on the camera with the lens shutter closed.

[popdoc]

Have several of them, Use them regularly. Great for travel/backpacking. Can take a little while to get the hang of it. Practice a lot prior to loading film in them and going out shooting. In the size footprint of three regular holders, I can carry three different kinds of film, six of each. Love that flexibility and efficiency.


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[Mark Sampson]

I struggled with Grafmatics at several times in the last 30 years. Gave up each time. Why?
1) The holders and septum must be in perfect working order. 50+ years on, many are not.
1a) You must be very careful in your practice not to screw something up, mechanically or picture-wise.
2) The frame counter sticking into the image ruined several pictures. (Yes, I know they can be removed)
3) The heavy mechanical action required to change films often caused my camera to shift on the tripod. (not the holder's fault). I do think they were meant for people shooting Speed Graphics hand-held, where this would not be an issue.
4) The weight and space saving wasn't worth the hassle.
Of course these are personal opinions; your results may vary, and it's worth remembering that Grafmatics were in production for many years, and people have used them successfully for decades longer than that.

[Havoc]

I gave up on them. I tought it would be a nice system as I can just fit 6 sheets in my tank. But I seem to mess up every time ending with ruined shots.

[Conrad . Marvin]

I’ve been using the same grafmatic holders for decades the first four since the mid 80s and added to them in the next ten or so years and never lost any shots.

[Tin Can]

I bought NOS Japanese clone from Japan

works best