Infuriated by bad film holders!

[Jonathan Abernathy]

Editor's warning: decide for yourself whether to take this thread seriously or n ot. email sent to jona@microsoft.com has returned "Unknown Recipient".

Hi,

I bought myself a new 4x5 Ebony camera about a month ago. Since that time I have had nothing but completely black dense negatives. I took a photography class at the local junior college and out instructor told us how great large format phot ography is.

So I traded in my Cannon Rebel and bought the Ebony. It was in the local shop wh ere I purcahsed the Rebel.

The store owner showed me how to load the film. I follow his directions perfectl y. First I load the film into the holders late at night in my kitchen. Then I pu t in the plastic stopper thingy. Next I place each film holder is a zip lock bag .

I set up may camera, focus the picture, close the lens pull the plastic stopper and insert the film holder. I just can not understand why I am getting pure blac k negatives. The holder seems to fit perfectly and I am using a Minolta light me ter that the store owner assured me was the best.

BTW, the film is Kodak Tri-X. I read that this is good film.

Please help.

Jonny Abernathy Bernardsville, NC

[fred_1006]

Your problem may be that you pull the plastic stopper before you insert the film holder. the plastic stopper thingy is designed to be pulled after you insert the film holder in the camera. Is this an online version of candid camera?

[Michael S. Briggs]

I can understand how disappointed you are. If you will persevere, you will probably become a convert to large format photography.

A few possibilities that I can think of: How dark is your kitchen late at night? If you can see anything by reflected light (your hands, white paper) after your eyes are dark adapted (5 minutes or more), then there is too much light. You wrote that you pulled the plastic stopper (dark slide), then inserted the film holder. If this isn't mis-worded, then that order would cause the problem. One inserts the holder, then removes the dark slide, trips the shutter and reinserts the dark slide. There might be a light leak somewhere in your camera--try going through the motions in a very dark room (without doing a long exposure) and see whether your negative is still black.

Good luck!

[Dean Lastoria]

I use real old film holders (normal and the ancient Graflex) which by rights should leak, and the most I ever get are ghosts in the corners (well ghosts on the print). If it is all black I'd say it was something else. Even if you have a light leak in the darkroom when you are filling the holders it will be some other kind of ghost.

Are there clear spots on the edges? How are you developing them? If you are tray developing yourself, try to develop a blank sheet -- if black it is a development thing.

Also, is your shutter shut when you pull the dark slide? If not you should still have clear spots on the edges.

Just some thoughts. Keep at it though -- It's worth it.

Dean

[Wayne]

Jon, you shouldnt load film holders in the kitchen. Theres a lot of loose radiation, light waves, Betty Crocker dust etc that bounce around even in a perfectly dark kitchen. I only load holders at night in my car in the garage with a tarp pulled over it. I've had perfectly white negatives ever since I started using this method.

[M.]

Suggest you get together with Richard Innamorato (see thread below), and see what you can work out. All he gets is black prints. You two should be made in heaven for each other.

[fred_1006]

The collaboration between Jon and Richard should yield some pretty contrasty results!

[Jonathan Abernathy]

Hey now listen carefully,this is a serious problem that I have. I don't want to collaborate with "Richard" anyone.

My Kitchen is very dark. The only light in it is a small desk lamp that I use to see the film holders. I have placed a sheet of red plastic over it like in my darkroom (laundry room) so I don't expose the film.

And yes, I know that you slide out the plastic sheet holder before taking the picture. How else is the lens going to see the film. Sheesh!

I think that this stuff is just way to confusing. I think I may trade back in for my Rebel. At least Cannon knows how to make a "modern" camera. These turn of the century antiques with sheets that you have to put over your head should be outlawed.

At this point my father is so mad at me. He says that I am just pouring money down the drain. He thinks that a 13 year old should only have a cheap camera.

Jonny

[M.]

Is this a put-on, (you certainly got me)? Just in case it isn't, however, you need to know that sheet film must be handled in TOTAL DARKNESS. Unlike printing paper it is sensitive to red light, and will be exposed. Incidentally, the plastic stopper thingy is called a "dark slide." If you really are 13 you are welcome to all the help you need on this forum. If this is a joke (13 year old with Ebony camera) you certainly got away with it.

[Brian Ellis]

All the suggestions about not loading in the kitchen, etc. are certainly good but if you're doing as you say you're doing (pulling the plastic stopper and then inserting the film holder in the camera) it doesn't matter where you load the film, it's going to come out black every time. You need to put the film holder in the camera before you pull the plastic stopper (the plastic stopper is usually referred to as a dark slide).