I'm just curious and couldn't find anything via a web search.
So, exactly how did film packs work?
For some reason I got it into my head that they resembled polaroid film packs, but I can't figure out how you'd keep the exposed sheet from light.
How did they work?
If memory serves me right, it's been quite awhile since there were film packs, the film rolled back into the holder as you pulled the leader sheet. Once you pulled the leader, the next sheet of film was ready to be exposed and a new leader was started. Similar to polaroid but the film went into the holder instead of out.Originally Posted by bartf
Greg Lockrey
Wealth is a state of mind.
Money is just a tool.
Happiness is pedaling +25mph on a smooth road.
Greg is correct. You pulled out the light proof sheet after installing the pack in the adapter. This allowed the first sheet to be exposed, if you remebered to pull the dark slide. To expose the next sheet, you pulled the paper tab and tore it off, etc. The film was vey thin, like roll film, so it could be doubled back to get it to the back of the pack. 12 or 16 sheets, depending on vintage. To develop the film, you removed the pack from the adapter, in the dark, and opened it and removed the film. Because the film was so thin, special tanks were made for pack film, or you could use trays. I still have one pack of 2X3 Tri-X from 1973 or something. It might be time to use it, before it gets old.
While they would be a convenient method for carrying a lot of 4x5" film compactly, I tried a couple of them in 2x3" and would easily prefer rollfilm. As you shoot, those paper leaders accumulate in your pockets, and then when unloading it's hard to get the little bit of leader that's still attached to the film all off, so fragments of paper float off in the developer. The film is on rollfilm base, so it's not stiff like regular sheet film. I processed it in trays, but there were curved hangers for it for use with hangers and tanks (it falls out of normal hangers), and it could be developed in the Nikor stainless steel tank, but I didn't want to adjust my reel for a couple of film packs, since it was set perfectly for 4x5" sheets.
One other point -- it was possible to "rob the pack", removing only exposed sheets for immediate processing while leaving the unexposed sheets in place for later use. When they worked well, film packs were comparable in operating speed to a Grafmatic and held more film (not to mention giving the ability to reload in the field; just take one pack out and load another into the adapter, then back to banging away).
As I've heard it, film packs were finally discontinued, at least by Kodak, when the two sisters who'd been final-loading them for decades (wrapping the machine-collated stacks of film and leaders around the pivot bar at the bottom end of the pack and getting it all neatly closed up, without fingerprints, in total darkness) retired in the early 1980s. Personally, I'd love to see 'em come back, but they'd probably cost so much as to be uncompetitive with sheet film if they still required even a single hand operation during assembly...
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
Bart, I have some in my fefrigerater. They have been there for years.Royal X Pan,
Super XX Vers A Pan, Plus X and Tri X I keep saying I'm going to expose some just to see if they hold an image. I doubt it, but you never know. Just like sheet film you could change film speed whenever you pleased. As Donald said "rob the pack" And shoot the
others at a new speed. If you took careful notes,each one of the paper leaders were numbered similar to Polaroid. But you risk mixing them up in the dark. "rob the pack was best. For processing I used the Yankee cut & pack film agitank. It came with four
stainless steel pins that you push through holes in the corners of the groves holding
the film. This film is so thin and floppy,without the pins it would slip out of the groves and stick together. I too would like to see the packs come back. But.I think that's
another one of my pipe dreams.
Joe A
Bart, I have some in my fefrigerater. They have been there for years.Royal X Pan,
Super XX Vers A Pan, Plus X and Tri X I keep saying I'm going to expose some just to see if they hold an image. I doubt it, but you never know. Just like sheet film you could change film speed whenever you pleased. As Donald said "rob the pack" And shoot the
others at a new speed. If you took careful notes,each one of the paper leaders were numbered similar to Polaroid. But you risk mixing them up in the dark. "rob the pack was best. For processing I used the Yankee cut & pack film agitank. It came with four
stainless steel pins that you push through holes in the corners of the groves holding
the film. This film is so thin and floppy,without the pins it would slip out of the groves and stick together. I too would like to see the packs come back. But.I think that's
another one of my pipe dreams.
Joe A
I feel cheated that I will most likely never get to 'rob the pack'...
[QUOTE=As I've heard it, film packs were finally discontinued, at least by Kodak, when the two sisters who'd been final-loading them for decades (wrapping the machine-collated stacks of film and leaders around the pivot bar at the bottom end of the pack and getting it all neatly closed up, without fingerprints, in total darkness) retired in the early 1980s. ...[/QUOTE]
I've heard that story too, but I doubt it because Polaroid Pack film is essentially put together the same way, so unless these ladies went to work for Dr. Land it is something that can be automated.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
Oh your'e no fun Bill.Urban ledgends are what make life fun.
Greg Lockrey
Wealth is a state of mind.
Money is just a tool.
Happiness is pedaling +25mph on a smooth road.
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