T-Max Readyload - Great Experience

[Mike Kravit]

I njust got back from a trip to the southwest USA. I shot 4 boxes (80 sheets) of the new single sheet Kodak T-Max 100 Readyloads. I used my Kodak holder as well as my Polaroid holder. (Approx 20 were exposed in the Polaroid Holder). I have not compared film flatness or sharpness as of yet.

The results are outstanding. Of the 80 sheets there was only 1 mishap due to ope rator error. I must have not pulled the cover all the way out as only 3/4 of the negative was exposed.

70 other images were perfect! No light leaks. That is a 0% error. A far cry from the old system.

Finally a reliable system!

[Michael Kadillak]

I think many, including myself, would love to hear your follow up comments when you have had a chance to compare the negatives from each holder for sharpness / film flatness. I admire your confidence in the new product. 80 sheets is a lot of work. I probably would have shot a minimum of the film to see if they had ironed out the bugs. Now if we could get a few more users to duplicate your same results, (which I suspect we will shortly), we will have a very positive trend line!

Thanks for the information

[Stpephen Willlard]

This is the kind of stuff I have been looking for. Please do comment on the Polaroid film holder for sharpness. If the Polaroid film holder works and provides percise alignment between the film and the ground glass then I only have to take one holder in the mountains with me. This would be a dream come true. I look forward to your findings.

[David F. Stein]

Great. Now coat this same product with the Verichrome Pan emulsion and we would be cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike Kravit]

I have visually inspected my film and can see no problem with the Polaroid holder exposed images. I have drum scanned two T-Max 100 Single Readyload negatives, one shot in the Kodak Holder and one shot in the Polaroid holder at my scanners native 4000 dpi optical resolution. Inspecting the film edges and center at 300-400% magnification in Photoshop shows little or no discernable difference in sharpness.

This is not a fair evaluation as they are of different subjects and of course suject to my focussing abilities. Perhaps this weekend I will shoot the same subject with the same camera adjustments and focus using the two holders.

Inserting and removing the new Readyloads is so smooth and effortless that it makes me wonder why I ever fought with the old style holders. In fact, after the first few sheets I was able to take my mind of worrying about perfect technique and enjoy the process of making photographs.

Mike

[Doug Paramore]

Mike: Yours is the kind of post we could use more of on the forum. Very informative. Thanks for the effort.

Regards,

[Michael Kadillak]

Mike:

Would you consider contributing a short summary of your conclusions with the ready loads that could be intergrated into this web page. I feel that the subject is of sufficient interest to all readers that it would prevent periodic and replicate questions and answers in the future. If you could perform a sharpness test on the same subject with both the Polaroid and the Kodak holder, that would be the ultimate. Thanks for sharing your results with the group!

[Sal Santamaura]

While I also look forward to Mike's posts, shouldn't we wait until the Kodak single-sheet holder (reportedly with improved film positioning accuracy) is available before urging him to conduct further sharpness tests? Also, bear in mind that Mike is using an Ebony SV-45U that has a fresnel on the lens side of its ground glass. Focal plane curvature from that screen could render results of critical sharpness testing less meaningful.

[Michael Kadillak]

Good points Sal. After carrying a full load of film holders on my last trip into the mountains and considering the fact that the summer is rapidly progressing, I would be happy with the results with just the Polaroid holder irrespective of the camera specifics with Mike's camera. But that may be just me.

[Mike Kravit]

Sal,

Could you explain the technical aspects of the Ebony fresnel on the lens side of the ground glass and how it might affect focussing? I am not at all familiar with the technical considerations and more of a shoot from the heart kind of guy.

If interested, I could also shoot the Polaroid and Kodak Holders as a comparison on my Arca Swiss.

Thanks Mike