8X10 film holders

laz · Sep 2, 2005

New format, questions questions...... By chance I have several 8x10 "Made by Graflex for Kodak" film holders for my newly purchased Korona (Good excuse for the camera, had the film holders!) They are clean and tight, problem is they seem too tight pulling out the darkslides is not as easy as I would think even with the need for being light tight.

With the price of new holders I clearly would rather use the one's I have!

-Bob

juan · Sep 2, 2005

I have a number of the Kodak/Graflex holders - work fine. I sprayed the darkslides with Lemon Pledge, inserted them into the holder and slid them back and forth. Then I wiped off any excess. I found that provided enough lubrication.
juan

laz · Sep 2, 2005

juan said:
I have a number of the Kodak/Graflex holders - work fine. I sprayed the darkslides with Lemon Pledge, inserted them into the holder and slid them back and forth. Then I wiped off any excess. I found that provided enough lubrication.
juan

Cool, I just did as you suggested, yup, worked great, thanks!
-Bob

John Kasaian · Sep 2, 2005

Bob,

Welcome to 8x10!

I prefer the wood graflex holders because you can open them up and work on them. IMHO, if they're light tight and not warped, there is no reason not to use them.

Scott-Tx · Sep 2, 2005

juan said:
I sprayed the darkslides with Lemon Pledge, inserted them into the holder and slid them back and forth. Then I wiped off any excess. I found that provided enough lubrication.
juan

no issue with the pledge effecting the light traps?

dphphoto · Sep 3, 2005

Hi: what about picking up some holders on eBay. Still expensive, but cheaper than new. I had some old Graflex holders and got rid of them. Much prefer the Liscos. Besides, unless you're a body builder or still in your late teens, you're not going to want to haul a lot of them around anyway. I carry six with me in the field, but sometimes I only shoot three or four sheets / two holders worth. Sometimes I shoot everything and have to get out the changing bag. Dean

laz · Sep 3, 2005

dphphoto said:
Hi: what about picking up some holders on eBay. Still expensive, but cheaper than new. I had some old Graflex holders and got rid of them. Much prefer the Liscos. Besides, unless you're a body builder or still in your late teens, you're not going to want to haul a lot of them around anyway.

To tell the truth, even now that they're a bit more usable, I am not in love with them. The weight issue is a good point. While I am an avid backpacker and do some weight lifting, I'm far from my teenage years. I have looked on e-bay, and while still relativly expensive, e-bay is an option I might go with.

So what is there available in the way of holders? I've seen the liscos offered, are they a popular choice? Is there a "market" for the Graflex ones I have?

-Bob

John Kasaian · Sep 3, 2005

Hmmm.... Are you sure LIscos are lighter in wieght?

Bob,

I happen to be the benevolent despot in charge (BDIC) of a dungeon where those ugly old 8x10 graflex holder are kept so they won't despoil the good landscape with their uglyness.

Yeah, I know its a dirty job, but someone has to do it for the sake of humanity and a well ordered society.

Get those holders to me quick, before the little devils escape and cause havoc and calamity among those poor innocent plastic LIscos and Fidelitys!

I'll even pay the postage, just be certain that for the safety of the world as we know it, they are securely packaged as we wouldn't want them running about willy-nilly, making lewd and indecent exposures, harboring rogue termites and causing splinters, now would we?

Do your duty and make the landscape a safer, cleaner, and more beautiful place!

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 3, 2005

Old wooden 8x10" holders generally sell for around $15 a piece. They are lighter than plastic holders and are often easier to load, and some of them can be serviced easily, but sometimes they are a bit loose so the sheet doesn't stay centered, and they can warp.

I have mostly Lisco and Fidelity 8x10" holders, which seem to go for around $40 a piece used in good condition. They are of similar quality. Metal darkslides are a plus, when you can find them.

Toyo holders are a bit better, but expensive, and at the high end, there is a Sinar holder that is sticky, so the holder can be inserted and removed for complicated multiple exposures where the film needs to stay in perfect registration.

Hoffman is another brand that some people like. They made all metal "Metalmaster" holders. I have a couple of Hoffman wood and metal holders for 11x14" that are quite good.

laz · Sep 3, 2005

John Kasaian said:
Hmmm.... Are you sure LIscos are lighter in wieght?

Bob,

I happen to be the benevolent despot in charge (BDIC) of a dungeon where those ugly old 8x10 graflex holder are kept so they won't despoil the good landscape with their uglyness.

Yeah, I know its a dirty job, but someone has to do it for the sake of humanity and a well ordered society.

Get those holders to me quick, before the little devils escape and cause havoc and calamity among those poor innocent plastic LIscos and Fidelitys!

I'll even pay the postage, just be certain that for the safety of the world as we know it, they are securely packaged as we wouldn't want them running about willy-nilly, making lewd and indecent exposures, harboring rogue termites and causing splinters, now would we?

Do your duty and make the landscape a safer, cleaner, and more beautiful place!

WOW! Glad you warned me, I took those puppies, doused them in gasoline, placed them on a bed of nitrate rich negatives and set 'em afire!

They're smoldering out back and I plan on staying up till they're good and dead and can't wreck none of that havoc you mentioned!

Whew, close-call, saved by an aleart APUGer, will the wonders of this site ever cease!

-Bob

juan · Sep 4, 2005

With regard to the Lemon Pledge, I haven't seen any problems with the light traps. Spray lightly along the edges of the darkslides, slide them back and forth in the holder, then pull them out and wipe them off. If you're really worried about the light traps, the Kodak/Graflex holders could be disassembled and the areas where the dark slides slide could be lubricated - avoiding the light traps. But that seemed like overkill to me. Just spray lightly - you don't need much.
juan

8X10 film holders

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