Conventions for indicating which film holders have film?

Don Heisz said:

Take only full film holders with you. Never have an empty one in your bag or box. One side of the film slide has bumps (or notches). If those are facing out, it means the film is unexposed. When you expose film, flip the slide so the bumps face in. Always lock the slide.

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That is what I do.

Whatever convention you choose, label your holders with the convention so that you don't forget .

If you’re working with someone else, sure, make sure you both use the same approach, but I’ve never seen photography as a group exercise, hence I simply do what works for me.

one other thing I forgot to mention—I have one label on each holder notating what film is in it, and I never mix film types in a holder—always two sheets of the same film. If you’re the type to shoot one B&W and one color of the same shot, I could see setting it up with tmax on one side and ektachrome on the other, but I’ve never shot that way. I rarely change my labels, so if I want to shoot some tmax, I grab an empty holder that is already labeled for tmax, load it then go out to shoot. This does require having more holders. I’m at about 35 4x5, 25 5x7, and only 8 8x10.

A convention?
Count me in!
Who's the entertainment director?... I have some suggestions.
Will there be a no-host bar?

abruzzi said:

If you’re working with someone else, sure, make sure you both use the same approach, but I’ve never seen photography as a group exercise, hence I simply do what works for me.

one other thing I forgot to mention—I have one label on each holder notating what film is in it, and I never mix film types in a holder—always two sheets of the same film. If you’re the type to shoot one B&W and one color of the same shot, I could see setting it up with tmax on one side and ektachrome on the other, but I’ve never shot that way. I rarely change my labels, so if I want to shoot some tmax, I grab an empty holder that is already labeled for tmax, load it then go out to shoot. This does require having more holders. I’m at about 35 4x5, 25 5x7, and only 8 8x10.

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Ilford FP4+ and Ilford HP5+ for starters.

The convention that I followed, but not necessarily taught to me as a standard protocol (not that I can recall being taught)...

• White side and Locked = Unexposed film loaded
• Black side and Locked = Exposed film loaded
• Black side and UNlocked = UNloaded

...the point is simply ignore Black side, as it is not something to grab to take a shot...it is either exposed or unloaded.
Lock always indicates presence of film inside.

Convention: White, bumpy side of the darkslide means the film is unexposed. After exposure the darkslide is re-inserted with the black, smooth side out. This was de rigueur for newspaper and studio photographers in the USA when 4x5 film was the common "small-format" size used for reporting and fashion photography and lots of people were involved that handled the holders (photographer, assistant, lab techs, etc.). Photographers in such situations rarely developed their own film; some standard to avoid confusion had to be invented, so Black=Exposed came to be it. This was taught in institutes and training at the time.

Those of us who came to "large-format" photography later, i.e., after medium-format and 35mm film succeeded 4x5 in studios and in newspaper darkrooms, often didn't get taught the convention.

There are those of us (AgX and I and a few others who have posted here), who do things backwards from the convention. That's fine as long as you are the only one handling the filmholders. Still, it does go against the convention

@OP,
Whichever side of the darkslide you choose to mean exposed makes no real difference as long as you are consistent and anyone handling your film besides yourself knows what your do. I'll wager that there isn't anyone else who deals with loading/unloading/exposing/managing your holders anyway.

I number my holders and indicate the frame number using little labels that fit inside the space for notes provided on most holders, or just pasted on a flat surface near the top of the holder if there's not an indented spot for the label. My holders are numbered sequentially; one holder has the numbers 1 and 2, the next, 3 and 4, and so on. Numbering 1A, 1B for the first holder and 2A, 2B for the next, etc., is equally valid and usable. Again, choose a method and be consistent.

I usually reload my holders after every developing session and put them in quart-size (liter-size for AgX) ZipLoc-style bags. If I don't reload the holders, they sit on the shelf or in a box without a bag. Holders don't go into bags until they are loaded. In the rather rare case that I unload one side of a holder and then return the one-side-loaded holder to my bag for use, I'll stick a Post-It note on the empty side with large letters "MT" on it so I won't mistake it.

When exposing film, I enter each different exposure on a separate sheet of an exposure record in my exposure notebook. This is a small 5x7" ring binder. I make my own records that have fields for title, date, place, date loaded, type of film, E.I., figuring exposure compensation for filters, bellows extension and reciprocity plus a matrix for showing what I placed where and which development I intend (and which paper grade I'm aiming for), notes, etc., etc. If I take multiple exposures of the exact same thing, I'll put all those frame numbers on one sheet. If I take two similar views of the same subject, I'll often do the same, with the note "2 views" or the like. Since development and film type are entered on the exposure record, these go into the darkroom with me when I develop so I can make sure I'm unloading the right frames to get any particular development.

To further avoid double exposures, in addition to flipping the darkslide to show that a frame has been exposed, I always put the frame to be exposed into the ZipLoc facing the clear side of the bag, i.e., the side without any writing or fields for entering information (bags usually come with a large white rectangle for writing on with permanent marker). When I start with a holder with both frames unexposed, the lowest number faces the clear side of the bag. After exposure, I place the holder back in the bag with the opposite side facing the clear side of the bag. So, when I have a one-sided holder, I make sure that in addition to the Post-It with "MT" on it, that the side to be exposed faces the clear side of the bag.

Since I number my holders, I use them in order (unless there's a real good reason for skipping a frame). So, after exposing an even number, the holder gets moved to the exposed pile in my camera bag and later transferred to the exposed side of the cooler I keep my holders in (I've got a large cooler that holds 50 holders).

As for which film is where: I only use two, or sometimes three, kinds of film, so I can usually get by with just making notes to myself or using Post-Its inside the ZipLocs. However, for those that use lots of different films including black-and-white and color, I recommend what AA and others did: At the time of loading the holder, fill out the exposure record for that holder with the date of loading and the type of film, personal E.I., etc. Then you'll have all the info you need for reference for any particular holder.

That about covers it. Sorry this got so long; it takes a lot more to describe it that to actually implement.

Best,

Doremus

Bob S said:

LInhof offered their 23 and 45 sheet film holders and their sheet film/glass plate holders friskit numbered from 1 to 12. They were also available without the friskit numbers.

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What does friskit numbered mean?
I got some holders where someone cut a notch code into the flap, to be exposed.

I use white for unexposed but only because in college my friends that already did the large format photography course told me to do it that way. I think learning large format was easier back then. Seems like just a few hours with a friend that already knows how to use a view camera can be better than hundreds of hours trying to figure it out by reading posts on the internet.

AgX said:

What does friskit numbered mean?
I got some holders where someone cut a notch code into the flap, to be exposed.

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A piece of film glued into the holder with a number on it.

Empty film holders never leave the house. I keep them safe from dust in zip lock bags marked with a Sharpie empty

GKC said:

Empty film holders never leave the house. I keep them safe from dust in zip lock bags marked with a Sharpie empty

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Me too.

I just looked through textbooks used for vocational training of photographers. Not a word on such convention.

AgX said:

I just looked through textbooks used for vocational training of photographers. Not a word on such convention.

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Must be one of those unwritten conventions then .
One that your expected to know if your going to get into LF photography !
I can't remember if I read it in a book , on a forum or or was told by the chap in the camera shop , to always have the white side facing out when film is loaded , flip it to the black side when exposed .
As already noted that's how the pros did it so anyone else handling the film , an assistant loading then , one taking it to be developed etc knew which were exposed and which were not .
I'm rarely out with anyone that I would ask to pass me another DDS , so it wouldn't really matter , but sticking to what is generally regarded as the usual system makes sense to me as it's easy to remember .

In the bag/case I keep my film holders in that are normally loaded it holds ten DDS , loaded ones go in it upright , with the DD at the top , regardless of if it's exposed or not .
If there are any unloaded holders in there apart from the DS being black side out , they are put in the case upside down ( DS at the bottom ) to avoid confusion .
DS still black side out untill reloaded to indicate there is no unexposed film in them .
I'm often out touring in my campervan , so film being used that day is in my camera bag , the DDS storage cases are to hold the preloaded film in for the week/fortnight .

AgX said:

Not a word on such convention.

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neilt3 said:

Must be one of those unwritten conventions then .

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Except it is stated explicitly in the instruction sheet that came with Riteway holders, probably others as well, that silver indicates unexposed.

Don Heisz said:

Except it is stated explicitly in the instruction sheet that came with Riteway holders, probably others as well, that silver indicates unexposed.

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What's on the other side?

I just have a bunch of red stickers. If the holder doesn't have a sticker its unexposed. After I take a photo I attach the red sticker, if it needs plus developent I write on the sticker. Simple and it works for me.

Don Heisz said:

Except it is stated explicitly in the instruction sheet that came with Riteway holders, probably others as well, that silver indicates unexposed.

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They come with instruction sheets ?!

Presumably that would mean buying new ?
I'm far to tight for that !

Some of my cameras were bought new , along with some of my 135 lenses , everything else has been bought used , given to me or inherited .
Very few instruction books .

neilt3 said:

They come with instruction sheets ?

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I posted the relevant part of an instruction sheet earlier in this thread.

Rightway was completely unknown here. And LF was done only by few commercial photographers.

And first time I see a manual for standard holder.

AgX said:

first time I see a manual for standard holder

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Did you ever look for one before?

AgX said:

LF was done only by few commercial photographers

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However, 9x12 cameras seem to have been quite popular in Europe - most having been made in Germany.
Their holders, however, had all-black pressed-steel darkslides that had the handle concave on one side.

I got a huge archive.

Cameras being made in Germany does not mean they were used in Germany. As I repeatedly explaindéd here camera use very much differed from that in the USA since the mid 1930's.
LF got into a niche. In the 50's Linhof tried to change that by hinting at its usefullness for colour cover photos, but in general it was restricted to architecture, industry and product photography and in all fields smaller formats were used too. I have never come across a LF camera being used in the wild. Amateur use of LF cameras practically was none-existing until 2000.

One thing is to know which hold is empty and which is not, another thing is to remember the film type loaded in the holder. Some days ago I had to open 8 holders to check for the notches. I could swear they were loaded with Fomapan however the notched revealed it was Ektar!

neilt3 said:

They come with instruction sheets ?!

Presumably that would mean buying new ?
I'm far to tight for that !

Some of my cameras were bought new , along with some of my 135 lenses , everything else has been bought used , given to me or inherited .
Very few instruction books .

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I never had a new sheet film holder. I do not think I have ever seen one and never one for sale. All my Grafmatic 45s are used.

"A universally accepted convention is to place the light side of the slide in the outside position when loading the holder then reverse the slide when the film is exposed." Stroebel, View Camera Techniques 7th ed, Focal Press, p. 187.


"A well-liked and respected Professor Emeritus of Photography who taught countless students during his 44 years at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Dr. Stroebel wrote and co-authored photography reference books and texts used to teach generations of photographers. As one former student put it, "An icon of large format photography, he had a large format heart." -- from his obituary.