Graflex film pack… complete?

Aimee Danger · Nov 2, 2021

I came across one of these at an antique store here in Seattle. I’m assuming it’s one of those 6-sheet film holders but I don’t see how it switches between sheets. Is it missing something inside?

Ian C · Nov 2, 2021

How to use a Graflex Film Pack Adapter? (largeformatphotography.info)

Bob S · Nov 2, 2021

It’s missing thee film that came in a film pack that slipped inside it.

bdial · Nov 2, 2021

The film packs that these were made for haven't been available for quite some time. The film pack consisted of several thin sheets of film attached to a paper leaders and packaged in a tin cassette with paper tabs sticking out. After each exposure, you would pull the tab for that sheet which would pull the film from the front of the cassette to the back, leaving a new sheet ready for the next exposure. After all the sheets were exposed you would remove the cassette, open it up (in the dark), and process the film. Polaroid pack film operated similarly if you're familiar with it. They were a convenient way to have several sheets of film contained in a small package. But with some downsides, the film was much thinner than regular sheet film, since it needed to be flexible, and each sheet was actually slightly larger than its "normal" sheet film counterpart. So, special hangers were needed for processing, and then to fit most enlarger carriers you had to have a pack film specific carrier or trim down the negatives.

I've heard of people modding these for wet plate, but aside from that, unless you buy old film packs from ebay they are fairly useless.
What you have is complete, for what it is.

BrianShaw · Nov 2, 2021

I threw out several but save one, which is convenient since I now want a removable ground glass with protector… and it seems that one of these will be perfect for that application.

Ian Grant · Nov 2, 2021

Eastman Kodak licensed John Thornton's Patented film pack andholder along with the technology for Thornton's Colour film which they sold as Kodachrome, However this was an early two colour emulsion only sold as motion picture film and completely different to the later colour film of the same name. GEK Mees had a habit of re-using names, Verichrom being the most obvious, it had beeen an emulsion he'd formulated and sold at Wratten & Wainwright.

AfterJohn Thornton was kicked out of Thornton Pickard the camera manufacturer he'd founded by the Pickard family he moved to the US and lived frugally on his royalties from the Kodak.

bdial said:
I've heard of people modding these for wet plate, but aside from that, unless you buy old film packs from ebay they are fairly useless.

Some times when cameras are missing the focs screen and it's holder a film pack can be useful to make a screenholde. I've made a couple for other people for German 6.5x9 and 9x12 pre WWII plate cameras.

Ian

reddesert · Nov 2, 2021

This is a film pack adapter, which held a film pack, no longer made, like everyone said. The adapter may be useful for making a ground glass back and I think some people adapt them into plate holders for wet or dry plates.

The OP 's mention of "6-sheet filmholder" is thinking of the Grafmatic holder, which would have a stack of film sheaths and can be used with currently made sheet film.

Donald Qualls · Nov 3, 2021

reddesert said:
which would have a stack of film sheaths and can be used with currently made sheet film.

And doesn't hinge open like that -- access to the film sheaths is by pulling the slide out the end (they're readily identifiable by the pull ring that's used to do this). I've got three, one with still functioning number wheel; they're the cat's pajamas.

removed account4 · Nov 3, 2021

Aimee Danger said:
I came across one of these at an antique store here in Seattle. I’m assuming it’s one of those 6-sheet film holders but I don’t see how it switches between sheets. Is it missing something inside?

Hi Aimee
Keep an eye on CatLabs's website. The owner said quite some time ago he wanted to revive film packs. He has started a line of film over the past few years, so maybe film packs are next ?
If you do wet plate work, some people have converted these film packs into wet plate holders.

Have fun!
John

Donald Qualls · Nov 3, 2021

I doubt we'll see film packs any time soon. In order to pull around the corner in the pack, the base was thinner than 120, which would require R&D on the emulsion to coat on a new base (so we're consistently told); the film is slightly larger than standard sheet film (meaning it can't be developed in the usual sheet film solutions for daylight tanks, though at least the 3D printed ones will be easy to update). Not to mention it's been my understanding that even Kodak didn't have a machine that would do the final loading; they had (at the end of production) two women who sat all day in the dark stuffing the film and paper assemblies into the pack shell. That alone would make them prohibitively expensive. I think we've got a better chance of seeing new production Grafmatic equivalents.

MarkS · Nov 4, 2021

Filmpack was one of those products Kodak carried long after it had become unprofitable. By the 1980s it was only available in 4x5 Tri-X and was fairly obscure... I only found out about it in 1989 and used it steadily until it was gone around 1992.
It was a great product for news and wedding photographers when the Speed Graphic was the standard camera, but there was no market for it after those workers moved to smaller formats.
I do believe that EK discontinued filmpack when the ladies who assembled them wanted to retire- a perfectly believable story in Kodak's long-gone glory days. Bob Shanebrook would probably know the truth- perhaps he'll tell us.

mshchem · Jan 17, 2022

I still have 3 or 4 Tri-X film packs in my freezer, 16 sheets per pack. Miserable stuff to process, I am pretty sure I have a set of the special hangers some where.

Catlabs as trying to resurrect instant Pack film. That project has been stopped.

OrientPoint · Jan 17, 2022

I still shoot Tri-X film packs. I have a bunch and they still work well despite having expired in 1989.. They process just fine in a Jobo Expert drum, but I certainly wouldn't want to deal with them using a 4x5 reel or hangers.

Sirius Glass · Jan 17, 2022

The OP needs the six film holders.
I too use the Jobo Expert Drum, much easier to use, much better than hangers or reels, much more consistent development.

Graflex film pack… complete?

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