New Member Climbing Aboard with a question

[gretchzen]

I am a middle-aged woman with pink, blue, and purple hair in art school in California. I am spunky, and used to be a dancer, then photographer for theater -- long ago. Then I changed course and went into ceramics/clay/pottery. I was trying to make my living as a museum curator/consultant and professor. Lost in THE ARTS!

My have times changed in the image world! First, the love of my life -- OM1-- was stolen (1993) when I walked away from it leaving it on a car roof!!! Dumb, dumb, dumb . . . . now I have a Contax N1 (2002) -- different world. I also shoot digital, but much prefer traditional. Between the OM1 and the Contax N1, I was in my clay mode.

Moving into large format. Doing Platinum/Palladium printing this summer which is my printing method preferred for my senior show next March. Then its on for an MFA -- video/film/photography.

I have a question!

I have been using -- really just experimenting -- with Kodak Professional Readyload Single-Sheet packets in a Polaroid holder on the back of a great old Graflex. I have not developed these sheets myself, but send them to a very reputable lab. We encountered a problem! You can't feel the negative once it has been exposed and ready to pull out as one unit from the Polaroid back, so you can't tell if you have hold of both negative and paper in hand. In fact, it is hard to know if the film has been 'left' when you first move the holder out of the way (first pull). Can this film even be used inside a Polaroid back? The lab says this is a problem with other clients as well. I have had some good results, but not reliable, and certainly not worth the price of waste. Do I have to buy a Kodak back?????? Sheeesh.

I am starting to use film frame holders (reliable), but the ready loads are convenient.

Any thoughts? Am I making the problem clear?

Thanks out there . . . . . .

 

[Shmoo]

Readyload and Quickloads are pretty expensive. Why not get some regular Fidelity holders (holds 2 sheets of film each) and a box of sheet film and load your own? It's cheaper to load sheet film yourself. You'll need a changing bag or changing tent (or a light tight closet) in which to load your film. There are a lot of instructions online on how to load your film. Good luck.

S

 

[Aggie]

actually just go over to Looking Glass on Telegraph near
Ashby. One of the ladies in the store, che (pronounced shay) is an appuger by the id of tomtom. She is a whiz at all that stuff and I am sure she can help you quite a bit. I would come over the hill (Concord area) but I have a very tight schedule this week.

 

[waynecrider]

Gretchzen I've had enough problems at times with Polaroid film in the Polaroid holder (model 500) and on removal leaving the film behind. Anyways, I have heard this story before from more then one person and it appears that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There must be a trick, but I don't know it, and I gave up shooting roid's becasue of pos/neg's film speed. Too slow for me. I think your best bet is to get the quickload holder and get it over with unless someone chimes in here with a "for sure" solution. Many of the LF'ers I know of went for the quickload holder instead of carrying the polaroid back. There's enough to carry already. Btw, I shoot holders myself nowdays for cost effectiveness and cross shooting different films.

Oh, and welcome to apug. You should fit right in; hair and all.

 

[gretchzen]

Yep. I know Cha. This puzzles her too.

 

[gretchzen]

Hey, thanks! Just wanted to use of this box, before returning to my sheet film. Oh, well . . . . .

 

[gr82bart]

Welcome BTW.

Art.

 

[roteague]

Yep. I know Cha. This puzzles her too.

Gretchzen,

I've met Cha as well. She is great, and Looking Glass is a great shop. Wish we had something like that where I live (Honolulu).

Have you considered using Fuji Acros instead? From what I have heard the Kodak ReadyLoads only work well in the Kodak holder. Fuji also makes a holder, not sure how well it works with Kodak film, but it is a much better constructed.

FWIW, I use primarily Fuji QuickLoads (+90%), mostly Velvia.

 

[BWGirl]

Can't answer your question, but cool hair! Welcome to APUG!