New methods/ideas on traveling with sheet film?

[Joe Vee]

Been a while since I traveled with my LF equipment (easy load days) and I'm planning a trip so I thought I would query to see if anyone has found any new products or have any new ideas on traveling with sheet film.

I found some old threads on this and know the regular old fare - grafmatics, lots of holders, few holders and empty film boxes, changing tents - so I'm looking for any new ideas, methods or products anyone may have happened on or thought of before I spend money on a couple grafmatics that are way over priced on the used market (or maybe underpriced since everything film related is constantly going up in price).

Any ideas?

All info is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've been traveling with a 4x5" camera for the past couple of weeks, and have traveled with various sheet-film formats in the past, and I haven't found any new tricks.

You might look for Kinematic holders, if you can find some. They hold 10 sheets in about the same space as a Grafmatic, but are a bit more fiddly to operate than Grafmatics and need to be handled more delicately. I have both as well as traditional film holders this trip, and I've been processing film in a Nikor daylight tank in motel rooms at night.

Another thing I sometimes do when not processing en route, to avoid carrying lots of empty film boxes for zone system processing is to use one box with tabbed dividers for -2, -1, N, +1, and +2, with tabs running along the right side and one on the top divider, to be sure it's oriented the right way in the dark. Then if I manage to use up a whole box of film, I have a new empty box, and I can split the dividers into two boxes and so on.

 

[Bill Burk]

Another thing I sometimes do when not processing en route, to avoid carrying lots of empty film boxes for zone system processing is to use one box with tabbed dividers for -2, -1, N, +1, and +2, with tabs running along the right side and one on the top divider, to be sure it's oriented the right way in the dark.

Now that's a good idea... I was looking for ways to save weight and cardboard boxes don't "weigh nothing".

I'm sold on Grafmatics, and I carry extra septums because in the field I tend to bend a few. Looking back, I consider them worth the price because I always use them.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

That should be "one on the top edge of the top divider." I've never had a mixup this way, and I've done it many times, though if you dropped the whole stack in the dark, it could be a disaster. It's very useful if you're shooting 8x10" or larger, as those film boxes get bulky.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I carry holders in a cooler in the car; I usually have 50 with me when on extended road trips. I carry the range of N-2 through N+2 film boxes to change into. However, I often simply find all the holders that have N exposures on both sides (usually the majority of my shots in fine weather) or N+1 on both sides (the majority of my shots in cloudy weather) and just change out those holders. This often gives me 20-25 freshly loaded holders and enough for the rest of the trip.

When flying, I take fewer holders, usually about 20, and extra film for reloading if needed and one film box. Usually my trips flying are shorter than the road trips, and I usually get by with just the 20 holders and don't have to change.

For backpacking I have about 30 Mido holders. These are fiddly to load and often leak light if not handled carefully and are a real pain in the wind, but are really lightweight and worth the hassle in exchange for the weight savings.

I haven't tried Grafmatics or Kinematic holders, but these sound good if they function well. Keeping records might be more difficult.

And, I still have a stash of Ready-loads somewhere too...

Best,

Doremus

 

[grahamp]

There's always the 'cop out' of taking a 6x9 roll film back

 

[wildbill]

don't leave your gear in your car overnight.

 

[StoneNYC]

Now that's a good idea... I was looking for ways to save weight and cardboard boxes don't "weigh nothing".

I'm sold on Grafmatics, and I carry extra septums because in the field I tend to bend a few. Looking back, I consider them worth the price because I always use them.

Two questions, 1 how do you end up bending them? (As in what should I avoid doing) because I've never had a problem with them and it always seems pretty straightforward to load them and unload them and not have any issue bending them or putting pressure on them so I'm wondering what mistakes I should avoid?

2 how do you carry extra septums? Wouldn't that actually be more dangerous and cause more bending of them?

 

[Bill Burk]

I've had issues when finger springs were a little sprung, the snap didn't happen and the septum gets jammed (and by the time I feel it it's bent) during operation. Checking the spring tension before taking them out in the field solves that issue for the most part.

Turning it upside down lets things fall and close, but then I replace that bent one. They are in a box between film boxes so the spares are not in danger.

 

[StoneNYC]

I've had issues when finger springs were a little sprung, the snap didn't happen and the septum gets jammed (and by the time I feel it it's bent) during operation. Checking the spring tension before taking them out in the field solves that issue for the most part.

Turning it upside down lets things fall and close, but then I replace that bent one. They are in a box between film boxes so the spares are not in danger.

Oh! Yea I definitely haven't been cautious with that, nor checked my springs. Thanks.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Unless the springs are exposed to enough heat to otherwise destroy the Grafmatic or they've somehow gotten bent the wrong way due to a bad repair, they shouldn't become sprung on their own just with time. I suspect something more likely is dirty or there's some debris inside that may prevent the lever from moving smoothly

If something gets jammed, there's also a danger of bending the springs in the box that move the septum to the back when the drawer is pulled out (though I think that may have happened to one of my Kinematics, rather than a Grafmatic, but in this respect the design is the same), so there's something else to check. Periodically I check the septums before I reload to make sure nothing is out of whack, and I'll straighten them if they're starting to bend.

 

[DREW WILEY]

When I use a changing tent and old film boxes for sorting the film (fresh vs exposed, Zone dev category, color vs b&w etc), I carefully inspect the boxes
to make sure there are no tags of paper, and then spray them with something like fast-drying print lacquer (not varnish, which will takes months to outgass, or acrylic Krylon, which will be electrostatic), but still let them outgas several months prior to use. This keep the carboard the boxes are made of
more resistant from catching or creating lint. I carry thing disposable trashcans liners for the tent itself, so my dust issues are essential zero. Of course,
I'd prefer to still have Readyload and Quickload film still available, but am saving my last reserve of that for some kind of special trip. Mido holders are a
bit of a gamble. I've had some light leaks into the extreme corners of the image area where the holder flaps are. I haven't tested every holder individually,
but regard the whole idea of these are a bit risky, esp in the very bright high altitude mtn light where I am most apt to use them. Not every scene can
be cropped without spoiling the composition. But I already have a lot of 8x10 shots on hand, and continue to carry heavy cameras day hiking, so have basically opted to carry 6x9 roll film holders for use in my 4X5 Ebony on long backpacking trips. The quality of focus is still quite a bit better than when
using an ordinary MF camera without movements. ... I was recently surprised by how much easier it was to get thru TSA check lines with my gear. They
seem to have streamlined the rules.