Numbering system on Lisco Mark II film holders: Usable?

villagephotog · Jun 10, 2025

Hi all,

After shooting roll film of all kinds since the 1970s, I'm just about to take my first steps into shooting sheet film. I just bought some Lisco Mark II film holders.

These holders have a system for exposing selectable (0-99) numbers onto the edge of the film, obviously to print the holder number onto the negative. I haven't been able to find much information about this, and I'm wondering how well it works. More curious than anything else right now, but I can see how it could be useful to me as I learn. Anyone use them or have experience with them?

Attaching a picture; each side of the holder has two little clear plastic wheels on the bottom edge of the loading flap, imprinted with black numerals 0-9.

koraks · Jun 10, 2025

I don't have any of these holders, but I've frequently seen prints and negatives that show the numbers. The system works great for all I know. I can imagine the numbers will be slightly more fuzzy (but still easy to read) when shooting at large apertures. Of course, on large format, you're often stopping down, so the numbers generally are quite sharply defined.

How useful they are is another matter; I personally never missed not having them. Numbers (or other means of identification) on the actual holders can be useful for remembering which exposed sheet is where and e.g. how to process it.

_T_ · Jun 10, 2025

I think it's a great idea. I have heard that the number wheels can get loose over time and shift unintentionally if they are worn out, but I can't image the mechanism will see very much action. At least in my system it wouldn't.

Some cameras are not compatible with the dark slide release button, that's something to look out for. But if your camera is compatible it seems like it would be significantly more secure. The bent metal wires on my holders are constantly getting moved out of the lock position, not that I've ever had a piece of film ruined by this.

I always hesitate to buy some of them to try them out because I'm never certain if the listing is for the holders with the number wheels. There's not a lot of information out there about what specific features each model has and the listings I find never specify that the holders do indeed have number wheels so I always balk at the last second.

Doremus Scudder · Jun 10, 2025

The only real problem is that the numbers impinge onto the image area. If you print full-frame or compose with really tight cropping, you may have numbers where you don't want them. If you figure on leaving a bit of room to trim for the numbers and crop always, that solves the problem.

And, if the area of the image where the number are being imprinted is a deep shadow, then the numbers often won't show up well or at all.

Best,

Doremus

F4U · Jun 10, 2025

To the OP, What kind of camera and lens will you be using? Will you be using something like a Speed Graphic and it's viewfinder for composition? If so, then edge numbers will not be much of a concern.

villagephotog · Jun 10, 2025

koraks said:
How useful they are is another matter; I personally never missed not having them.

I don't think they'll be all that useful for me very much of the time, just because of my shooting habits. But I can imagine a few situations where I might find them handy, and maybe I'll discover more.

_T_ said:
There's not a lot of information out there about what specific features each model has and the listings I find never specify that the holders do indeed have number wheels so I always balk at the last second.

According to my brief bout of research, it looks like Lisco Mark II and Fidelity Astra have them (evidently these are the same holder with different branding). There may be others I didn't find.

Doremus Scudder said:
The only real problem is that the numbers impinge onto the image area. If you print full-frame or compose with really tight cropping, you may have numbers where you don't want them. If you figure on leaving a bit of room to trim for the numbers and crop always, that solves the problem.

And, if the area of the image where the number are being imprinted is a deep shadow, then the numbers often won't show up well or at all.

Yes, I'm mindful of both of those issues. It would be untypical for me to have images where a tiny bit of one edge could not be cropped, but maybe it will bite me at some point. I'll shoot them awhile and see what happens.

F4U said:
To the OP, What kind of camera and lens will you be using? Will you be using something like a Speed Graphic and it's viewfinder for composition? If so, then edge numbers will not be much of a concern.

The only lens I've bought so far is a Congo 120mm f6.3. I don't have a camera yet, but it will be a ground glass focusing model where I could conceivably be framing with exacting precision at the edges. But as I said, that's not typical of my photography so far (~50 years), so I doubt that will be a big issue. Time will tell

Doremus Scudder · Jun 10, 2025

I've notched all my film holders with small files to imprint a Roman numeral system on my film edges. It doesn't impinge in the image area and I'm often thankful that it doesn't.

Doremus

koraks · Jun 10, 2025

villagephotog said:
I don't think they'll be all that useful for me very much of the time, just because of my shooting habits. But I can imagine a few situations where I might find them handy, and maybe I'll discover more.

Yeah, if you have them anyway, they might prove to be useful at some point!
And...those little numbers kind of look sexy. C'mon, let's admit it. Right? I think so, in any case.

villagephotog · Jun 10, 2025

Doremus Scudder said:
I've notched all my film holders with small files to imprint a Roman numeral system on my film edges. It doesn't impinge in the image area and I'm often thankful that it doesn't.

Doremus

Yes, I've seen quite a bit of information on that method. Certainly if I don't like these holders, and I find that I'm often using the encoding, then I'll look at doing the same thing you've done. Lot of learning ahead of me.

mpirie · Jun 11, 2025

_T_ said:
Some cameras are not compatible with the dark slide release button, that's something to look out for.

I don't think that's necessarily true as they are standard film holders, but i know what you mean.

These holders have a small white button that will release the dark slide when pressed instead of the usual bent wires. The mechanism is supposed to unlock the dark slide once the film holder is inserted into the camera.

The problem is that the back holder springs may not be strong enough to depress the button that unlocks the dark slide once the film holder is inserted. This can be resolved by pressing the back slightly so that the dark slide can be removed.

I've also seen some cameras (Technika springs to mind) where the light baffle near the upper edge of the film holder doesn't sit properly in the camera and the button is missed and leaves the dark slide locked. Easily sorted by pulling the film holder slightly out and reseating it.

Mike

murdockhendrix · Jun 11, 2025

Hi villagephotog, Here's what I did instead of notching my film holders I decided to use small numbered tabs glued to the film gate. On the plus side for me was the tabs are easily removed. You can find the tabs at Stearman Press, Adding Index Tabs to your film holders, rev 2. Here is an example of the tab #6A in this image.

Film Holder #6A by Richard Hendrix, on Flickr

You can see the tab in the upper right of the image. The link at Stearman Press has the number tabs for black numbers or white numbers. I decided to leave the number in the image because I feel it's part of the image. It would be easy to crop or Photoshop out.

just my 2¢

Numbering system on Lisco Mark II film holders: Usable?

villagephotog

koraks

Moderator

_T_

Doremus Scudder

F4U

villagephotog

Doremus Scudder

koraks

Moderator

villagephotog

mpirie

murdockhendrix

Numbering system on Lisco Mark II film holders: Usable?

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency