storing exposed 4x5 film

bonk · Jun 26, 2018

I am taking my first step in large format photography and soon I will have 3 weeks of travel with a Linhof (I think it's the Technkardan S45). I will take I box with 25 sheets of Ilford FP4 and two boxes with Kodak Tri-X 320 with 10 sheets each.

Now my problem is how to I store the the exposed negatives for 3 weeks on the road. The easiest way would be to put them back into those boxes. But how would I relate my notes I will make for each negative (especially the info about push or pull processing) to each negative once I am back in the darkroom? I need a something that is failsafe. Any idea?

The coolest would be if I had 45 light proof, scratch proof and dust proof sleeves I could write on.

Andrew O'Neill · Jun 26, 2018

I always put exposed film into boxes at the end of a shoot, in the order that they were recorded in my notebook. First one goes in the box face down, notch top right. I have one box for 8x10 and one for 4x5. Of course they're slipped into the cardboard and black plastic sleeves that came with box. When I get home from a trip, I develop from the bottom of the stack...which is the first exposed sheet. Never had any problems.

BradS · Jun 26, 2018

Definitely put them back into the box that the film came in. If you want to separate them in to n-1, n and n+1 for example, just use three separate boxes.

The 10 sheet boxes from Kodak will easily hold 25 or more sheets so, you already have one extra box.

You can ask here for more if you need them. Some people have lots and are happy to share.

bonk · Jun 26, 2018

So for ilford and kodak each film sheet comes in a separate sleeve in that box? Do you happen to have a picure of how the inside of these boxes look like when first opened? How do the sleeves look like?

BradS · Jun 26, 2018

I'm at work so cannot provide photos but...no. Kodak and Ilford are a little different. Both are "triple boxes". Top over laps the middle and the middle overlaps the inner bottom...

but, inside the kodak box you'll find a sealed plasticized foil (?) envelope thingy. The film sheets will be sandwiched between stiff paperboard inside the envelope. I think that there's a notch in one end that will allow you to tear open the bag/ envelope.

The Ilford box is similar but the inner bag is black plastic and is not sealed. It is just folded over.

One of these may have two sheets of paper board and the other just one bigger sheet of paper board folded over.

Does this make sense?

Sirius Glass · Jun 26, 2018

I put them in a box and put a big label on it so it does not get opened. Also rubber bands or gaffer's tape help.

Huub · Jun 27, 2018

Get yourself enough empty boxes to seperate all different development alternatives you are planning to use. That way the chances of mixing up the different development alternatives are less, compared to putting them all back into one box and hoping you don't make a mistake in the darkroom before developing.
Normally I would use N-2, N-1, N and N+1, so that would take 8 boxes. You could do with 4 boxes, as you will be able to distinguish the Tri-X and the FP4 by the notch codes before developing. If you ask around this forum, quite a few members will be happy to send a couple of empty boxes for the postage fee.

Doremus Scudder · Jun 27, 2018

Huub said:
Get yourself enough empty boxes to separate all different development alternatives you are planning to use. That way the chances of mixing up the different development alternatives are less, compared to putting them all back into one box and hoping you don't make a mistake in the darkroom before developing.
Normally I would use N-2, N-1, N and N+1, so that would take 8 boxes. You could do with 4 boxes, as you will be able to distinguish the Tri-X and the FP4 by the notch codes before developing. If you ask around this forum, quite a few members will be happy to send a couple of empty boxes for the postage fee.

+1 This is exactly what I do/have done in the past when I'm on the road for extended periods. I often shoot two different films back-to-back in holders; one box each for N, N-1, N-2 and N+1 are adequate for 95% of my shots. Anything that gets more exotic development usually just stays in the holder till I get home. I then separate the two different films at home in the darkroom by feeling code notches in the dark.

One could subdivide the boxes using the cardboard packaging that comes with the film as dividers, e.g.: from bottom to top in a box - cardboard - N-2 negs - cardboard - N-1 negs. In the second box a similar arrangement for N and N+1. Then you'd only need two boxes.

Best,

Doremus

BrianShaw · Jun 27, 2018

... just don’t mix exposed and unexposed in the same box. I gave “a friend” who did that when he was inexperienced... big mistake (I heard). When available I’ll use whatever protective bag and cardboard but often just use bare boxes with no scratches on the negs.

As far as relating notes... I have the toughest time doing that and more often than not fail. I keep a notebook and try to keep the negs in order. My best success at relating notes to negs is when I only make 1 or 2 exposures get image.

Patrick Robert James · Jun 27, 2018

If you are just getting started you are way overcomplicating things. First off, just use one film.

If you really intend on -1, N, and +1 development, you will need three boxes. If you are just using one film, you won't have any issues. You can just put the film in the boxes and develop them without having to keep track.

If you want to take notes you can do it on any of the IPhone or Android apps that are made for that. Also, number and "notch" your holders. Notching the holders will allow you to later see the exact neg according to your notes. You can get instructions here on how to notch holders if you search for it. Or maybe over at LFF. Notching is more important if you have a lot of holders, but is good nonetheless.

Kilgallb · Jul 11, 2018

I made a booklet out of several of the cardboard 4x5 sheets that come 2 to a box. I put multiple notches to code page number. As I always shoot two sheets, main and back up, I put both sheets from a folder between two pages. Then I record which film holder is in which location.. I put 20 sheets in a 50 sheet box.

A little complicated but it means I can retrieve any film sheet I want.

Steve Goldstein · Jul 12, 2018

I use a single 100-sheet Ilford 4x5 box with its 4 plastic bags. I cut blue painter's tape into 2" strips about 1/4" (6mm) wide and make symbols on one side of each plastic bag. N-1 gets a single strip like a minus sign, N-2 gets two strips like an equal sign, N+1 gets a plus sign (duh!), and N is blank. The painter's tape is fairly thick and I have no problem feeling and distinguishing the characters in the dark. This clearly breaks down on long trips that result in more than 25 sheets of any one processing flavor but so far that's never been a problem for me.

This method reduces the number of boxes I have to keep track of to two - one for exposed film, one for fresh film. And my cardinal rule is that only one box is ever in the loading bag at a time so I can't mix exposed and unexposed film.

storing exposed 4x5 film

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