TMax readyloads

[harveyje]

I took several 4x5 pictures this week using TMax readyloads in a Polaroid 545 holder. When I developed them 5 of 16 came out with no image. They were developed in the same tank with others which came out well and represented two different sessions in the darkroom. Would this be because they were not inserted with enough authority into the holder or is there another factor. There did not seem to be a problem during insertion, pulling the dark slide, or removing the packet from the holder.

Any answers or suggestions would be appreciated.

John

 

[Donald Qualls]

Hmm.

Inserted backward? Lens cap? Forgot to cock or trip shutter? Forgot to expose those films at all? If studio shots, flash failure?

 

[Baxter Bradford]

I had a similar problem with Polaroid type 55 in a 545i holder.

After a big investigation, I discovered that the spigot that comes up to retain the metal clip on the film envelope was not holding it. The spigot was not perpendicular to the film and so the whole film envelope was escaping when I with drew the envelope to make the exposure, thus the film was truly unexposed which would appear similar to your situation. Yours would appear to be an intermitent problem, which is just as annoying and bad!!

Complete disassembly of the film back was fiddly (peeling back stickers to gain access and removing screws) and I tried to bend the spigot back to 90 deg and also increase tension, I inserted a piece of soft foam to act as an aditional spring. Sadly this didn't work successfully and so I am faced with getting a "new" 545i or giving up on Polaroid.

Suggest that you check the metal film clips from the ends of the exposed film and see if there are any witness marks where the film envelope has ridden over the spigot.

 

[Wally H]

I had similar problems with the older backs... I'm not sure of the exact cuase, but the result was that when I pulled the paper out the film was coming too... so... the film was not being exposed... I corrected the problem with a new holder...

 

[KenS]

I took several 4x5 pictures this week using TMax readyloads in a Polaroid 545 holder. )snip) There did not seem to be a problem during insertion, pulling the dark slide, or removing the packet from the holder.

Any answers or suggestions would be appreciated.

John

John,

I have had a couple of similar experiences using 55 P/N... It turned out that the metal retaining clip from the bottom end of a previous envelope had somehow "stuck".... and remained 'in situ' thus preventing the next film being retained properly when the 'envelope" slid out.

After being informed that the Polaroid back had best be "returned for professional servicing", some careful manipulation with fine needle-nose pliers managed to remove the offending clip.

Ken

 

[roteague]

I've always had much better luck with the Fuji back. I keep my Polaroid only as a backup now.

 

[harveyje]

Thanks! I will look at the back closely for any problem. I suspect that the film was pulled back as the cause. There was no lens cap and the shutter did fire each time. The subjects were various scenes following a beautiful snowfall here in the Springs, therefore no flash was used.

John

 

[Baxter Bradford]

I too thought that the film had been correctly exposed. You will have to sacrifice a sheet or two and check operation of the film back. Do this several times , you will have to have absolute trust in the system. You might like to try that batch of TMax in a Kodak holder to see if the metal clips are too tight.

There is much evidence/dialogue on the LF web forums about interchangability of film types in the different film backs. This evidence is contradictory. Some photographers are fortunate to be able to use any of the three (QL, RL and Polaroid) in one back. Safest advice is to use each film type in the back that was specifically designed for it. As KenS, ceratto and my own experience indicates, Polaroid backs even malfunction with the correct film type.

Sorry to be so downbeat!