UN-loading film holders

BetterSense · Oct 1, 2009

I haven't had a bit of trouble loading 4x5 holders, other than dust which I am slowly conquering. But when it comes time to unload them, I'm not sure what to do.

I don't want to touch the emulsion because I have gotten fingerprints on the negatives that way. Even if I was willing to try to slide the film out, there seems to be a ridge there to prevent the film from sliding straight out. Yet it's really hard to pick the end of the film up with a fingernail, and then in order to grab it to pull it out, I have to bow it up a lot to fit one of my fat fingers underneath it, sometimes one side will pop out of the groove halfway, and I end up yanking the thing out of there rather than sliding it out of the groove.

tips?

Joe Mace · Oct 1, 2009

I'm still a novice, so I appreciate your frustration.

Just remember that the emulsion is only on the top surface, so getting your finger underneath a bit of the film's backside isn't going to hurt anything. Most film holders have a bit of dimple in center of the 'unloading' end, which gives you some space to grab the film end. Also remember that you do have space at the notched end, like the spaces that sit in the grooves, that never gets exposed.

Mostly though, for me, it's been a matter of practice. Sometime the film comes out smooth as whistle, sometime I end up yanking the thing out of there rather than sliding it out of the groove. The more holders I unload, the smoother I get.

Joe

paul_c5x4 · Oct 1, 2009

Get a plastic plectrum from your local musical instrument shop, or cut one from a thin sheet of semi-rigid plastic. You can use this to hook under the leading edge of the film without damage... I wear late/nylon gloves when handling film in an attempt to avoid fingerprints on the emulsion.

reellis67 · Oct 1, 2009

Do your holders have a depressed circle at the loading end of the holder? All of mine have a depressed area that makes unloading them fairly straight forward - it is 'deep' enough to allow me to slip a fingernail under the film easily (and my fingernails are usually very short)...

- Randy

bobwysiwyg · Oct 1, 2009

You can minimize or eliminate finger prints if you thoroughly wash and dry your hands before unloading. Not to suggest mashing one's thumb onto the emulsion, but..

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 1, 2009

In recent years I've taken to wearing powderless nitrile gloves for loading and unloading--no fingerprints, dust or lint, and if I take the gloves off carefully, I can reuse them in the darkroom. I realized that this was necessary when I was shooting in Hawai'i for two months before I could process the film. Fingerprints that might not have been a problem had the film been developed promptly became a problem when the film couldn't be processed for a few weeks.

Larry H-L · Oct 1, 2009

OK, I guess I do it differently. I blow a puff of air under the film, it temporarily lifts, and I slide it right out. (Try not to spit)!

domaz · Oct 1, 2009

I find some holders are better than others about this. My older metal Fidelity holders have a pretty much useless ridge for pulling the film out, while my newer Fidelity Plastic holders are very simple. So don't rule out replacing your holders with newers ones, if yours are older.

Marcus · Oct 2, 2009

paul_c5x4 said:
Get a plastic plectrum from your local musical instrument shop, or cut one from a thin sheet of semi-rigid plastic. You can use this to hook under the leading edge of the film without damage....

This is an excellent idea! I have never had any problems before, but will certainly keep this in mind for the future.

Marcus

ic-racer · Oct 2, 2009

Clean dry fingers should not affect the emulsion side. If your fingers are sweaty then there maybe problems. I never thought of it before but maybe loading film holders might be an indication for having a thoracic sympathectomy

calceman · Oct 3, 2009

Clean and thoroughly dry fingers. Use the depressed half circle, and if the sheet still gives me trouble, I put the holder up side down.

removed account4 · Oct 3, 2009

i wash my hands and stick my fingernail under the edge and pull ..

2F/2F · Oct 3, 2009

I bite my nails, so I am an expert at rigging substitutes for them....

I have to second the suggestion to use a guitar "pick" (plectrum is the official name, in case there was any confusion about that). Good idea.

I usually use a razor blade or tweezers myself. I have also used the corner of a dark slide, ID cards, pieces of paper, as well as keys in a pinch.

DanielStone · Oct 7, 2009

soaped and thoroughly rinsed, then THOROUGHLY dried hands.

otherwise, in a pinch, nitrile powderless gloves (I seem to always have a pair on me for some reason or another).

-Dan

Vaughn · Oct 8, 2009

Clean dry fingers -- hands/fingers do not produce oil -- that comes from touching various parts of one's head/face, so don't.

Vaughn

rphenning · Oct 8, 2009

I just hold the holder so the film is facing down, it lifts off of the holder and enough for me to get a nail under it and out. Let gravity do the work.

Philippe-Georges · Oct 8, 2009

What I use is a home made, so called 'film tweezers'. This is an about 1,5 cm wide strip cutted out of the short side of a 'bad' sheet of film and folded in the middle. So I can slip one side of the tweezers under the sheet and use the upper part of the 'film tweezers' to protect the emulsion side of the film against finger prints.
No plectrum (very good idea!) or fingernails, just a folded piece of film that is of the same material as the 'thing' that has to be handled.

Philippe

mikez · Oct 17, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
In recent years I've taken to wearing powderless nitrile gloves for loading and unloading--no fingerprints, dust or lint, and if I take the gloves off carefully, I can reuse them in the darkroom. I realized that this was necessary when I was shooting in Hawai'i for two months before I could process the film. Fingerprints that might not have been a problem had the film been developed promptly became a problem when the film couldn't be processed for a few weeks.

David I am a big fan of nitrile as well. I'm a tray development guy (old fashioned I guess) and I love nitrile so I'm not sniffing fix for the rest of the week when I eat haha.

Jim Cole · Oct 17, 2009

I have the world's greasiest fingers, so I use nitrile gloves as well for loading and unloading. They're pretty cheap by the box at the neighborhood drug store.

EASmithV · Oct 19, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
In recent years I've taken to wearing powderless nitrile gloves for loading and unloading--no fingerprints, dust or lint, and if I take the gloves off carefully, I can reuse them in the darkroom. I realized that this was necessary when I was shooting in Hawai'i for two months before I could process the film. Fingerprints that might not have been a problem had the film been developed promptly became a problem when the film couldn't be processed for a few weeks.

Please explain

UN-loading film holders

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