Unloading 4x5 sheet film

ericdan · Mar 24, 2016

Large format newbie question here.

Shooting 4x5 for the first time. I have 10 sheets of Provia 100F and 10 sheets of Ektar 4x5 film.
I also have 4 film holders. I am planning to load 8 sheets into the holders before the shoot. Either in a darkroom or changing bag. Not sure how easy a changing bag will be.
As we're sharing the camera I will most likely need to reload some of the holders during the shoot.
What's the standard way of storing exposed 4x5 sheets before sending them off for processing?
If I use up one of the 10 sheet boxes, can I simply put it back in there? Do you need to put anything in between each sheet of film?
Thanks.

BrianShaw · Mar 24, 2016

You can put the exposed film in a box, separate from the unexposed film. No need to put anything between the sheets of film. Just don't forget to doubkecheck thst your film boxes and holders are properly closed before opening the changing bag. And make sure your film boxes are marked so there will be no mixup.

I do one operation at a time: remove exposed film and put into the exposed film box; close the box and remove from changing bag. Flip all of the dark slides. Then put the unexposed film box in the bag and load the holders. Close the box and holders and remove from changing bag

Trail Images · Mar 24, 2016

BrianShaw said:
I do one operation at a time: remove exposed film and put into the exposed film box; close the box and remove from changing bag. Flip all of the dark slides. Then put the unexposed film box in the bag and load the holders. Close the box and holders and remove from changing bag

+ 1........exactly how I do it. Although as I change the dark-slides from exposed to not exposed side I also take an anti-static brush and clean the holders and dark-slides before placing back in the bag for reloading. Not necessary if things are already clean, but just a habit I've done since day one.

CropDusterMan · Mar 24, 2016

Generally, mixing C41 and E6 films in a single shoot is a recipe for disaster. I highly recommend you
exercise extreme caution. Fortunately, if you didn't know it already, each film type has a series of
corresponding notches on one of the edges which is pictured on the actual 4x5 film box...so just be
sure you don't make a mistake. Another thing to think of during your shoot is exposure readings...
be sure, if you're sharing a meter, that you meter with the correct ISO.

One other thing, be sure you load the sheets correctly...if the holder is sitting flat in front of you, with
the top of the film holder towards you, the notches should be on the bottom right of the film holder.
If using a dark-tent/bag, you can never be anal enough when it comes to cleanliness and being dust free.
I kept our changing tent cleaner than an operating room. LOL.

As stated above, load exposed sheets in the correct and LABELLED box within the box and then tape
all edges of the box with black gaffers tape. Be sure to LABEL the box. I've loaded thousands of
sheets when I was an assistant, and always did it the same way...I am a little OCD when it comes to it.
Also, take note in the photo below of the holder...there are two tabs on each holder that each loaded sheet must slide under...you have to feel for it in the dark. Ultimately, it's easy, just be aware of it. Have fun and good luck.
Jason

CropDusterMan · Mar 24, 2016

Holy crap...sorry, the image was so huge! LOL

jerrybro · Mar 24, 2016

Exposed film goes into empty film or paper boxes, clearly labeled, by film type and development desired. Before I had enough empty boxes I went directly from film holders to development. Now I have about 30 holders and a bunch of boxes.

ericdan · Mar 25, 2016

thanks a lot for all the tips!
Both films are 100 ISO so metering shouldn't be a problem. I just have to label the holders correctly to make sure I don't confuse which is E6 and which is C41.
I have empty 4x5 paper boxes that would fit the exposed sheets. They don't have a box in a box in a box, but they have the black plastic bag inside for protection. I hope that'll do.

wiltw · Mar 25, 2016

Just put them back in the box, but orient the exposed sheets in a manner which is flipped 180 degrees about the long axis.

If your unexposed film sits in a box with notches at upper right, then put exposed film in the box with notches at upper left. That changes both notch location AND emusion vs. base side up.

It does not work properly to go form notches at upper right to lower left...in the dark the box could have been rotated (spin about its center) and you cannot figure out which is exposed, because emulsion is up in both cases!

Patrick Robert James · Mar 25, 2016

Do not put your film back in the box with unexposed film. Why anyone would do that blows my mind. Keep everything separate and label the hell out of it.

Read what Cropduster wrote and when you are done reading it, read it again.

Have fun.

Wayne · Mar 25, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Why anyone would do that blows my mind.

I've done it when I only had one box available. I try to bring multiple boxes on trips but I have forgotten.

Doremus Scudder · Mar 25, 2016

If you need extra film boxes, someone here would likely be happy to send you a couple. I'd be happy to, but I'm in Europe till June. It's a whole lot easier to have separate boxes for exposed and unexposed film. Your paper boxes will work too if you use the plastic bag insert and remember to fold the flap over. As you shoot, you'll accumulate your own stash of empty boxes.

FWIW, changing bags are dust magnets. Do your best to keep yours clean (store it in a big ZipLoc or the like when not in use, etc.). A soft-bristle paint brush is good for cleaning holders in the field. Keep it in a bag too when not in use.

Doremus

CropDusterMan · Mar 25, 2016

Patrick Robert James said:
Do not put your film back in the box with unexposed film. Why anyone would do that blows my mind. Keep everything separate and label the hell out of it.

Couldn't agree more.

....unloading shot film and loading it into the same box as un-shot film is
absolutely foolish, I don't care what kind of method anyone uses.
Another recipe for disaster. Check with the Lab you are going to use, I'd
be willing to bet they have some empty 4x5 boxes kicking around.

esearing · Mar 25, 2016

ericdan said:
I just have to label the holders correctly to make sure I don't confuse which is E6 and which is C41.

I used to try to use the holder numbers and keep a small log with me but I found a better solution.
I now use blue low tack painters tape on my dark slides and a sharpie to mark film type and exposure notes. the tape is thin enough that it doesn't affect the slide performance when removing/inserting. No exposure notes, Film is unexposed. Do not insert the slide with tape side toward film. The tape does not leave a residue, but I still clean my slides and holders about twice a year.

paul_c5x4 · Mar 25, 2016

esearing said:
I used to try to use the holder numbers and keep a small log with me but I found a better solution.
I now use blue low tack painters tape on my dark slides and a sharpie to mark film type and exposure notes.

I do something similar, only I use coloured labels about 10mm x 25mm of different colours. Yellow for FP4, Green for C41, Red for IR820, and Blue for E6.

When storing exposed film, I use a piece of folded card that is notched in a similar pattern to the film being used - This saves getting the stack mixed up whilst fumbling in the dark (either in a bag/tent or room).

jerrybro · Mar 25, 2016

All my holders are numbered and I keep a small pocket sized notebook with the date, holder number, shot details, exposure made and development plan. This also enables me to track any issues back to a specific holder.

CropDusterMan · Mar 25, 2016

jerrybro said:
All my holders are numbered and I keep a small pocket sized notebook with the date, holder number, shot details, exposure made and development plan. This also enables me to track any issues back to a specific holder.

Smart.

Alan Gales · Mar 26, 2016

Buy another film holder. They are cheap on the used market. Load all 5 film holders and then unload them all back into the box when they are exposed.

ericdan · Mar 27, 2016

Alan Gales said:
Buy another film holder. They are cheap on the used market. Load all 5 film holders and then unload them all back into the box when they are exposed.

couldn't do that with only 3 days left. I bought more online and will have them for the next shoot. This time I ended up taking only 8 frames (as much as I had holders for). Taking the loaded holders to the lab today.

Patrick Robert James · Mar 27, 2016

If you really want to get specific and anal about it you should notch your holders so you know exactly what side of the holder each sheet comes from. I notched all of mine (took a long while!) a few years ago with a binary code. There are instructions here somewhere.

braxus · Mar 28, 2016

I only take enough film for the amount of holders I have. Rarely do I shoot a lot on 4x5 format. Very particular for what I use a frame up with. That said I have black plastic film bags that fold up to keep it light tight. I store the used ones in there and send off the film for development in those bags, marked with what is in them. Never shoot enough to use a box to put the film back into.

ericdan · Apr 4, 2016

Loading worked fine. For processing I ended up dropping of the loaded carriers.
All sheets came out OK. No mess up on loading or metering.
I shot only Ektar 100 and took them to a rental darkroom to print.
BOY did I learn my lesson there!
The negs are amazing, but printing them was so difficult!
I only had 5x7 and 8x10 paper. 8x10 is nothing for 4x5 film. I tried to focus with a grain focuser but there is just no grain to focus on at 8x10. Most of my shots had really shallow depth of field too so I couldn't focus on lines etc either.
It all worked out in the end, but took a very long time. What I did like was how nicely the entire frame fits on an 8x10 sheet.
I also did contact prints of all sheets on 5x7 paper. It wasn't easy to place the negatives on paper in the dark. I wonder if there are better contact printing holders for large format negatives.

Tim Layton · Apr 11, 2016

You have the right idea, just use old film boxes to store your exposed films. I would be more concerned about getting the exposures correct with your slide films. Keep very good notes and have low expectations in the beginning. We all have to go through a learning process. Slide film is a lot more difficult to expose properly and the mistakes can get costly pretty quick. Keep us posted on your progress.

Tim

ericdan said:
Large format newbie question here.

Shooting 4x5 for the first time. I have 10 sheets of Provia 100F and 10 sheets of Ektar 4x5 film.
I also have 4 film holders. I am planning to load 8 sheets into the holders before the shoot. Either in a darkroom or changing bag. Not sure how easy a changing bag will be.
As we're sharing the camera I will most likely need to reload some of the holders during the shoot.
What's the standard way of storing exposed 4x5 sheets before sending them off for processing?
If I use up one of the 10 sheet boxes, can I simply put it back in there? Do you need to put anything in between each sheet of film?
Thanks.

Unloading 4x5 sheet film

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency