Using a grafmatic with less than six sheets

[abruzzi]

Easy question that I think I know the answer to but I would rather not waste sheets trying out:

If I want to load less than six sheets in my grafmatic. I know I need all six septums loaded (right?) but if I fill three septums and put the empty septums on the bottom and the full ones on the top. Close everything up, and advance the counter to "4", then I can shoot through as normal and know that when I get to X I'm done? I'm pretty sure I'll remember how many sheets are loaded, but sometime I forget, and I'd like to set it up so I simply know I'm done when it gets to X. Is any of this wrong? (note: mine doesn't have the little wheel that marks the sheet with the number, so I'm not going to get sheeter marked 4,5, and 6.

Anyone have better idea how to use a grafmatic with less than 6 sheets?

 

[bdial]

I haven’t used a Grafmatic for a long time, but that seems like it should work.

 

[Truzi]

It should work. You can also experiment without film in the septa (put a piece of paper in 3 of them), and not mounted on the camera.
Just cycle through and see how well your idea works.

Depending on the condition of your Grafmatics, you may be fine only loading 3 septa in the unit, but then you have to keep track (or just stop before exposure #4). I've done it with my Kinematics using only 8 septa (they are similar to Grafmatics, but hold 10). There may be a point where too few septa cause issues.

 

[abruzzi]

Thanks. I was trying in my head to think through the process how it works inside the grafmatic and I was pretty sure there wouldn't be an issue. You may wonder why, if I only want to shoot three sheets, would I even use the grafmatic instead of two regular film holders. Last time I shot the grafmatic, there was a light leak on one of the corners. I think it was a camera issue, not a grafmatic issue, or an issue with my processes. So I'm trying it on another camera and I figure testing 6 sheets at $1.20 a sheet (the cheapest film I have in my freezer) is $7.20 which isn't horrible (compared to the six sheets of Provia 100F I ruined) but I'll take what I can save, and running 3 sheets through seems like it should be enough for the test.

 

[gary mulder]

If I'm not mistaken, the empty ones have to go on top of the pile and the full ones at the bottom.

 

[abruzzi]

If I'm not mistaken, the empty ones have to go on top of the pile and the full ones at the bottom.

The first step in shooting the grafmatic is after its mounted, you pull the ring out, which pulls only the darkslide, then push it back in. That puts the septum on the top of the pile exposed to the lens, and with the dark slideback in, it protects the rest of the septums from light spillage. Then take the shot and pull the ring with the chrome lock which pulls out all the septums behind the darkslide. This allows the top septum that you just exposed to get pushed to the very back so when you push the dark slide, and the films behind it back inthe front most septum to the very back. I think it always exposes the top-most septum and the mechanics inside the grafmatic just shuffle front to back. I think starting the counter at four does nothing but get me to x after three septums instead of six. Well, I'll find out today.

 

[gary mulder]

Close everything up, and advance the counter to "4",

Therefore, the first three septums must be empty. "shots"1,2 and three are on empty septums. The fourth septum is the first one that contains film.

 

[abruzzi]

Therefore, the first three septums must be empty. "shots"1,2 and three are on empty septums. The fourth septum is the first one that contains film.

But I think the counter only counts. With every shot the septums are shuffled--septum 1 gets pushed to the back and becoems septum 6, 2 becomes 1, 3 becomes 2, etc. So by putting three empty septums in the back and advancing the counter to 4 it should mimic having just shot three frames and those three frames (the empty septums) are now pushed to the back and I'm now on frame/septum 4.

Well, its already setup that way and I'm going out in a few minutes, so I'll find out soon enough if I'm right.

 

[david schaller]

I’m interested in your results.

 

[abruzzi]

Well the test worked--all three sheets had images on them--but the grafmatic failed--all three sheets had light leaks in the same spot. The position of the light leaks would have been the upper left of the camera because they were across the short edge from the edge mark, and landscape, loading from the right like a double-dark the grafmatic would have the edge mak on the lower left.

Gary, it occurred to me--were you thinking that when I said "advance the counter to '4'" I meant attaching the grafmatic to the camera with the counter set to "1" and cycling in and out past one, two, and three until I got to four? Actually I was just spinning the dial so the counter said "4".