What use is this?

[ajuk]

:confused: Just bought a contact printer and there is only room on it for 6 strips, when I get 7 out of every roll so how is this any use?

 

[Nick Zentena]

Six strips of six? That's 36 frames.

 

[ajuk]

So am I alone in getting more than that out of most films?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

It's a choice. Do you want the maximum number of exposures per roll or convenient proofing and filing? I can get 13 exposures on a 120 roll with my Voigtlander Perkeo II, but it's not worth having to make an extra proof sheet, unless I'm shooting transparency film and don't have to worry about proof sheets.

 

[eric]

Sometimes I get the 7 strips of 5 for 35 frames. That's when I only have 8x10 paper on hand. I need to get the weird 8.5 x 11 for contacts for the bigger size neg holders. I think I'll go back to th 7 strips of 5 just so its more organized in a binder.

 

[Harrigan]

When I was printing color commercially I did contacts on 10x12 paper to ensure every neg gets printed. I simply used a sheet of 10x12 1/4" glass not a commercially made contact print thing. A sheet of glass works fine in 1/4" thickness and is nice and heavy.

 

[David Brown]

So am I alone in getting more than that out of most films?

No. But the film and associated accessories are designed for 36.

My auto-wind cameras (a Pentax P&S and a Maxxum) both automatically rewind the film after the 36th frame. I feel cheated! :rolleyes:

 

[copake_ham]

I've always considered it a point of pride to get an extra frame (or two!) from a roll of 35mm.

This obsession started when I used a Nikkormat FT-2 and manually fed the film. I was "poor" in those days and the frame or two seemed like a "rip off" since I had the film commercially developed.

Old habits never fully die. Nowadays, even with my F5 I manage to just feed out the leader enough to get 37 shots. The other day I think I grabbed (or half-grabbed) a 38th!

I was shooting Velvia - it will be interesting to see how Fujichrome/Dwayne's develops that last shot!

 

[PBrooks]

Hello, just to clarify, when you say contact printer are you talking about a contact printing frame or one of those single hinge, glass on top of foam, things.
please clarify
Phillip

:confused: Just bought a contact printer and there is only room on it for 6 strips, when I get 7 out of every roll so how is this any use?

 

[ajuk]

Its an old Jessops Contact printer and its pretty crap, If the strip is'nt 6 frames long then it just flaps about, would I be better off with something more modern?

 

[pentaxuser]

The Paterson doesn't flap but even then there is a problem with capturing all the info in the rebate, namely the film type. There was a thread on this but I forget what it was called.

However the Paterson will still only do 36 frames. There aren't any I know that will do 37. Personally I would sacrifice the 37th for the benefits of a contact printer and this is a big sacrifice for a Scotsman.

However if you need to contact more than 36 frames you could try a clear neg holder which will cover 42 frames(7x6) and simply cover it with glass on top of a piece of sponge. Of course you need bigger than 8x10 paper.

Big sledgehammer to crack a small nut in my opinion.

pentaxuser

 

[ajuk]

Yeah I did notice that with carefull laying of the negs I could fit 7 rows on a single sheet of 8x10, BTW I have been cutting the paperr into thin sheets in order to test what exposure I need for each contact print, is this what most people do?Oh and does the contrast filter make much difference when contact printing?

 

[pentaxuser]

If you want to see plenty of detail in the contact print the general advice is to print at no more than grade 2 and keep exposure to a minimum commensurate with still having detail. Some may look a little grey and flat but give you a good idea of which you want to print full sized.

If you can be sure that all or at least most of your negs will all print at a certain correct grade then contact printing at that grade with an exposure that reproduces a miniture frame as you'd want the final print to be is worth trying.

If you haven't got it, I'd get Tim Rudman's book " The Photographer's Master Printing Course. He has some useful things to say about contact printing. Oh and just a few more things about the whole gamut of printing.

pentaxuser

 

[jstraw]

If you can be sure that all or at least most of your negs will all print at a certain correct grade then contact printing at that grade with an exposure that reproduces a miniture frame as you'd want the final print to be is worth trying.

I guess that depends on whether you want your proofs to be pretty or if you want them to be an accurate source of information for evaluating the quality of the negatives. I prefer the latter so for me, the proper exposure is the minimum time to produce maximum black through film base and fog.

 

[haris]

There is Paterson contact printer which can be used for more than 36 frames of 35mm film contact sheet making (for example you have roll of film with 39 frames exposed, that is for example 6 strips with 6 frames and 7th strip with 3 frames, or other combinations like 7 strips with 5 frames, etc...). Its product number is PTP621, and use 24x30cm (9.5x12in) paper size, not 20x25 (8x10in). See more at: http://www.patersonphotographic.com/accessories/darkroom accs index.htm

That printer does not have guides for film strips, so it can be used for 35mm films, 120 films and large format films up to 24x30cm (9.5x12in) film size, but you have to line up film strips (sheet/s) manually and take care film strips (sheet/s) not to move when close it. It costs about 45 EUROS. If that is expencive, simply use piece of clear glass about 2mm thick. You can put your film strips into clear film sleeves, thus avoid direct contact of glass with film strips.

 

[haris]

:confused: Just bought a contact printer and there is only room on it for 6 strips, when I get 7 out of every roll so how is this any use?

Now answer to OP question: I have 120 film printer which can make contact print of 6x6 frames on one sheet of 20x25cm (8x10in) paper. But I use 6x7 camera, and my printer can not make contact print of whole film on one sheet of paper. My solution for that is to make as many frames as can on one sheet, and then tear second sheet of paper to make rest of frames.

So, in your case, you use one sheet of paper for 6 strips, take second sheet of paper, tear enough to make contact print of 7th strip, and rest of second sheet of paper return to paper box, and use next time when you need to tear paper againg for 7th strip. You can use one box specially for keeping teared paper, and thus avoid mixing with not teared papers... That means two exposings for one film contact print, one for 6 strips with 6 frames on one sheet of paper, second for rest of film on teared paper (or of course other combinations you find appropriate for you).

Or, if it is too much hassle for you, see my previous post and other people advices...