Which types of film holders do we use the most?

[Mongo]

Anyone used this brand? They look like the rest with the exception of 3 chrome rivets on each side of the frame which I would presume holds the holder together. I have just about all brands out there ranging in age from 50 years to brand new. I just want them clean and light tight. I can get the new Tilt-All brand cheap. I've heard that all holders come out of the same factory (?)

It isn't hard to get Tilt-All holders cheap, but everything I've read about them points to them not even being worth what you pay for them. Something about them makes the failure rate very high. Whether they're not designed for standard cameras, or they're just poorly manufactured, every comment I've read on them has been negative.

I considered them at one time, did some research, and ended up buying some old wooden Graflex-brand used holders instead. Although well used, the Graflex holders were all light tight and the engineering of the holders is such that I'm sure they'll last longer than I do. And they were cheaper than the Tilt-All holders.

 

[tim atherton]

8x10 Midos

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

8x10 Midos

If I could find them, I'd be using them too. The guy who made them showed up on eBay a while back saying he was looking into making them again and was offering some for sale in odd formats. Anyone know if there's a chance of a Mido revival?

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Fidelity Elites but only have three so I usually use those first, followed by the old metal Riteways and lastly the Lisco's which I do not like (negative seating, no thumb notch under flap, etc.)

 

[mjs]

4x5: Double-sided Liscos and Fidelities, mostly. I still have a few older wooden Kodak and Graphlex double-sided holders. 5x7: older plastic Lisco double-sided holders. 8x10: newer plastic Lisco and Fidelity double-sided holders.

mjs

 

[BradS]

I most often use the plain vanilla Fidelity Elite / Lisco Regal II. Second are the old riteways. I had a bunch of the old Fidelity Delux holders which, I foolishly sold.

Also have five or six of those fancy new Fidelity / Riteway holders with the little wheels that expose numbers on the film and the locking dark slide. Used them a few times and don't like 'em. They're very nice but the pull on the darkslide makes the film holder too big for my film bag.

 

[MikeS]

I like to use holders that hold more than 2 sheets each. That pretty much leaves me with Grafmatics (6), Kinematics (10), or the older Graflex Bag Mags (12). I have quite a few Grafmatics, a couple of Kinematics, and now only 1 Bag Mag. When I sold my Graflex Super D, I thought I was going to have to give up using Bag Mags, as I'm using a Linhof Tech IV now, but just the other day I found a Linhof back for the Tech that uses Graflex style holders! It's nice having 12 shots per holder! Now if I hadn't sold all but 1 of my bag mags when I sold the Super D! Oh well, at least they're generally much cheaper to buy than Grafmatics/Kinematics!

Does anyone know if the Fuji QuickChange backs are still being made, and if so, how does somebody in the US go about getting one?

-Mike

 

[Peter Schrager]

Fuji

Mike -the Fuji back is available through Dirk at
unicircuits; the gentleman who sells the acros from Japan.I think that Fuji actually stopped producing them but there a few still floating around. The price is quite expensive but seems like an interesting way to get around not carrying a zillion hoders.
Best, Peter

 

[Struan Gray]

I use and like the Quickchange system. I carry four cartridges (2 TMax100, 2 Portra160NC) in the pouches that Gnass Gear sell for Quickload/Readyload films. Reloading is simple enough in a small changing bag, and if you can count it's no big deal to remove and replace a couple of used sheets if you don't get through the whole eight.

Downsides? The cartridges are nice and light, but they are also a bit bulky - about the same length as a quickload packet. You become dependent on the single holder working: it is well-made and seems sturdy, but all the same if I have the space I take a couple of regular holders on longer trips as a backup Some people have reported jams from film popping out of the septum, and it isn't clear how many times you can reload before things will get sloppy, but I've not had any problems in regular amateur use.

I don't know anywhere that has new, new stock. When I bought mine I found were three European dealers that offered the holders and cartridges. Robert White in the UK (www.robertwhite.co.uk); Taos Photographic in France (www.taosphotographic.com); and Christophe Greiner in Germany (www.greiner-photo.de). Taos and Greiner still have the Quickchange system listed on their sites, so they may have new old stock to hand.

 

[jd callow]

Grafmatics & Kinematics.

for all the reasons stated above.

 

[Changeling1]

Tiltall 4x5 film holders

I've heard that the Tiltall 4x5" holders are not designed for a normal 4x5" camera. I believe they lack the lock rib that keeps the holder in place when you pull the slide and forms the light trap when engaged with the groove on the camera back. Either these things are just a mistake, or they are designed for some other equipment, and are being sold as conventional film holders. They do not come out of the same factory as Lisco and Fidelity holders.

Thanks (everyone) for the information on those Tiltall "Professional Cut Film Holders". One camera store here in LA actually sold their inventory for $9.98 per two holder box. I guess I now know why they got rid of them so CHEAP! I thought they were connected with the Tiltall Tripod company but apparently not. The box says Slimline-Durable A Product of Omicron Electronics, Inc. Chatsworth, Ca. 91311.

I ran a search for Omicron and it is indeed a big multi-national electronics company but there was no information about 4x5 film holders or on any location here in Southern California.

BTW- I have 3 new and unopened boxes (six holders) of these holders I will try to return (unless someone wants to buy them)! I know the seller is going to say "But you haven't even tried them yet!" That eBay guy, who sells these holders actually sold them to me in person at his warehouse store and was very friendly and seemed quite legit and above-board. He told me he has an unlimited supply of these holders. I was planning on doing a six shot test shoot before buying any more but I can see that would probably be a waste of time and make it (more) difficult to return them to the seller. I'm glad I checked here BEFORE finding out on my own that these holders don't measure up. Thanks!

 

[Dan's45]

am partial to my lisco regals...seem to doing good so far, but am getting some change to the side for a fuji quickloadfuji does really good up here in washington.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I'm a big fan of the Riteway holders for 4x5 - they have these nifty little locking buttons that keep you from accidentally pulling the darkslide when handling the holders. I have yet to have a locking button stick when using them in such a way as to keep me from making an exposure, and I have also yet to have one pop open when handling it.

For 8x10, I second the vote for the old wooden Graflex/Kodak holders. They're lighter, more compact, and on Feebay they're significantly cheaper than the plastic ones. The darkslides also slide easier on them and don't bind, causing massive amounts of vibration through the camera.

 

[tim atherton]

If I could find them, I'd be using them too. The guy who made them showed up on eBay a while back saying he was looking into making them again and was offering some for sale in odd formats. Anyone know if there's a chance of a Mido revival?

Sadly I'm failry sure Shin Kumanomido died a few years ago. The person who showed up on ebay had access to his patents/plans (legitimately or not I don't know).

I've collected enough 8x10 holders from ebay and tips from Geoffrey James. They are a bit fiddly and take more care and handling. But when they are workign well the savings in weight and space is great

 

[MikeS]

Am I the only person here that actually likes using the Graflex Bag Mag? When I found that back for my Technika that lets me use them on it, I was overjoyed! Once you get the hang of them, they're almost as fast to cycle as a grafmatic, and hold 12 shots!

-Mike

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've got a two bag mags for the 5x7" Press Graflex--one for film and one a plate mag with film sheaths. They're great.

 

[lee]

I just use which ever holders have film in them that day. All the ones I have come from the same factory so, it is not an issue for me.


lee\c