Film holder
Encyclopedia
A film holder is a device which holds one or more pieces of photographic film, for insertion into a camera
or optical scanning device such as a dedicated film scanner or a flatbed scanner with film scanning capabilities. The widest usage of the term refers to a device which holds sheet film
for use in large format
cameras, but can also be used to refer to various interchangeable devices used by medium format camera systems.
The most common instance of film holder is the sheet film holder. Also referred to as a dark slide or double dark slide, they are flat devices, slightly larger than the films they hold, which commonly hold one sheet of film on each side. The plate holder, which is a very similar device, holds glass plates
instead of sheet films. A dark slide, from which the device derives its alternate name, is simply a dark cover which slides into a recess in the holder, to protect each sheet of film (or plate) from fogging or unwanted exposure to light. Many dark slides have differently colored bands or handles on each side, one usually light and the other dark, to allow the photographer to distinguish between film which has been exposed and that which hasn't.
Traditionally, sheet film and glass plate holders have been made out of wood. Wooden holders, properly treated, can last a very long time, and apart from possible warpage, many very old specimens are still in service. Some companies continue to make wood models today, particularly for more uncommon film sizes, and as many are mostly handmade, they can be quite expensive. The majority of new sheet film holders are now made out of plastic.
When using a sheet film holder, the device is inserted into the camera, often a view camera
, and the dark slide is withdrawn, making the film available for exposure. After the exposure has been made, the dark slide is reinserted into the film holder, and the device is removed from the camera for later processing of the exposed film.
There are some film holders which can hold more than two sheets. One of the most common is the Grafmatic, manufactured by Graflex
, which holds 6 sheets of film in individual septums. They were available in "23" and "45" models, corresponding to 6×9 cm (2¼×3¼ inches) and 4×5 inch sheets.http://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/grafmatic/ It takes little effort to quickly cycle through all six sheets, which makes the Grafmatic ideal for press camera
usage. Burke & James produced a similar device called the Kinematic, which holds 10 sheets, though was only available in 4×5 inch format.
Graflex also produced the Film Magazine. It is commonly referred to as a "bag magazine" (or "bag mag"), and uses a leather bag which hangs on the side of the frame to exchange the septums from front to back. It is a much more manual device than the Grafmatic, as exchanging a septum is done manually through the bag, rather than by a simple manipulation of the magazine's dark slide. They were sold in separate versions for film and glass plates, and held 12-18 sheets/plates, depending on the model.http://www.graflex.org/old-helpboard/messages/4428.html They are found in 4×5 and 5×7 inch formats.
Though all are superficially similar (a "bag mag" film (not plate) septum is the same thickness as a Grafmatic septum, but has slightly different width and length; a Kinematic septum appears almost identical to a Grafmatic septum but is in fact considerably thinner) in fact use of a septum from a different type of holder in any of these multi-sheet holders is very likely to jam the entire magazine and bend internal parts, which can then damage yet another holder if used with it. As replacement parts are no longer available one must be careful not to interchange pieces of different types of multi-sheet holders.
Fuji
created a 4x5 system in the late 1990s called QuickChange, which is somewhat similar to a Grafmatic in principle. It is made of plastic rather than metal, making it lighter, and less prone to bent septums, but also less durable. It can hold 8 shots, and inserts are purchased already loaded with film. Though not sold as such, these inserts can be reloaded a limited number of times with standard sheet film. Because, like Grafmatic or "bag mag" holders, the Fuji holders used sheet film of normal thickness, they offered higher image quality than the older "film packs" (see below), but never became widely popular before digital imaging
brought much production of traditional large-format materials to a halt.
and Polaroid
produced film pack holders which could be loaded in subdued light. Film packs were available from various film manufacturers in 12- and 16-sheet units; the classic film pack consisted of several "sheets" of film (actually much thinner than standard sheet film as these were cut from large-format roll film, for economy and for physical flexibility) taped together and wound in a series of S-bends around a metal frame. To "advance" the film, the user pulled a paper tab which protruded from the side of the film pack and which was attached, facing the opposite direction, to the junction of each sheet and its intervening section of tape. Because of the thin film and only slight tension provided by this system, film flatness was poor and the resulting negatives were often sharp enough only for contact printing; thus they were primarily used by press photographers, and demand fell off dramatically as photojournalists converted to roll film
cameras.
According to former Kodak employees at the Eastman House photographic museum, Kodak ceased production of film packs when the last employee trained to assemble them (which required working with the very sharp metal frame in total darkness) retired in the 1980s, thus rendering all traditional film pack holders in the world obsolete at once. Polaroid film packs, though somewhat mechanically similar, are not (and never were) available in standard film sizes. The Fuji QuickChange system was sometimes referred to as a film pack system, but as noted above was a mechanical multi-sheet holder.
still produces 10-sheet 4×5 inch instant film packs and holders.
Quickload film and holders, and Kodak Readyload film and holders, are of this type. A useful discussion on the merits of the various systems, and other information on cut-film holders, is to be found herehttp://www.largeformatphotography.info/holders.html.
, Linhof
, Graflex
, and other manufacturers have made roll film holders in 6×7, 6×8, 6×9, 6×12, and 6×17 cm formats. Some models can slip under the ground glass like a normal sheet film holder, while others require the ground glass to be replaced by the roll holder.
s. The most usual case is the Polaroid
back taking instant film, often used to check exposure values, color rendition, etc. before taking final photographs on conventional film.
Several of the types of holders made for large format film, including darkslide sheet holders, Grafmatic multi-sheet holders, the Graflex bag mag, and film packs were also manufactured in medium format sizes, almost always 2 1/4"×3 1/4" (6×9cm). Press camera
manufacturers often produced smaller versions of their 4×5 cameras in this size, often called "23", and while later versions of these cameras could use rollfilm adaptors, these were not widely available until almost 1950, and were expensive in the their first years of production.
Sheet film or glass plate holders for medium format rollfilm cameras can be found, but are of mainly historical interest. Some rollfilm cameras have interchangeable backs to allow films of different types to be used. Some 35mm
camera
s have motorised backs which may hold longer than normal lengths of film, with a mechanism which automatically advances the film after each exposure.
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
or optical scanning device such as a dedicated film scanner or a flatbed scanner with film scanning capabilities. The widest usage of the term refers to a device which holds sheet film
Sheet film
Sheet film is large format and medium format photographic film supplied on individual sheets of acetate or polyester film base rather than rolls. Sheet film was initially supplied as an alternative to glass plates...
for use in large format
Large format
Large format refers to any imaging format of 4×5 inches or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the 6×6 cm or 6×9 cm size of Hasselblad, Rollei, Kowa, Pentax etc cameras , and much larger than the 24×36 mm frame of 35 mm format.The main advantage...
cameras, but can also be used to refer to various interchangeable devices used by medium format camera systems.
Sheet film holders
Photographic plate
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a means of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
instead of sheet films. A dark slide, from which the device derives its alternate name, is simply a dark cover which slides into a recess in the holder, to protect each sheet of film (or plate) from fogging or unwanted exposure to light. Many dark slides have differently colored bands or handles on each side, one usually light and the other dark, to allow the photographer to distinguish between film which has been exposed and that which hasn't.
Traditionally, sheet film and glass plate holders have been made out of wood. Wooden holders, properly treated, can last a very long time, and apart from possible warpage, many very old specimens are still in service. Some companies continue to make wood models today, particularly for more uncommon film sizes, and as many are mostly handmade, they can be quite expensive. The majority of new sheet film holders are now made out of plastic.
When using a sheet film holder, the device is inserted into the camera, often a view camera
View camera
The view camera is a type of camera first developed in the era of the Daguerreotype and still in use today, though with many refinements. It comprises a flexible bellows which forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a viewfinder or a...
, and the dark slide is withdrawn, making the film available for exposure. After the exposure has been made, the dark slide is reinserted into the film holder, and the device is removed from the camera for later processing of the exposed film.
Multi-sheet holders
Graflex
Graflex was a manufacturer, a brand name and several models of cameras. William F. Folmer, an inventor, built the first Graflex camera in 1898, when his company was called The Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company, founded originally in New York as a gas lamp company...
, which holds 6 sheets of film in individual septums. They were available in "23" and "45" models, corresponding to 6×9 cm (2¼×3¼ inches) and 4×5 inch sheets.http://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/grafmatic/ It takes little effort to quickly cycle through all six sheets, which makes the Grafmatic ideal for press camera
Press camera
A press camera is a medium or large format camera suitable for use by press photographers.Press cameras were widely used from the 1900s through the early 1960s and commonly had the following features:* collapsibility into strong, compact boxes...
usage. Burke & James produced a similar device called the Kinematic, which holds 10 sheets, though was only available in 4×5 inch format.
Graflex also produced the Film Magazine. It is commonly referred to as a "bag magazine" (or "bag mag"), and uses a leather bag which hangs on the side of the frame to exchange the septums from front to back. It is a much more manual device than the Grafmatic, as exchanging a septum is done manually through the bag, rather than by a simple manipulation of the magazine's dark slide. They were sold in separate versions for film and glass plates, and held 12-18 sheets/plates, depending on the model.http://www.graflex.org/old-helpboard/messages/4428.html They are found in 4×5 and 5×7 inch formats.
Though all are superficially similar (a "bag mag" film (not plate) septum is the same thickness as a Grafmatic septum, but has slightly different width and length; a Kinematic septum appears almost identical to a Grafmatic septum but is in fact considerably thinner) in fact use of a septum from a different type of holder in any of these multi-sheet holders is very likely to jam the entire magazine and bend internal parts, which can then damage yet another holder if used with it. As replacement parts are no longer available one must be careful not to interchange pieces of different types of multi-sheet holders.
Fuji
Fujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
created a 4x5 system in the late 1990s called QuickChange, which is somewhat similar to a Grafmatic in principle. It is made of plastic rather than metal, making it lighter, and less prone to bent septums, but also less durable. It can hold 8 shots, and inserts are purchased already loaded with film. Though not sold as such, these inserts can be reloaded a limited number of times with standard sheet film. Because, like Grafmatic or "bag mag" holders, the Fuji holders used sheet film of normal thickness, they offered higher image quality than the older "film packs" (see below), but never became widely popular before digital imaging
Digital imaging
Digital imaging or digital image acquisition is the creation of digital images, typically from a physical scene. The term is often assumed to imply or include the processing, compression, storage, printing, and display of such images...
brought much production of traditional large-format materials to a halt.
Film pack holders
GraflexGraflex
Graflex was a manufacturer, a brand name and several models of cameras. William F. Folmer, an inventor, built the first Graflex camera in 1898, when his company was called The Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company, founded originally in New York as a gas lamp company...
and Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
produced film pack holders which could be loaded in subdued light. Film packs were available from various film manufacturers in 12- and 16-sheet units; the classic film pack consisted of several "sheets" of film (actually much thinner than standard sheet film as these were cut from large-format roll film, for economy and for physical flexibility) taped together and wound in a series of S-bends around a metal frame. To "advance" the film, the user pulled a paper tab which protruded from the side of the film pack and which was attached, facing the opposite direction, to the junction of each sheet and its intervening section of tape. Because of the thin film and only slight tension provided by this system, film flatness was poor and the resulting negatives were often sharp enough only for contact printing; thus they were primarily used by press photographers, and demand fell off dramatically as photojournalists converted to roll film
Roll film
Rollfilm or roll film is any type of spool-wound photographic film protected from white light exposure by a paper backing, as opposed to film which is protected from exposure and wound forward in a cartridge. Confusingly, roll film was originally often referred to as "cartridge" film because of its...
cameras.
According to former Kodak employees at the Eastman House photographic museum, Kodak ceased production of film packs when the last employee trained to assemble them (which required working with the very sharp metal frame in total darkness) retired in the 1980s, thus rendering all traditional film pack holders in the world obsolete at once. Polaroid film packs, though somewhat mechanically similar, are not (and never were) available in standard film sizes. The Fuji QuickChange system was sometimes referred to as a film pack system, but as noted above was a mechanical multi-sheet holder.
Instant film holders
Polaroid was the producer of the widest range of instant sheet and pack film, but discontinued all production in 2008, leaving Fujifilm as the only producer of instant film and backs. The Polaroid 545, the lighter and more modern 545i, and the 545 Pro backs were 4×5 inch instant sheet film holders used by many photographers, but for which film is no longer available; the older Polaroid 550 film back can take some Fuji films. Polaroid also produced 8×10 inch film holders and films. Polaroid produced and FujifilmFujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
still produces 10-sheet 4×5 inch instant film packs and holders.
Preloaded systems
Some 4×5 inch films are supplied in light-tight envelopes which can be loaded into a special holder in daylight. The envelopes are much smaller and lighter than a dark-slide loaded with film, allowing a larger quantity of film to be carried than the same amount of film in dark-slides. FujiFujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
Quickload film and holders, and Kodak Readyload film and holders, are of this type. A useful discussion on the merits of the various systems, and other information on cut-film holders, is to be found herehttp://www.largeformatphotography.info/holders.html.
Rollfilm holders
Film holders that allow rollfilm to be used on cameras normally used with sheet film are usually called film backs. Film backs for 4×5 inch cameras are particularly common—there is little point in taking 6×9 cm pictures on a 20×25 cm (8×10 inch) camera. HorsemanHorseman
Horseman may refer to:* Horse rider; see Equestrianism* Wrangler , in the United States* Stockman , who works with horses rather than with cattle or sheep* Horseman, a 2003 Croatian film...
, Linhof
Linhof
Linhof is a German company, founded in Munich in 1887 by Valentin Linhof. The company is well known for making premium rollfilm and large format film cameras...
, Graflex
Graflex
Graflex was a manufacturer, a brand name and several models of cameras. William F. Folmer, an inventor, built the first Graflex camera in 1898, when his company was called The Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company, founded originally in New York as a gas lamp company...
, and other manufacturers have made roll film holders in 6×7, 6×8, 6×9, 6×12, and 6×17 cm formats. Some models can slip under the ground glass like a normal sheet film holder, while others require the ground glass to be replaced by the roll holder.
Medium format film holders
Film holders are available as accessories for some medium format cameraCamera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s. The most usual case is the Polaroid
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
back taking instant film, often used to check exposure values, color rendition, etc. before taking final photographs on conventional film.
Several of the types of holders made for large format film, including darkslide sheet holders, Grafmatic multi-sheet holders, the Graflex bag mag, and film packs were also manufactured in medium format sizes, almost always 2 1/4"×3 1/4" (6×9cm). Press camera
Press camera
A press camera is a medium or large format camera suitable for use by press photographers.Press cameras were widely used from the 1900s through the early 1960s and commonly had the following features:* collapsibility into strong, compact boxes...
manufacturers often produced smaller versions of their 4×5 cameras in this size, often called "23", and while later versions of these cameras could use rollfilm adaptors, these were not widely available until almost 1950, and were expensive in the their first years of production.
Sheet film or glass plate holders for medium format rollfilm cameras can be found, but are of mainly historical interest. Some rollfilm cameras have interchangeable backs to allow films of different types to be used. Some 35mm
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s have motorised backs which may hold longer than normal lengths of film, with a mechanism which automatically advances the film after each exposure.
See also
- Film formats
- Film scannerFilm scannerA film scanner is a device made for scanning photographic film directly into a computer without the use of any intermediate printmaking. It provides several benefits over using a flatbed scanner to scan in a print of any size: the photographer has direct control over cropping and aspect ratio from...
- Large formatLarge formatLarge format refers to any imaging format of 4×5 inches or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the 6×6 cm or 6×9 cm size of Hasselblad, Rollei, Kowa, Pentax etc cameras , and much larger than the 24×36 mm frame of 35 mm format.The main advantage...
- Medium formatMedium formatMedium format has traditionally referred to a film format in still photography and the related cameras and equipment that use that film. Generally, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than 24 by 36 mm , but smaller than 4 by 5 inches .In digital...
- Photographic platePhotographic platePhotographic plates preceded photographic film as a means of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
- Sheet filmSheet filmSheet film is large format and medium format photographic film supplied on individual sheets of acetate or polyester film base rather than rolls. Sheet film was initially supplied as an alternative to glass plates...
External links
- Grafmatic sheet film holders from Graflex.org
- Graflex Film Magazines from Graflex.org
- Discussion of B&J Kinematic holders including a scan of the Burke & James catalog
- Some Graflex accessories
- All about usable and unusable Sheet Film Holders