Graflex.org

[gaetano catelli]

hi,

as noted in an earlier thread, i just got a Speed Graphic, my first LF camera. i'm unclear about various film loading options.

to begin with, there are Grafmatic holders, which are original equipment. they each have 6 sleaves. i take it the user must insert individual sheets of film into each of the sleaves, one at a time, and somehow do so without exposing the film to light. (i suppose i'll find instructions on the box or something. yeah, sure i will.)

then there are Fuji "Quickload" and Kodak "Readyload" film holders. from what i've read, these are supposed to be "more convenient", but "more expensive". my ignorance of the matter is such that i don't see how either could be the case. from what i've seen on the Adorama site, both Kodak and Fuji 4x5 films seem to be sold in boxes of individual sheets, which appear to be indifferent to whether they are going to be loaded into a Grafmatic holder or the Readyload or Quickload holders, respectively.

since the three holders seem the same approximate price, where is the added expense of Readyload and Quickload? and, assuming that the Readyload and Quickload holders have to be loaded one sheet at a time just like the Grafmatic, where is the added convenience of the first two? (if the Readyloader and Quickloader are pre-loaded with film, i don't see any indication of this on the Adorama site.)

finally, i'm assuming that the Grafmatic will accept film made my Kodak, Ilford, Fuji, Agfa, etc. will the Readyholder and Quickload accept films other than those made by Kodak and Fuji, respectively?

thanks for all the help so far.

guy catelli
http://www.r-s-r.org


[ This Message was edited by: gaetano catelli on 2003-10-18 22:04 ]

[Les]

In the begining the world of large format was strictly a load it your self world.

Regular film holders, Grafmatics and are part of that world. All are loaded in total darkness. And can use any standard 4x5 film from Agfa to Efke, with Kodak and fuji thrown in there too.

Then came Polaroid sheet film....pre-loaded in a sleeve (for obvious reasons)

Then came the Fuji QuickLoad and Kodak Readyload....film preloaded in a sleeve ready to be used in the manufacturer's adapter as well as the Polaroid 545 series holder.

The cost of pre-loading is substantial...You have to buy "Readload film" I'm sure Adorama carries it but here's the B&H site:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=1SdAElERbU!1290579596!2147047696?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=SearchBar&A=search&Q=*&shs=readyload+fil

Fuji also makes, but isn't currently marketing in the US, a new version of the Grafmatic called the QuickChange. You buy pre loaded cassettes of film, drop it in a QuickChange holder and you're off and running. The trouble is the cassettes are so expensive you have to reload them to bring the cost into anything close to reality. Luckily this can be done fairly easily.

You might want to do some research on Kodak's Ready load. Early on they were double sided and had problems, then they went to single sided but changed the holder slightly. Not sure how.

Lastly there is the Mido system. This was similar to the Quick/Ready loads, but you loaded them yourself and could reuse the sleeves. The benefit is you can pack a whole lot more film in Midos than regular film holders or even Grafmatics. Mido is no longer around but you can pick them up on ebay and the local shows.

And you thought Large format was going to be easy


[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-10-19 07:31 ]

[gaetano catelli]

And you thought Large format was going to be easy

not exactly. but, i didn't think i might have to sell the camera back on ebay because i couldn't load a single sheet of film!

in case someone finds this thread in a search somewhere down the road, here's a link to a page which goes into a good bit of detail in comparing the alternative 4x5 filmholders: Large Format Filmholder Choices - Regular, Readyload, Quickload, Grafmatics

btw, Les, do you have an approximate date of manufacturer for a 45Pacemaker w/sn: 846741?

thanks, again, for your help.

guy catelli

http://www.r-s-r.org

[45PSS]

Les, the last time I looked(at least a year), Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto, Ca. had the Fuji QuickChange Holders for $300+.

_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[gaetano catelli]

i'm getting ready to buy a filmholder for the 4x5 Speed Graphic i got recently. i have read the helpful threads on here on graflex.org, as well as the links provided to other sites (i haven't memorized every detail, though).

overall, what i've gathered so far is that the Kodak Readyload II ("single-side") filmholder can use the same film as the Fuji Quickload, the Fuji Quickload filmholder can use the same film as the Kodak Readyload, and Polaroid 545 can use both Readyload and Quickload film. but, i've read conflicting accounts about the useability of the three. before i go out and buy one, i was wondering if anyone has any experiences to share about the user-friendliness/reliability of one or more of these filmholders?

guy catelli

http://www.r-s-r.org