Handling and Film Holders
- For more complete information, see the film holder article
Most large format film is used double filmholders which, as the name implies, hold one sheet of film on each side of the holder. The holders must be loaded and unloaded in the dark to protect film from premature exposure.
Some 4×5 inch films are available in single-shot, pre-loaded, disposable envelopes which can be conveniently loaded into a special film holder in daylight. Kodak calls their system Readyload (discontinued), and Fuji's system is called Quickload. Each manufacturer makes a film holder for its system's envelopes; the Polaroid 545/545i instant film holders also take both systems' films. In addition to eliminating dust problems, these daylight-loading systems reduce the amount of gear a photographer must carry to only a single film holder. However, there are very few emulsions available as pre-loaded films, and only in 4×5 inch format. The envelopes also cost significantly more per exposure than the corresponding sheet film, and when traveling, a box of loose sheet film is smaller and lighter than a box of loaded envelopes.
There were several devices manufactured which held several (6-10) sheets of film in individual holders stacked like a pack of cards, and which then shuffled the front holder to the back of the unit after exposure. These devices included the Graflex Grafmatic, Graflex Film Magazine, Burke & James Kinematic, and Fuji QuickChange devices. They were very popular with photojournalists who often had to take several shots in rapid succession.
In the mid-20th century, some sheet film sizes, including medium format, were made in "film packs" of 12 to 16 exposures, which are thin sheets of film and folded into a rectangular pack which was placed in a pack holder camera back.
Some large format cameras have rotating or sliding reduction backs, which mask off part of the film sheet, allowing several smaller photos to be placed on a single sheet of film.
Read more about this topic: Sheet Film
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