Category: filmholders

walnut 5×7 holders

July 13-14

Saturday the 13th. Weather is still too bright and dry, so retreating into the cool, dark shop once more. Had some  walnut left from the camera so decided to make a dozen new 5×7 film holders. While Fidelity plastic holders are relatively inexpensive, they sort of feel like it. I’m tired of the odd and inconsistent way they mask film rebates, of darkslides binding in the slots, of the film gate springing closed when loading and scuffing the film, of the bulging and warping in weird spots, of the extra dust plastic attracts. It’s not terribly exciting making holders in a small un-exotic format like 5×7,  but it’s considerably more tedious than making big ones. Parts need to be thinner, tolerances are tighter. But I love the format, and this project diary will give me the chance to make notes in real time, instead of trying to remember every little trick or setup after I’m done.

filmholder adapter

Instead of making an entire new 4×10 back for my 5×12 camera, I just made an adapter the size of a 5×12 holder that the 4×10 holder fits into. This allows me to shot either format with the one back.  Since the new 4×10 holder’s T-dimension is exactly 1/16″ less than the 5×12 holder, that allowed me to use a piece of 1/16 garolite for the bottom of the adapter. The adapter has a slot for the 4×10 riblock to fit into, and a riblock of its own to fit into the original back’s riblock slot…

I do have an obvious issue with pulling the darkslide when only one of the slides is reversed and the pulls are then aligned, making it difficult to grab the pull that’s tight to the back. I might have to redesign the pulls a little so they will always offset each other, regardless of orientation, but that is more difficult than it sounds. For now just using a spring clip to extend the pull.

parts, 4×10 film holders

Having just finished, here’s a few fresh observations on making film holders.
Too thin is problematic- this reduces options for light baffles, makes joinery very thin, especially the darkslide baffle rail. I found some .03″ velvet (plain backed) and used up the .002″ brass shim stock left unused from my last adventure in filmholders. All said and done it worked out well, just tested one out in the sun loaded with film for a few minutes and no leaks. Wouldn’t want to make them any thinner. But the extra thinness does allow the option of  making an adapter instead of an entire new back- the shim needed to bring the film holder to same spot as the ground glass can double as the base for the adapter, which would simply slide into the  existing 5×12 back.