mbisc
Silver Halide User
Is that how the Wanderlust Travelwide project at Kickstarter got started?
Corran
Well-known
Yes that is correct.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
And contact the New 55 Project! As far as the pack mechanics are concerned, peel away Polaroid is the closest relative to pack film, if these guys find a way to produce Polaroid 55 in 4x5 again, they should have machinery that could pack pack film with very minor modifications, giving them a second leg to stand on.
mbisc
Silver Halide User
Tom: Keep us posted !
graywolf
Well-known
I have been posting on this forum (LFRF) because I thought it was the best place to post about what folks thought about reintorducing Film Packs. But it seems like there is not as much activity as there used to be. Not just here but in the folders forum and the TLR forums.
Large Format Photography has some hefty restrictions about kickstarter posts. I do not know if that also applies just to trying to find out about whether folks may be interested in the stuff being reintroduced.
Prodject 55 is for a shingle sheet pos/neg improved offspring of Polaroid 55 film. Nothing there about film packs, even Polaroid Film Packs. And while Polaroid Film Packs are somewhat similar to what we are talking about, they are not that similar. However that is not a problem because the old 523 Film Packs are not that difficult, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel there.
The tin work would probably be the most expensive part of the thing (6 stampings). The interleave paper should not be difficult to have made. And the film is just a matter of being able to order enough cut to size. Nothing real difficult just rather labor intensive.
Of course a robot assembly line could be made, but then we would have to be able to sell enough to pay for that $500K machine (I used to help build prototypes of such stuff, so I do know something about that).
What has amazed me so far is how little most people know about a very convenient type of film packaging that was produced for 90 years or so.
Large Format Photography has some hefty restrictions about kickstarter posts. I do not know if that also applies just to trying to find out about whether folks may be interested in the stuff being reintroduced.
Prodject 55 is for a shingle sheet pos/neg improved offspring of Polaroid 55 film. Nothing there about film packs, even Polaroid Film Packs. And while Polaroid Film Packs are somewhat similar to what we are talking about, they are not that similar. However that is not a problem because the old 523 Film Packs are not that difficult, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel there.
The tin work would probably be the most expensive part of the thing (6 stampings). The interleave paper should not be difficult to have made. And the film is just a matter of being able to order enough cut to size. Nothing real difficult just rather labor intensive.
Of course a robot assembly line could be made, but then we would have to be able to sell enough to pay for that $500K machine (I used to help build prototypes of such stuff, so I do know something about that).
What has amazed me so far is how little most people know about a very convenient type of film packaging that was produced for 90 years or so.
Corran
Well-known
As long as you are not announcing a new product or offering something for sale, it's not a problem, at least from what I understand. I am not a moderator. I think an "interest" poll would be justified and understandable.
BW400CN
Bessamatic forever!
Mmmh - I used an old 9x12cm pack once in my Bergheil - but where would be the improvement over a grafmatic back?
For these old 9x12cm folder where are not a lot films available and no grafmatic - please do it!!!
I´ve got 3 packfilm holder and it would be nice to bring them back in business.
BTW - I could give you an used cassette to find out the sizes.
For these old 9x12cm folder where are not a lot films available and no grafmatic - please do it!!!
I´ve got 3 packfilm holder and it would be nice to bring them back in business.
BTW - I could give you an used cassette to find out the sizes.
kram
Well-known
I have just purchased my second grafmatic back. They are very useful with a rangefinder 4x5. Looking at the construction they would be expensive to make, but I wish any project the best of luck if going a head with a new back.
graywolf
Well-known
Life has had me going in different directions, so nothing further has been done about this. However, I think it is clear that there is not much interest, so I guess it does not matter.
Thank you all for your comments
Thank you all for your comments
graywolf
Well-known
Such is life.
I shot the last 4 frames on that old pack of tri-x intending to develop it.
First problem was the old paper backing was rotted out on the last two frames and they did not pull around to the back properly. Had some things going on so I put off dealing with that until today.
Put up the light baffle in the bathroom and the building had shifted some more and it was not light tight --had been about 3 years since I last used it. So I had to wait until after dark to get the room dark.
With my health problems I am not too steady, but I thought I had loaded the film right. Wrong. I made a guess of 27 minutes with Rodinal 25:1 but room temp was 70 so I cut that to 24 minutes. Then I found I did not have quite enough hypo. Come from the rinse not cleared.
Just enough of an image to tell me I had the development about right. Could see that one of the old images was someone standing in front of a wall with diplomas on it, and another looked like someone wearing a hooded bathrobe.
The main problem was I did not get myself organized first but tried winging it. I could claim the problem was that the pack film was hard to load in the hangers, but that would just be an excuse. Anyone is going to have problems working with 60 year old film, and being old and disorganized to boot sure does not help.
I shot the last 4 frames on that old pack of tri-x intending to develop it.
First problem was the old paper backing was rotted out on the last two frames and they did not pull around to the back properly. Had some things going on so I put off dealing with that until today.
Put up the light baffle in the bathroom and the building had shifted some more and it was not light tight --had been about 3 years since I last used it. So I had to wait until after dark to get the room dark.
With my health problems I am not too steady, but I thought I had loaded the film right. Wrong. I made a guess of 27 minutes with Rodinal 25:1 but room temp was 70 so I cut that to 24 minutes. Then I found I did not have quite enough hypo. Come from the rinse not cleared.
Just enough of an image to tell me I had the development about right. Could see that one of the old images was someone standing in front of a wall with diplomas on it, and another looked like someone wearing a hooded bathrobe.
The main problem was I did not get myself organized first but tried winging it. I could claim the problem was that the pack film was hard to load in the hangers, but that would just be an excuse. Anyone is going to have problems working with 60 year old film, and being old and disorganized to boot sure does not help.
graywolf
Well-known
A Grafmatic needs to be loaded in the darkroom or a changing bag. A film pack is daylight loadable. When you have taken your 12 (or16) shots you can remove and replace the film pack in daylight.
The two advantages the Grafmatic has are that you have a wider choice of films, and that when you darkroom removed the exposed frames you can replace them.
Well make that three advantages, you can get a Grafmatic, while you can not get a fresh film pack.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Four - pack film is quite thin and wobbly, the same stock as 120 film, which made it more difficult to handle than regular sheet film. That would be even more valid today, as modern sheet film usually has a polyester base that is stiffer than the acetate film common in the pack film era.
graywolf
Well-known
Sevo, read the whole thread. Those of us who have actually used the stuff tend to disagree with that ole wive's tail, at least when the packs were new.
