Wooden 8x10 Holders and the sheet film plane

[Mahler_one]

One often sees wooden 8x10 holders, in what appears to be excellent condition, for sale on that auction site. The price of such holders is usually less than the more "modern" holders. Using my my Deardorff 8x10, will the wooden holders present the film in the correct plane such that focus is assured? With the more modern plastic holders focus is perfect, but I wondered if the older holders are any different with reference to where the film sheets are "presented". Thanks for any information.

Ed

[keithwms]

Be careful, some of the oldies were intended to be used as plate holders, and may be lacking inserts for film. Another thing, the sides of the wooden bolders can be a bit less than what is needed to get good registry and may need to be shimmed. Ultimately the only way to get it right is to measure and to test.... but I have many wooden holders in all sizes and they work fine for me.

[pgomena]

Wood holders also can warp. Caution is advised. As Keith said above, test. I found my results varied from type to type. Good wooden holders work just fine, and they are lighter and a little smaller than their plastic grandchildren.

Peter Gomena

[Ian Grant]

I have a few wooden film holders & they are no better or worse than later holders.

You do need to make sure they are modern International film holders rather than older varieties, dedicated to specific cameras.

ian

[Vaughn]

I lucked into a set of three never-been-used relatively modern Fidelity wood 8x10 film holders. Everything nice, tight, and precise. But they can be a SOB to load. The corners of the film dig into the wood and jam-up if you don't load the film in perfectly square. Can be very frustration. One of the holders is not as bad as the other two. Even so, these three holders have been my go-to holders if the shot is very important...maybe just because they are the only "new" holders I have ever had.

And there is something that just seems right sliding a wood holder into a wood camera.

Vaughn

[Robert Hall]

I have new and old wood and film plastic holders. They seem all over the map. I have to say my wood holders have served quite well and a not to Vaughn, if you want to trade your "new" wood holders for plastic, just drop me a note.

[Vaughn]

Robert, I just went through my exposure notes -- looks like I have been using those "new" holders for eleven years! So that is why some of the black paint has worn off a couple of the corners! My how the time flies! Looks like I used them for the first time along the Oregon Coast back in October of 1998.

I have quite a collection of holders -- including some medical ones with the metal darkslides. A little heavier -- but it is nice to have some "indestructable" darkslides!

Vaughn

[Robert Hall]

I hear ya Vaughn. What killed me was to find it wasnt the darkslides fogging my expensive IR film but the plastic that actually wrapped the film holder itself. Grr.

[Steve Hamley]

Robert,

What brand caused the fogging?

Cheers, Steve

[keithwms]

Robert,

What brand caused the fogging?

And which IR film? I guess it was HIE???