How much 4x5 B&W film you take on a day-trip?

[Troll]

Sorry, I guess that this is the kind of ambiguous question that I

hate, but I need some sort of guide. I'm referring to a landscape

day-trip, like to the mountains, or forest, or ghost towns, etc,

loading the holders the night before and working away from your

vehicle for a few minutes or hours at a time. Not a commercial job

where you have to take way too much stuff, but a personal expedition

where every extra ounce is gonna kill your knees at the end of the

day. TIA.

[mark houtzager]

My basic load is 9 holders = 18 sheets in the frontpouch op my Lowepro Trekker. Why 18 sheets ? My HP Combiplan Tank only accepts 6 sheets at a time; 18 sheets is 3 cycles. 3 cycles is one extended evening of processing.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mark

[paul_frank]

as much as I think I'm going to shoot. duh.

[mark_sampson]

My camera case will take 12 holders easily. At last count I have 28 holders, sometimes I'll take a cooler for lunch and spare film. I've rarely run short that way. Some people advocate, as an exercise, going out with one holder, and making one photo in a day, that way "making sure" you come back with a good one. I'm not too sure about that idea though.

[sergio_ortega6]

I imagine one could carry quite a lot of film into the field, especially if they're Quickloads. I think the more accurate question would be how many images can one person reasonably expect to make in one day's shooting with the usual LF equipment. Even on my most ambitious days in the field I was never able to muster up the energy to make more than ten or fifteen exposures, twenty at most if the last rays of light were incredibly wonderful.

[brooks short]

Bill,

 

I use Kodak Quickloads in a Kodal Quickload single sheet holder. I usually take 20 sheets in my backpack with the quickload Holder when I'm hiking and usually have another 20 sheet box in the car, if I'm working only from the car.

 

I used to load and use regular film holders. In the same amount of space in my backpack that I now carry the 20 sheets of quickloads, I used to be able to fit 4 holders.

 

The reason I switched to Quickloads is not because of the weight, though that would be reason enough. The larger reason is that there is NO dust in the Quickloads, and I don't have to use a film changing tent to reload holders. Film holders are hard to keep clean in the field.

[john lehman, college alask]

2 grafmatics = 12 sheets, which happens to be two loads in the Jobo tank I use for hand

(inversion) development.

[bruce watson]

I'm a backpacker. My typical load is about 35 lbs (includes water). I would <b><i>love</i></b> to use readyloads, but Kodak refuses to sell their most popular black and white film (that would be Tri-X) in the readyload format for some reason.

<p>

So... I carry 10 film holders with me. On rare occasions I have taken all 20 exposures when I get back to camp. I have never wanted that 21st sheet, however (knock on wood!).

<p>

My objection to film holders is simply loading and unloading. After I spend 12-16 hours on the trail, I have to come back to camp, dig out my Harrison pup tent, empty the film holders, clean the film holders, and reload the film holders. I'm down to 50 minutes for all 10, but it's hard work after an already hard day. That, and the poor Harrison in the field can never be as clean as my darkroom - my dust problems always increase when I'm forced to reload in the field.

<p>

If anyone is listening at Kodak (I'll not be holding my breath), I would pay <b><i>a lot</i></b> for Tri-X in readyloads!

[wayne_crider4]

10 holders. with 10 sheets of b&w, holders #1-10, and 10

sheets of color holders #11-20. The only time I'll actually shoot

more is when handholding for street stuff. You can really go thru

film that way.

[tony_galt]

If you are just starting out I'll bet you won't expose very many sheets in a day. The amount you expose increases (to some limit I suppose) with experience. So there's no easy answer. I hate standing around developing film, so I try not to expose more than one tank full of film in an outing (Combi Plan 6 sheets). The most I'll do at a time is 2 tanks full. Recently I got a roll film holder and that may increase my output.

 

I've had good luck with ordinary film holders. I might haul ten of them along, but, again, probably not use them all.

[michael_sherck]

I carry 6 holders (12 sheets of T-Max 100) with another half-dozen in the car. I've never shot all 24 in a day.<P>

However, let me add my voice to the plea to Kodak to package more film in their Readyload holders. Tri-X would be a good start. If I could switch to a Readyload holder and carry 20 exposures in the space I now carry 4-6 film holders and eliminate having to pack boxes of film and a changing bag in the car... I'd be a lot happier camper. :)<P>

Mike

[Troll]

Thank you very much, you have eloquently answered my question. Bill.

[ed_balko3]

I was carrying a 4x5 with 10 film holders in a backpack this summer. The walks were six hours or less in duration and I returned with unused film each day.

 

I did have a changing tent and a couple of boxes of film in the car and if I was going more than one place that day, I'd reload the holders that had been used. You can do this easily using the hood of a car as a work surface provided that you apply plenty of insect repellent before starting work. With both arms in the changing tent, the mosquitoes have the tactical advantage.

[joseph_walsh2]

"as much as I think I'm going to shoot. duh." Paul Frank

 

Paul Frank is the first photographer I've encountered who can predict what visual opportunities lie ahead over a span of time or a trail in the forest.

 

I look forward to further insights from Mr. Frank.

[bruce_barlow]

On a recent trip to Maine at some particularly beautiful and rich places, I shot as many as 22 holders in one day (and a full day it was!).

 

Sorry to say this, but how would your knees feel if you had to pass up the best one of the day becasue you didn't carry enough film? I bring all 30 holders I own, and I decided I need more 8x10 holders because, on the Maine trip, I ran out twice. Reloaded in the hotel each night, so I had the full load the following day. That's what I do with any day trip. Hope this helps.

 

Bruce Barlow