Advice for replacing 5x7 film holders?

[alan_bucknam]

Any advice on which brand of film holders is best for durability, film-plane flatness,

and light-tightness? I'm about to replace 4 Fidelity holders that are only 7 years old

and are causing consistent light leak issues. I have some old Bacos, Liscos, and a

great old Agfa holder, all of which work fine...it's the new ones that keep giving me

trouble!

 

I had heard great things about the Toyo holders, but of course they are only available

in 4x5....

[john_gerndt1]

I bought a bunch of different ones on *bay and all of them turned out to be good holders. Even if I had to throw out a couple of them I would still be averaging about $10 per holder. Try your luck, really that is all there is.

 

jdg

[art_haykin]

A Google.com search, using >>>5x7 Film Holders<<< brought up over 3000 sites. The 5x7 format is FAIRLY dead now, so there should a lot of them around mouldering in attics closets.

[cxc]

I also buy them on the 'Bay, they are too cheap to resist. I suspect that all holders are created more or less equal, and then age differently, per how they individually get banged up.

[ole_tjugen]

If you can get them, buy Linhof. The quality is about as good as their cameras... One word of warning, though: Linhof holders tend to be 13x18cm, not 5x7". The difference is small, but sometimes sigificant.

 

The holders are the main reason why I now use mostly 9x12cm, and not 4x5". I have Linhof holders in the smaller format.

[lacey_smith4]

is the light-leak most usually on the hinge end, or loss from the sides (unlikely?), or loss of the light integrity on the insertion end and its felt liner (is that felt?)?

 

For those leaks on the hinge end, what is the best replacement tape? Seems like a cloth tape for strength/durability, but straight plastic tape for light-tightness. Experience? (I am about to go through some repairs of this genre).

[jnanian]

alan;

 

the best way to repair the hinge is with bookbinders tape. places like "gaylord

brothers" or " tallus" ( both on the web ) sell the stuff and it works wonders.

 

good luck!

 

-john

 

ps. i bought maybe 100-150 of'em on fee-bay, after a little bit of cleaning and re-

taping they are as good as new :

[todd_phillips1]

I MAY have some 5X7 holders that I don't need, and I DO have some 5X7 "2up" developing hangers (to be used in 31/2 gallon tanks) that I would like to sell. Email me privately if interested (IF I have any holders, I'll throw them in with the hangers...no guarantee that I still have them).