If this is not a beginner question I don't know what is :-). I just got my first 8x10 camera, I have the film and the holders. Now I have to load the holders and I was wondering how is the film packed. I have a 50 sheet box of Astia. Is the film in the box packed in some light proof material or you have to open the box in dark? Is the emulsion side up or down? Does the sheet film have anything to help figure out in the dark which side is which? Any hints for loading film?

-- Sorin Varzaru (svarzaru@bigfoot.com), January 26, 2001

Answers

Never mind. I found the answers here : http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/loading.html

-- Sorin Varzaru (svarzaru@bigfoot.com), January 26, 2001.

I really hate talking to myself but I just realized that the page I was refering to talk about 4x5 sheet film. Is it the same for 8x10?

-- Sorin Varzaru (svarzaru@bigfoot.com), January 26, 2001.

Yes - three "boxes" one within the other, a black plastic bag with a folded piece of cardboard to act as a sleeve, and the film in the cardboard sleeve. I find it easiest to place the film emulsion up, in the sleeve in the three open nested boxes, the sleeve (and film) perpendicular to the boxes longest axis. I set the bag aside where I can get to it when finished.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), January 26, 2001.

Greetings,

As Sean stated, I do it the same way, but most important...in total darkness!

Regards,

-- Pete Caluori (pcaluori@hotmail.com), January 26, 2001.

The information for 4X5 will work for 8x10. Only open the box in the dark. You will also find a notch of some some sort in one corner of the sheet film. The pattern of the notch allows you to identify what kind of film it is in the dark. If the film is positioned in front of you so that the notch is in the lower right hand corner, the emulsion side will be up. Good luck.

-- Paul Mongillo (pmongillo@thurston.com), January 26, 2001.

Here's what I did. Open the box and inner layers in the dark, pull out one sheet, close the box, turn on the lights. You now have invested the cost of one sheet of film to get a practice sheet to examine exactly which side the emulsion is on and to practice loading in the light before doing it in the dark.

-- Dan Montgomery (soareyes@hotmail.com), January 26, 2001.