What are the steps involved in using quickload film? I've read that you dont need a changing bag to get the film into the holder. Do you need one to get it out of the holder?

thanks

-- jon miller (jmill@cybertime.net), November 12, 1999

Answers

No. the film comes in individual packets. To process of course a darkroom is required.

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), November 12, 1999.

Quickload comes in a box, in which, in a wrapper, are twenty individual envelopes each of which contain one sheet of film.

Set up your camera, be happy with your image, close the shutter and set aperture and shutter speed. Take the Quickload holder, and fully insert one of the film envelopes into it. Insert the holder with the film into the back of the camera. Check the shutter is closed. Pull the tab at the top of the film envelope - this pulls away the envelope leaving the film ready for exposure. Cock the shutter, and make your exposure. Push the envelope back into the holder over the film in the holder. Remove holder with exposed film. Push tab on the back of the holder, and pull envelope with exposed film inside out of the holder. Put an "exposed" sticker over the metal clip at one end of the envelope (to prevent the metal clip being dislodged, which would accidentally expose the film). Put at bottom of box, take home and get processed.

Overall, it costs about 2 to 3 times the cost of normal sheet film. For this premium, you avoid dust, fingerprints, mis-loaded holders etc, and you can carry 40-60 sheets of film without a problem in a backpack (carrying 20-30 normal holders would be out of the question), but it's still a hefty premium. It would be good if Fuji would license the system to other film manufacturers - Delta 100 in Quickload sounds like a winner to me!

-- fw (finnegnswake@altavista.net), November 12, 1999.

I second fw's suggestion of Delta 100 in Quickload!

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), November 12, 1999.

It costs about two to three times the price of sheet films? I had calculated 50% more. And there is practically no lost for light leaks, misloading, dust and so on. If you still find it too expensive, think that the QuickLoad price in USA is the pro price for normal sheet films here in Europe!

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@vtx.ch), November 12, 1999.

Paul - you're right - even here in expensive Japan, the premium for Velvia in Quickload is actually 60 - 70%. Thanks for pointing out my mistake above. It just feels like a bigger premium!

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), November 14, 1999.

To remove the film from the holder, you push down the button in the back and pull the quickload sheet out. Pushing this button down refastens the metal clip to the bottom of the quickload.

Yeah, in Japan, the premium on Velvia quickload is 70%! Two 10-sheet boxes of RVP run about 4600 yen while a 20 pack of quickloads is 7800 yen. That's why I buy my quickload film, Kodak E100 and Fuji Astia sheet films from B&H whenever I'm back in the States (I've found Fuji 4x5 emulsions to be about 1/2 yr fresher in Japan, though). If you get quickloads from B&H, the premium is only about $0.50/sheet! I agree, it is too bad that Kodak and Ilford emulsions don't use quickload packages. :-)

-- James Chow (jchow@isl.melco.co.jp), November 14, 1999.

It's interesting to see how prices vary from one place to another! I have long be tempted to order some Films from B&H or Adorama. But I have had some reports on new X-Rays machines in the airports and potential damage to the emulsions. Has anyone had good or bad experiences ?

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@vtx.ch), November 15, 1999.

I've been flying about 60K miles/yr for the past few yrs, virtually all internationally and for photography (Europe, Asia, N. America) and have not lost a single frame to Xray machines (I use 120, Fuji quickloads, and Toyo holders). In most places in Europe (UK, Germany), they absolutely will not hand check anything. I carry all of my film onboard (as well as photo equipment...it pushes the limits, but international flights are usually more generous w/ bags, it seems). Exposed film is usually lead bagged in a iso 800 bag. Of course, I request a hand check wherever possible, as Xray effects are additive. Four time is okay, but who knows about 25 times? BTW, if any film is Xrayed, I make it a point to shoot that film locally; I only bring new, un-Xrayed film for overseas shooting.

-- James Chow (jchow@isl.melco.co.jp), November 17, 1999.

James - do you carry your unexposed film in a lead wrapper as well, or do you simply rely on the "film safe" promise?

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), November 18, 1999.

If I can fit it in the bag, my rollfilm goes in there, too. First priority is holders (both exposed/unexposed, partially because the bag is good protection from light), then exposed quickloads, then rollfilm. In most places in Asia and the US, you can get handchecks. In Europe, no way. All machine operators I've encountered point to the filmsafe sign and make you run your film through it. So if I travel to Europe, my goal is to minimize the number of times the film gets zapped. One method is to choose non-stop segments rather than connections. I'm not sure how well the lead foil bags work. The manufacturer (Kenko) claims iso 800, but the machine can obviously read through the bag since they don't perform a hand inspection (they would if they couldn't see what was in the bag). One possibility I've considered was to insert a sheet of aluminum between the outer pocket of my photopack (where the film is) and the Xray machine sensors. The machine won't read through sufficiently thick metal.

-- James Chow (jchow@isl.melco.co.jp), November 18, 1999.

Thanks, James. Your system and method obviously work, so I'll probably be spending more money at Yodobashi this weekend!

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), November 18, 1999.

James, thank you for sharing your experiences. I have also made a query at B&H and Henry Posner, director of sales, told me that none of theire overseas customers has made a complaint for film damage yet. Regarding the leaded film protections, I have seen somewhere on this site that occasionally operators will "push" theire machinery to try to see through, which would be an even worse treatment. I have also understood that some airports have more "performant" machinery than others. But I have nothing to verify what has been said. Maybe the best is to rely upon one's good angel!

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@vtx.ch), November 19, 1999.