I have searched the site but have not found any comment with respect to the following issue: I use both Fuji Quickload and Fidelity holders. On a recent trip to Mt. St. Helens I exposed almost an entire box of quickloads and subsequently had them developed. Not one was exposed. I have previously shot quickloads in this holder without a problem using the same techniques. At home I sacrificed two quickloads and quickly discovered that the sheet holders required a more forceful insertion than previously. Has anyone had a similar experience? Is there something wrong with the filmholder? (I have not dropped or damamged the holder) Thanks for your comments.

-- J.T. Guinn (Jedd39@hotmail.com), July 29, 2000

Answers

Fidelity holders and Quickloads? Huh?! James

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), July 29, 2000.

I knock on wood, this has not happened to me and I have used hundreds of them with the same holder. Looks to me that a metal part in the holder has been deformed, perhaps due to a forceful operation.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), July 29, 2000.

I've heard of this happening to others, so as a course of habit, when I pull the sleeve from the Quickload, I run my index and middle fingers on either side of the sleeve until I feel the film (or absence thereof actually). I don't do it for every shot, but every few, just in case. Hope you got some good shots with your Fidelity holders.

-- Todd Caudle (todd@skylinepress.com), July 30, 2000.

I had this same thing happen recently with Readyloads. What happened, as we both now know, is that when you pulled the envelope up to expose the film, the film came up with it and so wasn't in the holder when the exposure was made. IAFter talking with Kodak about my experience (I lost almost 50 exposures made on a trip from Florida to Maine) I learned that with Readyloads after pulling the envelope up to make the exposure, you can rub your index finger and thumb against the top of the envelope to see if the film has come up with the envelope. If the film has come up (which you don't want) you can feel a slight ridge in the center of the envelope. If the film is not there (i.e. if it stayed in the holder where you want it to be), you don't feel the ridge. I've never used Quickloads so I don't know whether this trick would work with them or not.

-- Brian Ellis (bellis@tampabay.rr.com), August 02, 2000.

Thank you for all the responses. I have discovered the problem and thought I would share my findings with the forum. The apparent problem was indeed a clip from a quickload lodged in the end of the quickload holder. I removed the clip ran a practice sheet through the holder and thought all was well. Packed up my gear drove to Mt. Hood and on my first exposure the sheet film became stuck in the holder and would not release. I wasted another sheet of film and could not use the holder the rest of the evening. At home I disassembled the holder and discovered that one of the catch prongs for the sheet film was bent slightly. I straightened this out. Now all is well. Thought I was using the holder in an appropriate fashion. Apparently not. I think the holder requires gentle use. In any event I hope this thread helps others with a similar problem.

-- James T. Guinn (Jedd39@hotmail.com), August 11, 2000.