After having a trouble of new Fidelity film holders, I'm going to try non-mass production, wooden film holders. AWB and Lotus offeres rather expsensive holders. According to their claim those wooden holders are high quality and reliable. Does anyone use such holders ? Do you think should I spend on them ? I use a Deardorff 11x14. As for 8x10, Fidelity holder is just fine.

-- Shigehiro Ishii (shige-i@tkd.att.ne.jp), January 01, 1999

Answers

Shigehiro,

My hat is off to you! I don't shoot 11X14 but would love to some year when finances allow. In the meantime I buy used holders and as a result, almost all of my 8X10 holders and about 33% of my 5X7 holders are wooden. Aside from checking them out thoroughly before purchase and cleanning them extensively afterwards, I have had no problems with them. Light leaks in the darkslide can be patched with electrician's tape, although a replacement slide isn't that expensive.

I don't know AWB but Lotus' cameras seem good enough and I'd imagine they have a MBG of somekind. Stateside, Ron Wisner makes wooden holders and his 11X14's are actually cheaper, new, than Fidelitys. He has a dealers in Manilla, Taiwan, Singapore, & Seoul and at one time one in Hong Kong. You can phone him at 1-888-848-4489 pacific coast. Whatever you do, good luck!

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), January 04, 1999.

The Lotus Holders are great. Fully recommended.

-- Michael A. Smith (smitcham@epix.net), January 27, 1999.