Fuji 4X5 Quick Change Holder and 8 sheet Cassette

>He says it is not distributed to the U S.

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Not true! See: http://www.badgergraphic.com/search_product2.asp? x=2436

<a name="1">Joe,</a>

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Robert White has <a href="http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/accessories.htm#LabelQuickchange"> info on this system</a>.

$250.00!

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$149.00 at badger (not sure if that includes the film)

It's great (so far -- about six cycles with 4 cassettes.)

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You will need to practice unloading and loading with scrap film; it's a bit tricky

Joe, I've been using the Quickchange holder for a few months now and it is working out very well. Actually I just purchased a couple more inserts from Badger Graphics that just happen to be on sale. The reason for my initial purchase was the lack of availability of Readyload type films in Canada and getting the readyloads from the States with our dismal dollar is just too expensive for us Canucks. After using the holder for a while now I think I would use it instead of readyload regardless of price. The quickchange is very economical and peels a lot of weight and bulk from my back. The holder is well built and the inserts sturdy enough to use over and over including the counter. Just make sure you practice using the holder a few times, it could be really easy to fog eight sheets all at once.

Would any of you, users, believe that the cassettes are strong enough to be reloaded indefinitely or are they just good enough to be reloaded a few times? I guess you have to unload them and not send them to the lab where they would be considered as single use material?

Greetings,

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I have a complete description of the use and reloading of the Quick Change system along with pix, that can be found here: http://www.f32.net/Services/Equipment/Accessories/quickchange.html

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Regards,

Paul, I think that with normal field use the inserts should last a very long time. The inserts are plastic but seem to be very solid for a supposedly one time use item, I guess only time will tell. At present I carry the extra inserts in their cardboard boxes, much like the Quickload films. Eventually I'll probably make a padded bag of some sought to carry all the extra inserts.

Thanks Adam. I am a Quickload afficionado but these films are no longer imported on a regular base here in Switzerland. The Quickchange would also be a good way of using my stock of frozen outdated films in travel, despite my previous decision never to bother with loading film in the field. But the inserts are very expensive and unless they last forever, I would never buy.

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Pete, thanks for the outstanding page on the system!

I use the QuickChange and like it, seems durable enough but; I'm not as impressed as with the size and weight savings. Yes, it holds 8 films but because the cartridge holder is metal, the holder with film weighs about the same as three regular dual-film holders. And because the QuickChange is longer, and comes with a thickness- adding padded sleeve that is too nice not to use, it takes up at least as much volume in my pack as three regular holders. So really it only saves the weight and space of one traditional holder. Nice, but not revolutionary.

Dan you're right if you use just the holder and one cartridge, but if you use more than one insert the weight and bulk are quite a bit less. I just stacked the holder with one cartridge inserted and three extras without their boxes, combined they take up the same amount of space as eight regular holders. My weight and bulk has been cut by roughly half, more if you use more cartridges. The cartridges are expensive but as I mentioned Badger Graphics has some dated cartridges on sale $25.00 each not bad. I think the Quickchange is a great compromise between weight and expense and in some cases film avilability. The nice thing about Readyload type films is the ability to write info on each paper covering, film stays clean and that you don't have to load film late at night cramped up in a tent somewhere. The downside is the film is expensive and for me as mentioned above not available in Canada :(.

<p>Paul,</p> <p>the cartridges do certainly not last forever. But they will sustain a hundred reloads without any problems, if you take care and:</p> <ul> <li>rotate the counter only clockwise</li> <li>be careful when inserting new sheets.</li> </ul> <p>The plastic plates that hold the film are not very solid, because they must be thin enough to store 8 films in limited space. However, if one is&nbsp; worn out some day, you can still keep the cartridge and exchange parts with others. So they actually fade away instead of being useless at once.</p> <p>I am in quite often in Basel can give you a QuickChange demonstration, if you you are interested and happen to be there some time. Just drop me a note.</p> <p>Regards,</p>

Thilo, a hundred reloads is much more than I ask! As for being in Basel, I live unfortunately on the opposite side, near Geneva. But thanks for your kind thought!

All,

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I have been using the cartridges extensively since October, reloading them up to 30Xs! I have used graphmatic holders, and think these are a huge advantage over those. very easy to use, and fairly robust. You have to be careful putting the septums back in the cartridges - they are a tight fit.

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Badger started carrying them after I requested them back in the fall.

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I was canyon country with them last week, and was able to carry more film with half the weight of the graphmatics. In fact, I had bought enough cartridges that I was able to load at home and not have to bother loading in the field. I also used some of the Readyloads, and liked them also, so future trips may be a mix of the two.

I'm afraid I dont share some people's enthusiasm for the quickchange system. I bought a holder and 2 catridges a couple of weeks ago from Robert White in the UK. The first time I re-loaded (making sure the 'end-cap' which you remove to empty it was firmly in place), This end-cap stayed behind in the holder when I removed the cartridge and left me with 8 sheets of fogged film.

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I reloaded, taking extra care to ensure everything was firmly in place. When these 8 sheets were processed, all had varying light leaks.

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I could just have a bad cartridge, I have another one that I will re- load with some FP4 and develop at home, just to check out of thats ok.

Mark, I have 10 cassettes and have been using QuickChange for 3 years now. I never had any problem. I don't use Readyload TMAX anymore because Readyload is expensive and only TMAX is available. QuickChange holder and its cassette are well built.

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Regards Hisun Hong Kong