Film sheath

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search
Glossary Terms

A film sheath is an insert of folded metal, which allows cut film to be loaded into a glass-plate holder (often called a dark slide). The sheath holds the film flat, and with its emulsion close to the same position as that of the plate would be (the surface of the film is further back than that of a plate would be, by the thickness of the lip of the sheath). To engage firmly with the plate-holder, the sheath has the same dimensions as a plate; thus cut film is very slightly smaller in each dimension than its nominal plate size.

Cut film is still available in several sizes, so film sheaths can make old plate cameras usable; but they are not easy to find.