Anyone loading their own?

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BigSteveG

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I'm considering buying a film loader and bulk film. Not so much for $ savings (although that would be a nice benefit), but to shoot shorter rolls. I end up shooting a roll of 36 exp over 2-3 different lighting scenarios. I would like to start tailoring my processing specific to the lighting for each roll. Also, should make it easier to produce consistent proof sheets. I'm figuring rolls of 10-15 frames would make things considerably easier.

Any particular film loader considered more convenient?
How to measure the length/frame count when loading?
 
Alden, Watson and Llyod's all work pretty well. You load the film how many frames you want based on the clicks as you crank the loader. I have 4 bulk loaders going now with various films in them and have a small "dorm" fridge filled with 100' rolls of Acros, Neopan 400, 1600 and 100SS, PanF, HP5+, FP4+, Tri-X, Plus-X, Agfa APX100 and 400 and some Tura 100P (supposedly APX100). I'm set for a little while....
 
I have both an Alden and a Lloyd's. They both work fine. If you're going to load many short rolls, try obtaining used cassettes from your local commercial developer. I haven't tried that, but I've read here that they work quite well, particularly if you just use them once and toss them. Perhaps the felt is not as robust as the reusable type you can buy. I use the "reusables".
 
BigSteveG, I've been rolling my own since the late seventies. The savings is not what you would expect unless you shoot a lot of film on a regular basis. Hit and miss developing will eat up your savings with the outdated chemicals. With that said, I love to do it. Short rolls and nearly instant turn around times on developing the negs are a big learning tool. Nothing like knowing instantly that you forgot to remove the lens cap! I gave my Lloyds to a neighbor girl, but I still have two Aldens and one Watson or is it the other way around? Anyway, buy good cassests and treat them with great care. I have one left from the original purchase made back in the seventies!

Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.

Papa Smurf
 
Any suggestion on where to get these bulk loaders and canisters?
If I'm hunting on the bay for these, what are the gotchas to look out for?
 
Or you could use XP2 which has tremendous exposure latitude. 🙂 But seriously you can save money with bulk film as well as custom-tailor the length of your rolls. I have a bunch of Agfa APX100 in bulk at $21 a roll. Given that you can get 19 x 36 exp. rolls from 100 feet film becomes pretty cheap. I use Alden loaders bought new from Freestyle, yes they are still being made and are very easy to load and use. I like the Aldens because they are felt-free and you can load film into cassettes in a lit room - very convenient. I get my cassettes from the local one-hour lab and use them once - so far no problems. As Rich says above you just count the clicks as you turn the lever - it is something to do while watching the telly...
 
shadowfox said:
Any suggestion on where to get these bulk loaders and canisters?
If I'm hunting on the bay for these, what are the gotchas to look out for?
Click to expand...

Don't buy one made from clear plastic.
 
I have three of the old Watson 100s. I had my first one of these back in the early 70s. Very solid and easy to use.

Look for 'em on eBay.
 
I got 2 on the bay that lacked the little handle that you wind the film on with. 😡

I'd get one with a felt-less light trap, there's no telling the condition of the felt if you buy used.
 
Freestyle has a

Freestyle has a

shadowfox said:
Any suggestion on where to get these bulk loaders and canisters?
If I'm hunting on the bay for these, what are the gotchas to look out for?
Click to expand...

couple of choices.....I think the light tight tools are probably best off as a new purchase!!
 
I used to bulk load quite a bit back in the day but I found that almost all my negs had horrible scratches on them. So I stopped. I was thinking of trying again though. Do you all think the scratches were caused by the loader I was using or the cassettes?
 
Do a search for "bulk film" on eBay and you'll find several. I am an Alden fan, but the Watson, Weston and Pfieffer work just as well and are all felt-free. I do have a Lloyds but don't use it often due to the felt light trap and I keep that one in a plastic bag to keep the lint out of it.

You can buy the cassettes from eBay, B&H, Porter's, and Freestyle. If you need DX coded you can find those too.
 
BigSteveG said:
Maybe I'll stop using that Ziplock as a changing bag too! :bang:
Click to expand...

While that has given me great highlights, it really blows out the shadows. BTW, I am not kidding, there are clear bulk loaders. I happen to have one - unused if you are interested.
 
Before I went digital, I had given up bulk loading as I found the amount of dust and scratches on my negs was higher than with prefab rolls. I used a Konica Hi-Loader (also sold under Jessops and other brands), Ilford Panf, FP4, HP5, Kodak PlusX Bulkrolls, and plastic cans (which IMO, have less scratching risk than metal ones). It was ok to save money but the time spent in postproducing the scratches off was very significant.

Recently all my wetlab stuff, including Durst enlarger, Componon lenses, bulk loader, -rolls and -cans went to the auction site. Just kept the b&w processing tanks, drying cabinet and film roll scanner.

Didier
 
There's a reasonably full analysis of this on http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how load bulk.html, where you'll also find links to information on reloadable cassettes. My own view is that it's barely worth the effort unless you habitually shoot short loads, and even then, it's marginal (ever higher proportions of wastage to frames you can use). Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Roger
 
I have loaded and exposed about 500 feet of 35mm film in the last year, and have not had a single problem. I load in the darkroom, so I don't have to close the latch on the bulk loader, and so the last few frames on my rolls are not blank. I don't use the counter or the clicker, I just count the number of turns of the crank which is about a frame's worth of film.
 
I actually enjoy loading bulk film, which means I should probably get a life. 😉 I've been doing it for about two years and I haven't had a problem yet either. I load 42-43 "clicks" into my cassettes leaving me with 35-36 exposures/roll and I get 19 rolls from one roll of bulk. This week I made 19 rolls of XP2 to go on holidays with next week. Today's pricing on XP2 at B&H is $46.95/bulk roll, $5.35/cassette. So 19 cassettes would be $101.65.

Bulk XP2 is less that 1/2 the price of 19 factory loaded cassettes. In fact the cost of a brand new Alden 74 loader + shipping is just about covered in the difference, so you pay for the loader with your first roll of bulk. I'm not suggesting that every price differential is as large, this is simply an example from my experience this week. But bulk loading definitely makes sense to me.
 
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