Beginning with bulk film

[darkkavenger]

Hello,

today I bought 2 canisters and a roll of 17meters of fomapan 200. I asked the shop clerk about how to load secure the film on the canister and she told me to use glue. I am not really sure about glue 😕

Maybe I should rather use tape ?

I don't have a bulk film loader, is one required ?


Thanks in advance!
Max

 

[Michael I.]

it is not required yet recommended. i use tape but it looses sometimes after long storage so check the spools to see if it fastens. I recommend using discarded color canisters - they are better then the reusables one.

 

[kmack]

I use 3/4" masking tape to secure the film to the spools, easy on easy off.

A film loader makes it a lot easier, you can load mostly in daylight and it makes it simpler to measure how much film you are loading on a cassette.

You can load with just a dark bag or in the dark room if you have some way of measuring the film. In my case 3 widths of my dark bag is 31 exposures.

 

[darkkavenger]

Thanks a lot Kevin & Michael ! I am now off to find a daylight film loader 🙂

If anyone has one available, pm me !!!

 

[Limpovitj]

I prefer to use a bulk loader, but have loaded without one. A 36-picture roll is about 1.6m long. When I loaded without a loader, I just stretched my arms out - that's (give or take a few exposures, dedending on how long your arms are) the length of a good roll. With my orangutang arms, about 40-42 exposures (more than that may not fit in all cassettes).

Check with a tape measure before you try, if you want to be careful about it.

And yes, use tape. Wrap it around the spool so it attaches to both the front and back of the film. Also, cut the pieces of tape (and attach them to the edge of a table or something) before you turn out the lights. You want them to be long enough to make sure the film isn't pulled of the spool at the end of the roll. They should be short enough to not overlap with the last frame .

Wash your hands before you begin!

I hope this helps.

 

[Limpovitj]

Oh, even though I doubt anyone else will do this, but make sure that you load the film with the emulsion side on the right side. It's an unlikely mistake, but someone I know did this. The same person also loaded a complete 30,5m bulk roll in one session, and then cut all 18-19 leaders upside-down, so they wouldn't load in the camera and had to redo them all (losing a couple of frames on each roll).

 

[peter_n]

Plenty of film loaders available Max, as well as threads here that discuss the merits of the various models. Try to get a model that doesn't use felt in the light trap mechanism; felt ultimately scratches your film. I use an Alden 74 and like it a lot. About $15-20.

 

[Michael I.]

ge a loader with a felt light trap -they catch dust and scratch films,buy a loader with an openable gate(a watson variety?)

 

[thetooth]

i am a fan of lloyd's bulk loader pretty simple design and i use masking tape . one hint i found helps to prevent the film from fogging . after you get the film in the canister and in the bulk loader put everything in a changing back and load the film that way . just a little safety to prevent fogging . sometimes the film canisters are cheaply made and not fully light tight .

 

[gb hill]

I have a watson that I don't use but shipping overseas would probably be a horror story. I don't know? Just going on what they charge to send a camera from europe to USA.😱

 

[Michael I.]

actually shipping is simple.

how much does 17m of foma 200 cost nowdays?

 

[pipal]

Michael, the cost depends on the market. Foma is sometimes cheaper outside Czech Republic where it is made. I bought a 17m roll of Foma 200 for cca $22, last month at FotoSkoda, Prague.

 

[pipal]

Max, good luck with the film loading! I just started it last month, but I happened to buy the bulkloader also. Here are first results
(foma 200, lc-29, hexar):
http://www.pipal.cz/images/104.jpg
http://www.pipal.cz/images/105.jpg

 

[darkkavenger]

Hey, thanks all for your feedback. It is very comforting to read all of your advices. I bought the fomapan 200 roll @fotoskoda for 504.4 czk (got 3% rebate on film).

pipal, it's nice to see a fellow czech here, even if i'm not czech i've been living in your country for almost 5 years now. Did you take these photos on Krkonose ?

Did you purchase the bulkloader at Skoda ? I've got still a roll of fomapan400 here. And I see you use LC29, what are your settings for fomapan 200 ?

I generally use lc29 1+19 for 7 minutes with fomapan 400, continuous agitation during the first minute then 5 seconds every minute.

Anyway, I will write down all of your advices for future reference. 🙂

 

[AusDLK]

Watson loader. Masking tape.

My 2 czk.

I will be in Prague for the month of July. Third year in a row.

Does Fotoskoda have any film scanners (new/used) for sale?

 

[pipal]

Max, the location of these fotos is near Ustek or Ceska Lipa, so it's not Krkonose but Ceske stredohori. The times for foma 200 in lc-29 were just my guess. I first tried it for 6mins and with the second film for 7mins. the 7mins is better, maybe even little more will be OK. The bulkloader I purchased was secondhand (from paladix.cz site), but they are rather rare here.

Martin

 

[pipal]

Dave, they don't have too many scanners these day at FotoSkoda and yet - I am sure that you would get better prices for it in States as the prices here are rather at the upper end of the scale. Better get some from Ebay or somewher else.
Martin