Film Picker/Retriever/Extractor

[Sparrow]

Unless you're using a camera with a power winder I don't think it's that hard to judge by feel when to stop winding once the film has detached from the take up spool so as not to keep pulling it into the cassette.

On the odd occasion I've had to retrieve a leader licking an old piece of film worked for me also. Neopan tastes the best ... a little like sushi. Tri-X reminded me of burgers and fries and Ilford vaguely of kippers! 😀

that probably tells us something about national identity, if New Zealand had a manufacturer? would it taste of mutton, maybe? or Australia … 😀

 

[Arjay]

I use a film retriever similar to the Adorama model. In addition to the spring steel blades, it has a plastic grip. That thing is marketed in Germany under the Hama brand.

The device works flawlessly, but it takes a little learning before you can get it to work as desired:

First, insert both blades into the canister, with the shorter blade pushed forward. Then, pull back the shorter blade. When the shorter blade is pulled back, you have to turn the takeup spool counter-clockwise until you hear a slight click and then stop turning - that's important. This click sound can be very faint, so one has to listen closely! If you miss the click, then the film will not be positioned correctly for leader extraction.

After that, hold canister and takeup spool so that the film stays put and push the shorter blade into the canister. The shorter blade has a little tooth that will engage into one of the sprocket holes of the film leader (if the leader is positioned correctly), and you can pull out the extractor together with the film leader. If you do it right, it will work. Every time.

 

[ZeMane]

Seems once I read about licking the leader on a second roll of film and sticking it in the first roll to retrieve the lost leader. Never tried it. Anybody???

I've got one extractor similar to the Kodak one, think it's Hama branded... but feel not clever enough to use it :bang:
In the meanwhile, I read somewhere about the "licking" method, watched this video and, that's the only method that works for me...

Cheers!

 

[dave lackey]

Using another film to retrieve is just plain better. Not only do you get to choose the flavor of the day (burgers, etc.), but you don't have to carry another piece of crap around.:bang:

The lure of the rangefinder is it's size and minimalist nature. Just carrying all kinds of gadgets, lenses, etc. around with you is defeating the best part of using a film based rangefinder. Besides, what are you going to do if you cannot find the little tool? It is always better to be prepared and know how to use something basic to accomplish the task at hand.

And you can satisfy your hunger for burgers or whatever at the same time!😛

 

[Ron G]

I use a piece of film with the tractor slots slit and bent out of shape a little,works every time.Ron G

 

[sepiareverb]

This tail puller is the best one hands down. Small, so it can be with you (it fits in a Kodak film can), and works reliably every time, even with short rolls of 24. I've never managed to get those big plastic kinds to work with anywhere near as little effort as the metal. Well worth the few bucks.

 

[morback]

Why don't you pry the cassette open? When for some reason I have a roll without leader (usually from somebody else) I just pry that thing open with my thumb. It's all very soft metal.

Or you could pop the top with a bottle opener.

Of course, as has been said before all this can be avoided by just not rewinding the film all the way back. It's pretty easy to tell, and then you can write down some info on the film leader.

p.s: Ilford no longer make minty seals for 120.

 

[akiatoji]

I used to pry the casette open with an opener. I stopped doing this when I cut my finger in the darkbag.

Then I started to rewind the film with a little bit of leader still sticking out. This worked pretty good but I am not that organized and kept mixing exposed film with unused rolls. I had to stop after I double exposed a few rolls.

Now I use the Hakuba retriever (the last one in the picture). Took a bit of practice, but now I can retrieve the leader in about 3 seconds flat.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

Second the recommendation for Dymo label tape. I carry a short length of it in my bag for the once-in-a-decade occasion when I need it, and it doesn't draw the Hairy Eyeball from TSA at airport security checkpoints--a couple of the devices pictured look like box cutters.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Or you could pop the top with a bottle opener.

That's what I always do, except with purpose-made labyrinthine or other special cassettes. Why do people want to retrieve leaders? I'm not being combative: just curious, as I have only felt the need to do so a handful of times in 40+ years.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Philly]

I'm not being combative: ...

What makes you think that we think you might be?


(You do say this quite often).

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

That's what I always do, except with purpose-made labyrinthine or other special cassettes. Why do people want to retrieve leaders? I'm not being combative: just curious, as I have only felt the need to do so a handful of times in 40+ years.

Cheers,

R.

Roger, in my case the reason is the same always, and circumstances vary...

The reason is to use unused film.

The circumstances are: it was a sunny day, and I had shot 12 frames, and it became overcast, so I rewind the partially used roll because I have no other body with me, and load a new one to expose and develop for overcast sky. Or, in the middle of a B&W day I find a scene that asks for color film. Or comparing two films I want to avoid shutter differences, so I prefer to use immediately the same body with the same speed for a second film. Or I have to pass my camera through x-rays at the airport and there was a half used high speed film inside. Or I want to test different meters from different bodies with the same roll...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Roger Hicks]

What makes you think that we think you might be.


(You do say this quite often).

Because so many people are so absurdly thin-skinned that they take an honest enquiry as a personal attack. I'm not saying people shouldn't pull leaders. I'm just genuinely puzzled as to why they do it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger, in my case the reason is the same always, and circumstances vary...

The reason is to use unused film.

The circumstances are: it was a sunny day, and I had shot 12 frames, and it became overcast, so I rewind the partially used roll because I have no other body with me, and load a new one to expose and develop for overcast sky. Or, in the middle of a B&W day I find a scene that asks for color film. Or comparing two films I want to avoid shutter differences, so I prefer to use immediately the same body with the same speed for a second film. Or I have to pass my camera through x-rays at the airport and there was a half used high speed film inside. Or I want to test different meters from different bodies with the same roll...

Cheers,

Juan

Dear Juan,

Fair enough; thanks. I've always thought that the risks outweigh the advantages, but that's a personal choice. I used to rewind leader-out, for the same reason, with the advantage that you can make notes on the leader, but two or three experiences of overlaps (double exposures over part of the film) cured me of the habit. It's probably just that you're better organized than I.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Once in my lifetime I had a problem, and it was this month: I picked a normal looking color negative roll from a ziplock bag with a few rolls for a trip, loaded and shot it. When I received it developed, the first ten shots were shot twice!

First I shot ten in a pool with children and did rewind to use fast B&W when the sun was hidden behind the clouds. I wrote "10" on the roll with a permanent marker. Just before I loaded the fast B&W, the sun came out, and I pulled out the leader from the just used color one, but then again the sun went away, so I continued with B&W... My mistake was keeping the used roll with its leader out, looking like a new one. So you're right... It's a bit risky!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Juan,

Do it twice more and I bet you'll stop doing it too...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Chris101]

... Why do people want to retrieve leaders? I'm not being combative...

It's the modern SLR cameras, like the Nikon N80 or F100, which rewind the film all the way into the cassette. So if you want to switch film in the middle of a roll when using one of those cameras, you need a retriever.

And quit jumping all over my back about it! 😉

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Dear Juan,

Do it twice more and I bet you'll stop doing it too...

Cheers,

R.

No way, Roger... I've done it for 25 years and I'll keep enjoying it for the rest of my life. When a roll is very important to me or someone else, I happily develop it after shooting it partially... But never is too square to me. Extremes are vicious, said the greek...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Beemermark]

I try, and usually succeed, in leaving the leader out. As soon as I remove the exposed roll from the camera I pull the leader out for 3 or 4 inches and then tear (usually with my teeth) the tongue of the leader. This way I never get the exposed and unexposed rolls mixed up.

I have never gotten any film retriever to work. Neither has licking or anything else worked. I just don't have the touch. Rather than get frustrated trying to retrieve the leader, I just go in the darkroom and pop the cassette. It seems like cassettes are getting tougher to open (I've broken thumb nails) or maybe I just getting weaker in old age, but it a lot easier and simpler to just use a bottle opener to pop the top.

 

[JeremyLangford]

Using another film to retrieve is just plain better. Not only do you get to choose the flavor of the day (burgers, etc.), but you don't have to carry another piece of crap around.:bang:

The lure of the rangefinder is it's size and minimalist nature. Just carrying all kinds of gadgets, lenses, etc. around with you is defeating the best part of using a film based rangefinder. Besides, what are you going to do if you cannot find the little tool? It is always better to be prepared and know how to use something basic to accomplish the task at hand.

And you can satisfy your hunger for burgers or whatever at the same time!😛

I agree and I will definitely practice this.