Okay! You've convinced me!

[Tom A]

Amy, just come down from the darkroom after having done a small batch ( 5 rolls of Legacy Pro). I have never liked pulling the film back through the felt trap and as you say, the film cannister is always getting tangled up in something. I recommend popping the can with the beercan "key" - or if you start rolling your own, popping the bottom off with your fingers.
Loading Paterson reels is easy and quick - AS LONG AS THEY ARE BONE DRY!!!! Any moisture will cause the film to stick.
Once you have gotten the process down, you can start changing things - 1 thing at a time, as otherwise you wont know what caused what!
As for fixing film - if you are doing small tanks, agitate every 30 sec ( a couple of turns) - underfixing film or under agitating film gives you flat, grey negs. When you start doing larger volumes of film, get bigger tanks, 5 reel tanks and be on the look-out for a Uni Roller agitator (you can usually find them at swapmeets) - 5 reel Paterson tanks works well on it. It will rotate twice in one direction and then reverse and rotate in the other directions as well as "jiggle" slightly lengthswise. Saves a lot of time and effort. I have done 10 000's of rolls using one and so far no problem.
One way of simplifying loading Paterson reels is to cut the film slightly rounded and "pull" it in through the catch for the steel balls that provide the "feed" when you twist the to sides.
Enjoy the process and lets us know how it works out.

 

[dfoo]

dfoo,
I'm curious about the fixer stage of your process. Only agitate once and let it set for 5 minutes? I read or heard somewhere 20 second agitate and per 1 minute another 20 second agitate. I know everyone has a method, but I just want to make sure I read correctly your's. I have a few rolls and will try one with your method--btw, how much time would you develop with 100tmx @ 400ISO D76 1:1? I did a roll at 13.5 minutes and some images looked good while other's were underexposed--could be my faulty reading of light....

I pour in the fix and agitate for 30 seconds, and then leave for at least 5 minutes. I never had a problem with this method with many rolls of film until recently... however, I recently had an issue with some under fixed film (even with fresh fixer), and I'm going to add some more agitation.

 

[wjlapier]

I pour in the fix and agitate for 30 seconds, and then leave for at least 5 minutes. I never had a problem with this method with many rolls of film until recently... however, I recently had an issue with some under fixed film (even with fresh fixer), and I'm going to add some more agitation.

I tried your method a few days ago with a roll of Ilford Delta 400 and came out nice. Looks a little grainier than usual, but that's fine. Even adjusted my agitation with the developer.

 

[davelrods]

Just a quick question about your film scanner. I use a Nikon Coolscan V ED with Digital ICE. It is a great scanner for B&W but Digital ICE isn't. It will not work with B&W or Kodachrome because of the heavy relief on the imulsion side of the film. Will your scanner be able to use ICE with B&W. If you can't use ICE or something equally good, your scanning will be a chore beyond reckoning. You will spend forever with the clone tool getting rid of dust and scratches. I regard my scanner totally unusable for B&W. What is the word on that with your scanner. I'm curious, because I really would like to be able to do B&W.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Just a quick question about your film scanner. I use a Nikon Coolscan V ED with Digital ICE. It is a great scanner for B&W but Digital ICE isn't..

Try chromogenics: Ilford XP2 Super.

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[wjlapier]

Try chromogenics: Ilford XP2 Super.

Tashi delek,

R.

I'd try as much as possible to avoid dust from start to finish.

Once the negatives are dry I immediately cut and put into a printfile sleeve. When I begin to scan I use canned air and blow out the opening of the scanner and a slight shot at the negative. So far I've avoided severe dust problems and actually have some negatives that needed no cloning.

Turning ICE off helps speed up the scan too.

 

[DRabbit]

I was planning on using the Plustek 7300 with SilverFast plugin for scanning. I've heard good reviews on it, but can't tell you from experience yet myself ... I'm sure others here will chime in though 😀

 

[dfoo]

I'd try as much as possible to avoid dust from start to finish.

Once the negatives are dry I immediately cut and put into a printfile sleeve. When I begin to scan I use canned air and blow out the opening of the scanner and a slight shot at the negative. So far I've avoided severe dust problems and actually have some negatives that needed no cloning.

Turning ICE off helps speed up the scan too.

I take the film directly from the dryer and put the whole roll into the scanner. Almost no dust this way.

I find my damn sleeves scratch the negatives. Sucks!

 

[Bob Michaels]

HOWEVER, when you do the whole thing dark, using the method to get it out of the canister,<snip>There's also less fear the canister will scratch the film. <snip>

Several years ago I had occasional scratches on 35mm E-6, but never on 120 E-6, nor on 35mm I processed myself. So I sat down with the lab manager for a good dialogue without pointing fingers.

Eventually we concluded that their extracting 35mm E-6 by pulling it out through the felt light trap combined with my just shoving used film cans (no plastic canisters) back in my pocket was causing the scratches. I never saw it on film I developed because I pried the ends off the film cans. But I started putting used 35mm E-6 back into the plastic containers they came in and the problem went away. But it was a PITA to remember.

So if you do insist on pulling your film out through the felt light trap again instead of just prying the film can open, do try to store your exposed film back in the plastic containers that it comes in so that the felt light trap does not pick up dust.

 

[Keith]

The trouble with loading film onto reels by any method is that no matter how well prepared you are it's going to be difficult and the only solution is time and practice.

A year or so down the track loading a film onto a reel is now as second nature in the dark as scratching an itch on the tip of my nose ... you don't have to fumble around because you know exactly where the tip of your nose is and you'll never poke yourself in the eye searching for it.

Once your sense of touch gains that total memory and familiarity with the reels and film, your set and you'll wonder why it ever seemed so difficult!