Switch to Bulkfilm?

[arowe]

No need to break the top off arowe - just cellotape the bulk film to the little bit of film sticking out of the canister from the minilab.

Excellent - thanks. - I'll give this a try. - I understand now why you mention 'cellotape' too as it will stick the ends of the film together better. - Previously I'd just used masking tape to stick the film to the 'reel' because it's easy to tear off when it came time to process. - Many thanks for the tip.

 

[sienarot]

I tried bulk rolling once. Every roll was scratched from start to end due to a lousy bulk roller. I gave up after that. It was just too frustrating for me to try again.

 

[134k]

I get about 18- 24 rolls (depending on how many frames I put into a cassette) from a 100' roll. I get 18 rolls, 36 exposures from a 100' roll on a Watson loader. Where I get my bulk film at (Looking Glass), they offer Tri-X in 50' rolls as well. B&H only sells the 50' rolls as a pair.

 

[134k]

Forgot to mention that if you go the recycled way...reusing used cassettes, Go to Walgreens as they don't have a recycling plan like Walmart (who actually recycles their used cassettes). I actually scored half a garbage bag of used cassettes from the local store here. AND you can't use the disposable cassettes as well, since the spool is teethed.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

I gave it up because of scratching too.

Chris

 

[ChrisN]

I gave up daylight loaders because of scratching - now I roll my film freehand, in the darkroom (bathroom). No more scratches!

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Years ago I work at a facility that was all they had. After one try it is extremely easy. Keep the bulk loader clean. Don't damage the cartridges when opening them. They will wear naturally and will need to be replaced periodically.

 

[cmedin]

Yes, in fact many c-41 films benefit from a bit of overexposure. Easily compensated for at printing time and the latitude of the film will make little difference. Heck of a lot better than underexposing for sure, and many people underexposure when their meters are fooled but a lot of sky in an image anyway. This will make up for that too assuming you do not compensate for such.

He exposed the 400 speed film at 400, was just concerned that the ISO 200 DX coding on the cassette would cause development issues.

To answer that, it won't; C41 is processed the same regardless of ISO.

 

[cosmonot]

AND you can't use the disposable cassettes as well, since the spool is teethed.

Oh really? The 4 rolls of panatomic-x I loaded into cassettes from Kodak disposable cameras (with teeth on the spool) worked just find in my M2...

 

[eli griggs]

Remember that without regard to frame count, 12-24-36, you will still lose the same amount of film on both ends of a roll, with a daylight bulk loader. Simply put, your wastage per 100' of film will be higher when you roll shorter rolls.

It may be easer for most to simply attach a spindle to the tail of the long roll in the darkroom and measure a forearm or full arm length, etc, of film for your own personal standard. 12-24 or 36 frame rolls are what you buy from a store; as long as you don't over fill a canister and have enough film in your camera for the job, who cares how many frames are in a roll?

Cheers

 

[cosmonot]

12-24 or 36 frame rolls are what you buy from a store; as long as you don't over fill a canister and have enough film in your camera for the job, who cares how many frames are in a roll?

Loading more film than will fit in the reels you use to develop it is a real ***pain***.

🙁

I have a bunch of watson loaders and I don't use them all that much. I don't really like the wasted leader at the end of each roll, and it's longer in those than in my Lloyds. Yes the Lloyd has a felt light trap, but mine is old and still clean, and has not scratched any of my film yet.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Simply put, your wastage per 100' of film will be higher when you roll shorter rolls.

This would pale in comparison to what I waste just trying to finish up a 36 exposure roll.

Chris

 

[Tom A]

Bulkloading does save money as well as enable you to use emulsions not available in "regular" loads. I have done bulkloading for as long as I heve been shooting (close to 50 years). Initially it was to be able to use stuff like Plus X and double XX movie stock bl/w and occasionally it was penny pinching!
At the moment I am on one of these bulkroll shooting sprees. Using Kodak's XX movie stock bl/w (rated at 250 asa). This time it is not a "cost" factor involved, though the saving is considerable. A can of XX -400 ft is $129 or so and that gives you 72-75 rolls of 36. If I used my regular XXX, it would be almost $2.50-$2,75 more/roll and with a consumption of between 550-650 rolls/year I can by interesting lenses, camera bodies or simply more XX!
Most of the time I use Leica IXMOO cassettes for this film as they last forever and does not scratch the film (opens up almost 10mm when in the camera). I occasionally use "reloadables" from various sources and I usually throw them out when 4-5 rolls have gone through them. However well you clean the felt trap - after a while something gets stuck in it!
Another reason for "rolling your own" is storage space. My freezer can hold about 10000 ft of XX, 2000 ft of TriX and another couple of thousand feet of mixed films (APX 100/Acros 100/Neopan 400/ Tech Pan etc). There is still room for a couple of containers of ice-cream too. Using "regular" film - it would only hold 1000 rolls of Tri X and one container of ice-cream!

 

[RF-Addict]

Tom, I like your thinking - especially the ice-cream priorities - must leave room in the freezer for ice-cream🙂

 

[pfoto]

I've never been able to get more than 18 rolls out of a 100' bulk roll myself.

I got 19 out of the last one by being careful, that was XP2 and it cuts the cost by 50%. Agfapan is very inexpensive in bulk, I bought a stack of rolls for $22, that's about $1.16 per 36 exp roll. 🙂 I use new Alden 74 loaders.

 

[Trius]

Anything else?

Do you use DX coded cartridges? How big is the risk that the film will be scratched during loading?

Is there color bulk film as well?

Labels. If you are in the US or Canada, you can get inexpensive labels at Staples made for inkjet or laser printing. I found the best sizing and value for me is Item # 13939, Staples brand. The labels are 3/4" x 1-1/2", 14 labels per sheet. Yes, the sheets are small. I load them in the manual feeder of my laser printer (Brother HL-2070N). The word-processing template is downloadable from the Staples site, and it works perfectly in Open Office Writer, so I assume it will work as well in Microsloth Word.

Just beause I bulk load doesn't mean I like sloppy handwritten labelling on masking tape (ugly) ... printing out neat labels makes me feel better. So sue me!

I have virtually no problem with scratching. Years ago when I started I had more problems. Then I figured out I should keep all the empty cartridges in a sealed container until use. I use Lock-n-Lock containers for that; they're air and water tight, a joy to use. The size I use holds > 25 empty carts, a pack of labels, a can of 100' of film, and room to spare. I keep my bulk loader and the Lock-n-Lock next to each other.

I don't use cellophane tape as I don't like the residue. Right now I'm using masking tape, but I think I'm going to change to a plastic tape, like the stuff Kodak uses to secure the film to the spindle.

Before reusing a cassette I run the adhesive side of a piece of masking tape over the felt strips. That picks up any stray grit that may have become embedded. This is one of the secrets to avoiding scratches.

The Watson and Alden bulk loaders don't have felt in them, at least the ones I've had; they have a gate that you open when the lid is closed and you are ready to roll. I would avoid loaders with felt, but if I were to use one, I would use the method above to keep the felt clean.

I don't use DX cassettes. I would often override the ISO setting on my camera anyway, so DX would be a hassle.

I don't bulk load colour film simply because I don't shoot a lot of colour. But if I did, I would. For C41, at least.

 

[eli griggs]

"Loading more film than will fit in the reels you use to develop it is a ***pain***."

You're right it being a pain but there's a learning curve to most new things, but most catch on to what works and what doesn't quickly enough .:bang:

"This would pale in comparison to what I waste just trying to finish up a 36 exposure roll."

I've had the same problem on occasion, especially when I want to finish a roll so I can move on to a different camera, but what I have found that works for me is 'found objects' in situ and a chance to bracket, bracket, bracket😉

Of course most people develop preferences as part of their method or work flow; mine is to use longer rather than shorter rolls.

By-the-way, it's been awhile but I think I sometimes use to get up to 42 usable frames to a roll when I first started bulk loading, when I was 18, using System 4 reels but I'm getting old and memories are less clear than they use to be. Now-a-days, 30 to 38 frames are close enough for me.

Cheers

 

[cosmonot]

"Loading more film than will fit in the reels you use to develop it is a ***pain***."

You're right it being a pain but there's a learning curve to most new things, but most catch on to what works and what doesn't quickly enough .:bang:

I've been bulk loading for about 12 years, so I wouldn't quite call it a new thing, but it still happens every so often... Curiously, I've had rolls from both the Watson (clicker) loaders and the Lloyd (count the turns of the crank yourself) loaders come out too long.

 

[cosmonot]

Just beause I bulk load doesn't mean I like sloppy handwritten labelling on masking tape (ugly) ... printing out neat labels makes me feel better. So sue me!

<snip>

I don't use cellophane tape as I don't like the residue. Right now I'm using masking tape, but I think I'm going to change to a plastic tape, like the stuff Kodak uses to secure the film to the spindle.

I do exactly the same thing. Lately I've been re-using cassettes from the local minilab. Print up some lables with the emulsion/loading date and slap those on so I KNOW exactly what each roll is.

I've had good luck using a 1" wide roll of blue masking tape, left over from the last time I painted something around the house. Tacky, strong, just the right size, and doesn't leave a residue.

 

[jolefler]

If I ever go to bulk fim it will be for shorter rolls. Twenty four exposures is better for me a lot of the time I've discovered ... but twenty fours from the major retailers aren't great value compared to thirty six's.

I love the 12's (roughly) that I roll. I'm usually inpatient to see the results of a particular subject/project. Two bodies for extensive shooting sessions. Two reel tank for speedier processing. Also, if you shoot a Barnack you ca't beat Leitz cassettes...they, alone, make the process worth it.

One more thought. If you need a particular ASA DX, use a corrosponding cassette form your own shooting past. I've found opening a 1X cassette to mimimize scratching is best. I hand reload and just slip the loaded spool into the cassette. The film only travels throu the trap once, and in the outward direction.