the longest time you've spent loading a tank

[Timmyjoe]

I really like loading film into tanks in my changing bag. Just got a new Patterson one which is twice as big as my old one which finally started to unravel. I find the whole experience to be the most zen like part of my day. Just close your eyes, relax, and do everything by feel.

Got a Patterson tank that I've been using since 1976 and the plastic reel with that one is super smooth. The new Patterson plastic reels are a slightly different design, and they jam like crazy. Been using stainless steel tanks and reels for the last few years as I finally got fed up with the new Patterson stuff.

I happen to also own an Arriflex motion picture camera and a Harrison Pup Tent (changing tent) and I can speak from experience that loading a 400 ft 35mm magazine works MUCH BETTER in the changing tent compared to the changing bag.

But for 135 and 120 film, I think the changing bag works fine.

Best,
-Tim

 

[NaChase]

Glad to know I am not the only one to feel bouts of murderous rage after dicking around in a changing bag for 10-20 minutes.

 

[DRabbit]

Thanks for this thread. I thought I am the only one with some problems. The Zeiss Ikon takes up the film against the natural curl of the film. I always needed 20-30 minutes and 2 or 3 attempts to load the film. Solved it by letting the film now rest in its canister for two days before I load the film on a spool. Now it takes about 5-10 minutes.

I agree... thanks for this thread... I don't feel so bad now.
But equally, thanks for your reply Tom. I also shoot with the Ikon and didn't realize that about how it takes up the film! Now I really don't feel as bad!

😀

 

[Timmyjoe]

i have tried removing the film from the reel and from the cassette spool, and loading it on tail-first. It seems to help.

I too use the Hewes stainless steel reels and find that taking the film out of the cassette or off the 120 roll and loading it in backwards (so the part of the roll that has been tightest in the cassette or on the roll is the part of the roll that is tightest on the reel) helps alot also.

Best,
-Tim

 

[tapesonthefloor]

I just voted nearly an hour, but that's mostly because it felt like an hour. I've spent more time, actually, devising complex MacGyver-like methods to pulling the film end out of a 35mm canister (last night I tried this method with almost no success... I usually just lick the emulsion of a bit of scrap film and jam that in). I end up resorting to the brute force can opener method, and since I have that down to almost a fine art I may just stick with it.

I'll mention the shortest time I've spent loading a tank, because it was last night. Maybe four minutes, tops. Either I got lucky, or I'm actually getting good at loading the plastic reels. It has to be the former.

 

[duncanhill]

I just spent close to 30 minutes on a roll of hp5. Kept getting stuck with about 6 inches left to go. It always reminds me of some of the advantages of digital. But I also had a CF card corrupt the other day, so I guess if you're unlucky, you're just unlucky.

 

[robklurfield]

much faster now since switching from jobo to hewes reels. what a difference even for my clumsy fingers. a highly-recommended and relatively small investment.

 

[Stravinsky]

I don't like changing bags. I love to wait until the night comes, then in my no-windows bathroom/laundry I can enjoy a full dark.

I don't have a large experience but I cannot see waiting that long. Due to my temper I could make disaster if it do not work in the first minutes. I voted 10 as maximum.

 

[taskoni]

I do it in a loading bag. 10 min. is more or less what I am spending just loading it. Loosing patience ofter 3 minutes but again, I am no good at all. Couple of times I couldn't load it for a bit longer, so I closed the film into the tank and went for a smoke 🙂 After that I can make it in 10 minutes.

 

[Red Rock Bill]

I think the Nikor reels I use are same as Hewes...Kindermans from Germany are just about as easy. The Kodaks with aprons are a chinch..2 rolls 35 or 1 roll 120...it's all fun.Regards,Bill

 

[tlitody]

the first time I tried to load a combi plan tank with 4x5 sheets took a looooooong time. Not sure how long but I didn't enjoy it one bit. Then I tried it with 12 sheets. Just the once and that was enough.

 

[Mcary]

I don't like changing bags. I love to wait until the night comes, then in my no-windows bathroom/laundry I can enjoy a full dark.

I don't have a large experience but I cannot see waiting that long. Due to my temper I could make disaster if it do not work in the first minutes. I voted 10 as maximum.

Pretty much the same here. Reason I like using a dark room rather then a changing bag is I can stick the rolls of film in the front pocket of my jeans and the opener and scissors in my back pockets that way I only have a few thing lad out in front of me.

 

[mto'brien]

I have always used plastic reels. Before getting a few simple tips from wise people, I would sometimes be in the dark wrestling with a reel for 15-20 minutes. I had a really bad habit of crinkling the film when it jammed on the reel, which is one of the things I understand ss reels have over plastic = no jamming/crinkling. Some of the tips for using plastic reels I was given (I am sure that these have been covered elsewhere, but worth repeating):

Wash the reels thoroughly after each use.
Make sure the reel is DRY before loading film!!! any moisture, any at all, will jam the film. I find most of my woes were caused by this alone. Even an extremely humid day can spell trouble, so I will often prep the reel with a hair drier before loading to make sure.
Make sure the BBs are not stuck and move freely.

Some other things I have found helpful:

I use a film picker so that the leader can be trimmed in the light, 1/2 cut sprockets can jam the reel. Doing this before lights out also makes it easy to trim the sharp corners off of the leading edge of the film. I had bad experience with plastic pickers until I found a ss one for $4 at a photo store. No film picker? you can also stop rewinding the film in the camera at the moment you feel the tension release when the film leaves the take up spool, leaving the leader still outside of the cassette. I can get confused sometimes with this method as to which rolls are exposed and which are not. I prefer to have the leaders of the exposed rolls inside the cassette.

using a film picker means you can leave the film in the cassette while loading the reel. Pull out a foot or two at a time while loading the reel in the dark. Added benefit is if anything goes wrong, just twist the film back into the cassette and inspect your leader and reel in the light. Some say this method can scratch the film, I have never scratched a single roll of film this way.

Also, the Arista PREMIUM reels have big fat tabs to help guide the film, they are my absolute favorite.

Now, I average about 30 seconds to load a reel of 36exp.

 

[j.scooter]

Is there a way to tell if the film is loaded correctly on the reel?

I am having issues where large portions of film are not being developed as the film buckles on the reel and touches the film in the adjacent slot.

When I loaded the film there wasn't any unusual crinkling noise and I ran my fingers on the top and bottom of the reel and there wasn't any film poking out, and still I lost 1/3 of the roll.:bang::bang::bang:

 

[gb hill]

Is there a way to tell if the film is loaded correctly on the reel?

I am having issues where large portions of film are not being developed as the film buckles on the reel and touches the film in the adjacent slot.

When I loaded the film there wasn't any unusual crinkling noise and I ran my fingers on the top and bottom of the reel and there wasn't any film poking out, and still I lost 1/3 of the roll.:bang::bang::bang:

I would try winding up a old roll of film in daylight to see where & why the film is not winding properly then go from there. If you are using plastic reels the main culprit is resin from chemicals that has dried on them. I have a bad tendency to wash off in just hot water. I should give mine a good cleaning with soap & water with a toothbrush that was suggested earlier.

 

[gb hill]

I like using a changing bag. I can watch TV & load at the same time. Just can't change the channels. Takes about 5 minuets most times

 

[mto'brien]

I like using a changing bag. I can watch TV & load at the same time. Just can't change the channels. Takes about 5 minuets most times

put the remote in the bag? 🙂

 

[smile]

today i was loading a tank for the first time, 10 minutes

 

[dogbunny]

Coincidentally, I loaded a tank today for the first time as well. It was all set in about 5 minutes. I kind of went into it assuming I would screw up, so I didn't over think it. Turns out I did it correctly. I hope it just isn't beginners luck. 🙂

Now I have my first roll of film drying, and I am going batty because I haven't bought a scanner yet.

 

[smile]

Coincidentally, I loaded a tank today for the first time as well. It was all set in about 5 minutes. I kind of went into it assuming I would screw up, so I didn't over think it. Turns out I did it correctly. I hope it just isn't beginners luck. 🙂

Now I have my first roll of film drying, and I am going batty because I haven't bought a scanner yet.

i haven't processed a film yet, just diluted fixer and loaded a tank 😀 i bought ilford id-11 (10 LITERS!!) i didn't know it should be diluted all at once . still thinking how i will store all that liquid 😕
i have bought a scanner, but it appeared to be 110V but we use 220V here where i live, so i need to get a transformer somewhere