What´s in a can of 50ft 135 film?

[zerobuttons]

I´m about to make my first attempts bulk loading 135 cassettes. Before removing the tape around the can with 50 feet of Tri-X 400 I have bought, I would like to ask those of you who bulk load what I will find in the can, and from which point of unpacking it is vital that I operate inside a bag.

Will I find the bare film when removing the lid from the can, or is there still another light sealing I will have to open to get to the film?

 

[smasher]

There should be another light-tight plastic bag inside the can. The film is inside the bag.

 

[konicaman]

The film is normally packed in a light tight black plastic bag, sealed with tape. I would, however, recommend that you do the whole process in complete darkness right from removing the tape on can - you can't be completely sure of the plastic bag...

 

[Mablo]

I assume you have a daylight loader. Make sure you know very precisely the route the film travels in the loader and out of it. Take some old film and do rehearsals with it before the real thing.

 

[kbg32]

Make sure you do the opening of the can in the dark.

 

[zerobuttons]

Thank you for all the replies. I will do all operations within a bag. I can´t rehearse with the daylight loading apparatus just yet, since I´m waiting for the mail-man to bring it. I will take the advice given by Mablo and practice with scrap film in that, before trying to actually load it with the roll from the can.

 

[Dwig]

...I would like to ask those of you who bulk load what I will find in the can...

As others have said, you should find the film inside of a light tight bag. Depending on what the intent of the long roll packaging is, the film will probably be wound on a plastic core. Some long rolls are packaged on spools instead of cores, but those are usually intended for cine use and have slightly different sprocket perforations.

BTW, when its on a long roll its not "135" film. The "135" designation specifies perforated 35mm film packaged in the standard disposable cassette. You'll find that most brands of long rolls will bear a different 3 digit designation that specifies the perforation type and the type of spool or core e.g. Kodak's TX402 where the "402" designates 100ft 35mm film with the standard still camera perforation and wound on a core. "417" designates cine perf 35mm film wound on a camera spool, generally 100-150ft depending on base thickness.

 

[crawdiddy]

BTW, when its on a long roll its not "135" film. The "135" designation specifies perforated 35mm film packaged in the standard disposable cassette.

Interesting. I didn't know that.

Guess it's like 120 vs 220 vs 620 film. The film is the same, but it's the packaging/length/spool/etc that's different.

 

[zerobuttons]

...
BTW, when its on a long roll its not "135" film. The "135" designation specifies perforated 35mm film packaged in the standard disposable cassette. You'll find that most brands of long rolls will bear a different 3 digit designation that specifies the perforation type and the type of spool or core e.g. Kodak's TX402 where the "402" designates 100ft 35mm film with the standard still camera perforation and wound on a core.
...

...and mine is TX401. So far I only know that should mean standard still camera perforation for 35mm film in a 50ft length (Tri-X 400).
Thank you for sharing this.

 

[Dwig]

...and mine is TX401. So far I only know that should mean standard still camera perforation for 35mm film in a 50ft length (Tri-X 400).
Thank you for sharing this.

Correct, plus the 401 designation also means that it is on a core rather than a camera spool.

 

[zerobuttons]

Correct, plus the 401 designation also means that it is on a core rather than a camera spool.

Seeing that the adhesive tape holding the lid on the can had a very nasty glue, I removed it before putting everything into the changing bag, since I didn´t want to risk that sticky mess inside the bag while trying to guide the roll end through the loader.....
It turned out that the roll was placed inside a black plastic bag inside the can. That bag was sealed with a much more "changing bag friendly" adhesive tape, which looked like masking tape.
The placing of the roll inside the loader was not much of a problem. Nor was loading 10 plastic cassettes. Having spent two of those now, I also now have an idea about how many frame counts on the loader I should count, to load a cassette with the amount of film I want.

I have to thank you guys here at RFF for leading me on in taking this - for me - big step in my film-user development.
Now I´ve begun looking for those old Kodak metal film canisters, so I can transport the reloadable cassettes without worrying about the ends popping off in my bag. 🙂

 

[Roger Hicks]

A not-very-helpful but quite amusing answer from Frances:

Ask Heisenberg. You won't know until you open the can.

Actually, as your experience shows, it's more helpful than you might expect. Most cans say OPEN ONLY IN DARKROOM for a good reason.

What sort of camera are you using? Consider Shirley Wellards: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps shirley wellard.html
Cheers.

R.

 

[Pirate]

This was a cool thread. I'd like to try my own bulk loading too. Thanks, lots of good info here.

 

[zerobuttons]

.....
What sort of camera are you using? Consider Shirley Wellards: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps shirley wellard.html
.....

I actually have six Shirley Wellard cassettes, all with original box and most with original manual. Also a Shirley Wellard film loader. I found them at eBay and thought it was funny being able to acquire them so cheaply considering what they are - you would have to pay hundreds of Euros for an item that well engineered today.

So far, I haven´t had any luck making them work with my Leica MP or Konica Hexar RF. I gather they would only be usable with back-loaded cameras, or ....... ?

 

[MikeL]

A not-very-helpful but quite amusing answer from Frances:

Ask Heisenberg. You won't know until you open the can.

Was she thinking about cats? There is that Schrodinger fellow.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Was she thinking about cats? There is that Schrodinger fellow.

Dear Mike,

My fault. She said Schrodinger, I wrote Heisenberg a few hours laer.

I was thinking, of course, about being uncertain -- insofar as I can claim to have been thinking at all.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I actually have six Shirley Wellard cassettes, all with original box and most with original manual. Also a Shirley Wellard film loader. I found them at eBay and thought it was funny being able to acquire them so cheaply considering what they are - you would have to pay hundreds of Euros for an item that well engineered today.

So far, I haven´t had any luck making them work with my Leica MP or Konica Hexar RF. I gather they would only be usable with back-loaded cameras, or ....... ?

Only with cameras having pull-up rewind knobs, yes. I'm not familiar with the Hexar: it's decades since I even handled one.

As far as I recall they were £3:17:6d when they were introduced in the 1950s: call it £100-150 today.

Cheers,

R.

 

[zerobuttons]

Only with cameras having pull-up rewind knobs, yes.
.....

I finally had the time to experiment again today, between films in the Leica MP.
It seems that I have overlooked that despite this camera has a pull-up rewind knob, the fork inside the camera engaging with the cassette end does not move up and down. As far as I can see that makes it impossible to use the Leica M with Shirley Wellard cassettes.....:bang:
Has anyone else here tried this combination?