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Loading film by oneself
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:29 pm    Post subject: Loading film by oneself Reply with quote
With the film prices increasing, may be a good idea to go back to the old times, take the dust off the roll loader, buy a bobbin and load oneself the rolls...

Some advantages: cheaper, independency, full roll load capacity....

This is mine:





What a pity so much damaged film!





Regards

Jes.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
This was my thought first , but I always find expired film on Ebay, in most cases they are works like new. So I did reject bulk loading. Did you used already and works successfully ?


PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
We did bulk loading in the photography class I took when I was first getting started. It was always fun to see how many exposures you could get into a roll without scratching the negatives from winding it too tight. Very Happy

How much does the bulk film cost? I knew it was cheaper, but they never told us by how much...


Oh, and for what it is worth, someone repairing or testing a bulk film back might be interested in your "ruined" film... you could always put it on ebay or in the marketplace here and see what happens. Wink


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have seen these on ebay how do you use them?Is it old film reused? Confused


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
uses 100' rolls of film. put into one of these loaders, then onto individual 35mm spools for use in camera.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Scheimpflug wrote:
...


"I'm down to my last 100 frames, should I reload?" Very Happy


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Mo-Fo wrote:
I have seen these on ebay how do you use them?Is it old film reused? Confused


They're pretty easy to use. It's been a long time, so someone correct me if I am missing anything, but I believe this was the process:

1) Buy a bulk spool of unexposed film

2) Buy special 35mm film canisters that are designed to come apart on one end.

3) Either in a darkroom or in a special dark bag with arm holes, you load the bulk film into the bulk film loader (the device that Jesito posted pictures of), and close it up, leaving a short tail hanging out through a slot.

4) Mark the loader with the type & speed of film you put in it (we used masking tape and a pen).

5) Depending on what kind of loader you have, this step can be in normal daylight, or might require a darkroom. Either way, you open up your empty canister, and tape or slot the film onto the spool, then close the end of the canister and close the door on the loader if it has one.

6) Crank the handle on the loader, which winds film into the spool. Some loaders have counters, others you just count the number of times you crank it.

7) Cut the film off of the bulk loader, leaving enough hanging out of the loader to grab for the next time. The first and last few frames of a roll are assumed to be lost, as they have been exposed to light during the loading process unless you do it all in a darkroom or a dark bag.

8 ) Cut the end of the film hanging out of the canister into the shape required to feed correctly in your camera. (We always used scissors, but I think there are special tools that will do this as well?)

9) Mark the film canister (masking tape & pen again) to remember what type & speed of film we loaded.

10) Use the film as normal.

11) When it comes time to develop, either take the canister to a developer who will remember to give the canister back to you, or develop it yourself in your own darkroom.

12) Go back to step 5 to reload another spool, and keep repeating steps 5-12 until you empty all of the film in the bulk loader.

12b) Alternately, you can purchase a dozen or so of the reusable canisters, and just load them all at once and use up the whole roll of film in your bulk loader. I always liked to keep a few rolls on hand, so this was my preferred way to do it.



All of this reminiscing is making me want to get a film camera again. Very Happy


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
All of this reminiscing is making me want to get a film camera again.

Don't procrastinate do it!! I am sure with your fixing skills you could get a decent camera and service it yourself(if you have to that is)
Wow that is a lot of film....you could go wild with one of those Very Happy
Thanks for the detailed instructions,time and effort in posting I am sure it will help someone and if I go that way I know where to come to get instructions Wink
I looked on wiki for a description but found nothing...maybe used the wrong term? Bulk film loader?


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Scheimpflug wrote:
Mo-Fo wrote:
I have seen these on ebay how do you use them?Is it old film reused? Confused


They're pretty easy to use. It's been a long time, so someone correct me if I am missing anything, but I believe this was the process:

1) Buy a bulk spool of unexposed film

2) Buy special 35mm film canisters that are designed to come apart on one end.

3) Either in a darkroom or in a special dark bag with arm holes, you load the bulk film into the bulk film loader (the device that Jesito posted pictures of), and close it up, leaving a short tail hanging out through a slot.

4) Mark the loader with the type & speed of film you put in it (we used masking tape and a pen).

5) Depending on what kind of loader you have, this step can be in normal daylight, or might require a darkroom. Either way, you open up your empty canister, and tape or slot the film onto the spool, then close the end of the canister and close the door on the loader if it has one.

6) Crank the handle on the loader, which winds film into the spool. Some loaders have counters, others you just count the number of times you crank it.

7) Cut the film off of the bulk loader, leaving enough hanging out of the loader to grab for the next time. The first and last few frames of a roll are assumed to be lost, as they have been exposed to light during the loading process unless you do it all in a darkroom or a dark bag.

8 ) Cut the end of the film hanging out of the canister into the shape required to feed correctly in your camera. (We always used scissors, but I think there are special tools that will do this as well?)

9) Mark the film canister (masking tape & pen again) to remember what type & speed of film we loaded.

10) Use the film as normal.

11) When it comes time to develop, either take the canister to a developer who will remember to give the canister back to you, or develop it yourself in your own darkroom.

12) Go back to step 5 to reload another spool, and keep repeating steps 5-12 until you empty all of the film in the bulk loader.

12b) Alternately, you can purchase a dozen or so of the reusable canisters, and just load them all at once and use up the whole roll of film in your bulk loader. I always liked to keep a few rolls on hand, so this was my preferred way to do it.



All of this reminiscing is making me want to get a film camera again. Very Happy


Exactly as you describe...
I haven't tried it yet. I have to find empty canisters and bulk film.
I'll be using the damaged film that is inside to load some dummy canisters to practice the project.
As far as I know, this one is light sealed, so after placing the film inside I could switch on the light. But since I'm not sure it doesn't have any light leaks, I'll be using it on a dark room. So practice is necessary....

Regards.
Jes.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
When I started bulk loading film I found this useful set on flickr. I have not had any problems re-using old film canisters once so far, any scratches have been due to the cameras used. I get cans for free from photo stores that have a minilab, they are simply a waste product for them. If using a modern camera one can even match the proper DX coding (ISO/speed rating) of the film loaded.

The luxury option would be to use a brass Shirley Wellard re-usable cassette that lacks the felt light trap of simpler re-loadable film cans (the one where one top unscrews). I actually bought one on ebay but has yet to use it (go figure...) Wink


The only thing one has to remember when bulk loading oneself is that if a daylight loader is used (which is arguably a lot more convenient) then the very last frame of the roll will be exposed, which differs from factory loaded cans. Not a big issue at any rate.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Loading from bulk film is easy, and just requires a little practice. Annoyingly, modern cassettes are sealed in a way that makes it almost impossible to open them without ruining them for re-use. Previously, you could open a cassette in the changing back with your fingernails, just prising the end cap off. Now, you need something like a tin-opener to get it off. It would have been so much 'greener' to be able to re-use my HP5 cassettes with bulk HP5!

Whilst it was slightly cheaper to reload from bulk than buy the equivalent area of film in cassettes, I always found the real advantage to bulk loading was in being able to load different lengths, for those occasions where I might only want a few cassettes with a dozen frames or so, in addition to the regular 24/36 stretches.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Click here to see on Ebay
Some canisters for a bulk loader.Sorry I had to edit this as I lost all keyboard function and could not type. Confused


PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Jesito, your loader let you put the film on the axis with the core? I sit two hours in the darkened toiled trying to force my roll with core into my loader. I have the Watson type, relabeled Rowi. Damn... can't they say this in the instructions?

I use casettes I beg for at the labs in town. They about half a centimetre of film sticking out of the casette and I tape the film from the loader to this part. Using normal scotch tape you use in the office.

This should last for a few years, the box is about half full:






Good instructions:
http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps%20how%20load%20bulk.html

.


PostPosted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Eugen Mezei wrote:
JI use casettes I beg for at the labs in town. They about half a centimetre of film sticking out of the casette and I tape the film from the loader to this part. Using normal scotch tape you use in the office.


That's a great idea!! The best part is that they already come with markings of the film speed, so you can just load 400-speed film into 400-speed cartridges, etc, to avoid confusion. DX coded as wells for cameras that support it (or require it). Cool


Eugen Mezei wrote:


What is that black roll in the upper left- the one with the silver ends and the red sticker? Is that a reusable cartridge that ended up with the rest? Question


PostPosted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Scheimpflug wrote:

What is that black roll in the upper left- the one with the silver ends and the red sticker? Is that a reusable cartridge that ended up with the rest? Question


It is more a metalic grey than black. It's the cartridge of an Azopan BW film. Romanian production, the film production at Azomures was closed in the 90s, now they produce only chemicals for the agriculture.
It's rumored Azopan was licensed from a japanese producer, presumably Konica.

The cartridge in the picture is Azopan PS-21. In the is box another cartidge of Azopan PS-21 but more modern, not with a sticker but with the cartridge painted in yelow and with blue lettering, also with DX code. At home I still have some Azopan PS-18 (50 ASA) in green painted cartridges with black logo and lettering that I bought in the 80s and forgot to expose. (I exposed one roll two years ago but by mistake i sent it to be developed in the lab and it came back with corn big like tenis balls, I don't know if the long storage is the culprit or the lab. Maybe I will try another roll and develop myself) It seems they sometimes used stickers instead of the real cartridges. Anyhow all the cartridges they used are easy to open, the caps are not pressed so hard as on modern cartridges, you can open them by hand.
I think Azopan PS-24 and PS-27 were also produced. (24 DIN, 200 ASA respectively 27 DIN, 400 ASA, all BW.) But I'm not shure.

I tried to scan them but it is not much recognisable, I will try to make a picture when somebody with a digital camera will be near.

If you looke at the Kodak and Konica casettes you will note their filmstrip is taped with a white tape sticking also out of the casette. Agfa, Fuji and all the others have the film fixed different. The Kodaks and Konicas all have the felt damaged, I suppose culprit is this tape. I will see how this affects lightigt of them.


PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow, thanks for the thorough answer! Shocked

So what are your plans for all of those? It seems like with that many, you could start a display.. or even make some artwork. Wink
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