Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Martin, I am left speechless by the throroughness of your reply. Thanks, - - Phong > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Martin > Howard > Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 2:36 PM > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > Subject: [Leica] Bulk loading (long!) > > > Phong asked: > > > How does one go about bulk loading ? > > You need a light-tight space (film proof, not just paper proof). I use > a Harrison tent, because I don't have any other light tight space -- > and because it means that my light tight space is small and portable. > > A 100 ft bulk roll is loaded onto a (daylight) bulk loader in total > darkness. Once that is done, you then load individual film rolls in > normal light. A film cassette spool is taped to the end of the bulk > film, loaded into the cassette, and placed in the daylight bulk loader. > Then you spool up however many frames of film you want on that > cassette, up to about a max of 40 frames. Then you take the cassette > out of the bulk loader, cut off the film and trim the end sticking out > of the cassette into a tongue. > > > What equipment does one need to bulk load ? > > The aforementioned light proof space; a bulk loader; spare film > cassettes; scissors; tape. > > There are two main different types of 35mm bulk loaders. The "Alden" > type: > > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh2/controller/ > home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=1446&is=REG > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh2/controller/ > home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=61874&is=REG > > ...and the Lloyd type: > > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh2/controller/ > home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=31737&is=REG > > The Alden type is more expensive (around $40 new; Lloyd around $30 > new), but has the redeeming feature that it won't scratch or ruin your > film when you load it. Get the Alden type. > > Some people don't light daylight bulk loaders and say that you should > bulk load in total darkness. The reason for this is that the bit of > film that you (in daylight) tape to the film cassette core is going to > be damaged by daylight. They argue that the last frame/frames of any > roll is going to be damaged by daylight and therefore that you always > have to reshoot the last frame on any roll -- or risk loosing an award > winning picture. > > In practice, I find that this is not a problem. First off, I rarely > shoot award-winning pictures at the end of rolls (actually, I rarely > shoot award-winning pictures, period). Secondly, if done right, the > amount of film which is damaged by daylight during bulk loading will > never see the film gate -- because the distance between the cassette > core and the film gate in a camera -- and thus will never be a issue in > any case. > > Finally, if you're totally paranoid about this, it's simply overcome by > loading a few extra frames on your rolls (say 38-40 frames) but to stop > shooting when your frame counter shows 36. That way, you're guaranteed > that the last frame to see the film gate in the camera has been kept in > total darkness all the time. > > > Reloadable 35mm film cassettes also come in two types: metal and > plastic. Plastic are supposed to be easier to load and supposedly > don't suffer from the problem of unexpectantly popping open when you > least want it (i.e., after you've exposed your film, while you are > still in daylight). > > Use the metal kind: With normal use (i.e., you're not throwing them, > sitting on them, or doing anything else stupid with them) the metal > ones do not pop open; with an evening's practice, they are not more > difficult to load; and they have the wonderful advantage over the > plastic type that they do not generate static electricity in amounts > rivalled only by particle accelerators which attract every speck of > dust within a six kilometer radius onto your film. > > > Cassettes can be reused. Figure on using them around 5 times, then > tossing them out and getting new ones. The felt light traps > deteriorate with excessive use (and need to be cleaned when reloading > in any case) and it's not worth risking it. They're cheap: A cassette > costs around 70 cents. Buy them new... not second hand. > > The Leica reloadable cassettes -- as I'm sure that at least one member > of this list will chime in and say -- have the advantage of not having > any felt light trap, thus not requiring replacement, and being > essentially reusable indefinately. They are also a pain in the arse to > load, are slightly non-standard size, and require the old-style M > baseplate to operate correctly in the camera. > > Leica reloadable cassettes sell for around $10--$20 a pop. That's the > equivallent of 14--28 of the new ones. Each new one can be used safely > 5 times. So, you need to shoot 70--140 rolls of film with each > cassette before you start saving any money with the Leica version. Go > with the modern stuff. > > For tape, I use the colour-coded, cloth-backed, 1" wide 'gaffer tape' > used by the movie industry to keep everything from lights, to film > cannisters, to extras in place, but any good tape that isn't too wide > and can resist the pull of a motordrive is good (because we all use > RapidWinders, right...? ;) > > The advantage of colour coding is that you can then also stick a piece > on the outside of the cassette to keep track of what's inside -- unless > you like to write the name of the film on every single cassette. > > > What film is available to bulk load ? > > You buy film in 100 ft (30.5 m) rolls. Ilford FP4+ and HP5+ are about > $25 for one such roll; Delta 400 is around $40; Kodak Tri-X is about > $40 (USA film); Neopan 400 around $35; Agfa APX-100 about $25 (all > prices from B&H). Figure that a roll is 6 ft of film, which gives you > on the order of 15-20 rolls of film, depending upon exactly how much > you spool up in each cassette. I usually get around 16-18 rolls out of > a 100 ft reel. > > Most B&W 35mm film emulsions, Ilford XP2 Super, colour negative (Agfa > Portrait-160, Fujicolor, Kodak Portra), colour slide (Agfa, Fuji, > Kodak). See: > > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh2/controller/ > home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=333 > > http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh2/controller/ > home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=339 > > > What kind of savings are we talking about? > > You get around 18 rolls of film for $25 with HP5+, which works out to > $1.39/roll. Compare that to $2.69/roll or $134.50/50 rolls (also > $2.69/roll) from B&H. > > Starting out from scratch, and counting 200 rolls, it works out as the > following: > > Bulk loader: $40.00 > Film cassettes: 20 @ $0.70 x 2 (use only 5 times) = $28.00 > HP-5+ film (gives 18 rolls): $25 x 11 = $275.00 > > Bulk loading: $343.00 ($1.71/roll) > Pre-loaded: $538.00 ($2.69/roll) > > Savings: $195.00 > > After you're initial 200 rolls, the next 200 will only cost you > ($28+$275) $303, for a roll-cost of $1.51/roll. > > I push this further, by buying cheap Eastern European film, or getting > film which is close-dated or out-dated. If you wanna get really funky, > start looking for 400 ft rolls of B&W movie stock, or left-over pieces > of 400 ft rolls that didn't get used up. You cannot use a daylight > loader with a 400 ft rolls, but a normal (film proof) darkroom lets you > load these by hand. At the moment, I have around 400/500 ft of film in > my freezer that cost me a total of $0. > > Useful links: > > The Bulk Loading FAQ: http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/genie/bulk.html > > Voices from the Archives: > > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v02/msg06128.html > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v02/msg06178.html > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v02/msg06141.html > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v07/msg03840.html > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v02/msg06138.html > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/v19/msg01286.html > > M. > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html