Beginner DIY home developing--loading the reel

[jcrutcher]

Hello, I will develope my first roll tomorrow after studing this process for some time manly on RFF. My question is about loading the reel with 35mm.

If I keep the film in the canister and don't open the canister can i start 2-3 inches (after the leader is cut off) on the reel OUTSIDE of the changing bag? Then my plan is to finish it in the bag and cut the end from the canister.

Thank you for any advice!

Jim

[FrankS]

You could do that. There is a bit of a risk scratching the film pulling it out of the cassette.
I'd sacrifice a roll of cheap film and practice loading while looking in the light. Do this 10 times, then 10 more times with your eyes closed, and you'll be ready for the real thing.

[DNG]

That's what I do because I am so uncoordinated in the dark. I rewind but I do not allow the film to go all the way back into the can. I then make sure that I preload the developing reel about half way around. Then I finish up in the changing bag. When you load your film in your camera, I usually wind off until I see the number two in the window. And of course I slightly tighten the roll with the rewind knob. This gives me a little extra exposed film to preload my darkroom reel. And I only take out seven or 8 inches at a time once in the changing bag. You don't want to unload the whole reel and then try to wind that on the reel.
That method can have a tendency to allow the film to twist, you don't want that.

[GaryLH]

By the sounds of this... U are using commercial film and not self rolled re-useable film canisters....

Is this the reason for the approach u are proposing?

If so, u can use a old style bottle opener top pop the lid off the side without the spindle in your changing bag. Pull the spindle with the film out and cut the leader.

I agree with Frank, sacrifice some cheap film and practice the steps until u can do it in a changing bag without thinking about it. Do it first in broad daylight.

Hope that helps
Gary

[loquax ludens]

FrankS, I think he meant pull out maybe 6 inches of leader, start it into the reel, then put it in the dark bag and pop off the end caps, extract the film, and continue loading it. So there would be no real risk of scratching any part of the film that has images on it.

To the OP, are you using a metal reel or plastic? If plastic, what you suggest should work fine because you load from the outside in, and there is usually a couple of ball bearings or other mechanism to keep the film from just falling out of the reel. If using a metal reel, you load from the inside out. If the reel has a clip in the middle, it should work fine. If it has a couple of little hooks like a Hewes reel, it probably won't stay on the reel after you get it in the dark bag while you pop off one of the end caps.

[FrankS]

Starting 35 mm film onto a plastic reel in the dark (or changing bag) is pretty easy (after practice).

120 film with its extra width is just a bit more tricky.

[GaryLH]

Originally Posted by FrankS

Starting 35 mm film onto a plastic reel in the dark (or changing bag) is pretty easy (after practice).

120 film with its extra width is just a bit more tricky.

Hmmmm interesting. I have never used the plastic reels. For me it is the opposite, 120 onto metal reels goes like gang busters.

Gary

[kxl]

I think if you load the first 6 inches with the lights on then go into a darkroom or use changing bag, there is a chance that you may pull back some of those first 5-6 inches that you load and unravel the whole thing.

Like others have suggested, waste a cheap roll of film and practice loading it with your eye closed several times. And yes, loading a roll of 35mm film onto a plastic reel is super easy -- as long as the plastic reel is DRY.

[FrankS]

Yes, dry is essential.

[jcrutcher]

Thank you very much guys! all good advice. After practicing I was able to open the canister in the bag and load the reel. Other than I think i have finger prints on the film it went easy. I didn't think of the scratches pulling it out of the canister. I'm developing it now, can't wait to see how it goes.

Thanks again!

Jim

[Rom]

If i have one advise, train yourself with your finger to find the "entrance" of the film and to recognize in wich direction you took the reel in the darkness. From that point you will know where you are and will organise yourself.

Also, for 35mm, as others says, just practice in daylight for sometimes. By the time that you will get it, you will master it.

On my side, sometimes i open the canister, sometimes not (depends how far i rewinded the spool). I never noticed any scratch on film.

[jcrutcher]

Since you all were so helpful can I ask another question to you? If the development times are the same is ok to develop 2 different brands in the same tank? I.E. Tri-X and HP5


thanks, Jim

[zauhar]

Originally Posted by jcrutcher

Since you all were so helpful can I ask another question to you? If the development times are the same is ok to develop 2 different brands in the same tank? I.E. Tri-X and HP5


thanks, Jim

Jim, you could certainly do that, but in my experience (so far) I only had that work out once, and was a happy accident of the developer and temperature.

Regarding loading, I think the Samigon reels are much easier to load than Patterson - in particular, there is a large insertion slot for the film that is very easy to find in the dark.

Randy

[jcrutcher]

Thank you Randy. Makes sense and it would be easy for me to shoot 2 rolls of the same film then develop. I'll keep your recomendation in mind, so far I'm 1 for 1 haha.

cheers
Jim

[Mlehrman]

If i have one advise, train yourself with your finger to find the "entrance" of the film and to recognize in wich direction you took the reel in the darkness. From that point you will know where you are and will organise yourself.



This is good advice. It also sounds somewhat like the advice given to me by my elder brother prior to my first "heavy" date.

[Mlehrman]

Originally Posted by Rom

If i have one advise, train yourself with your finger to find the "entrance" of the film and to recognize in wich direction you took the reel in the darkness. From that point you will know where you are and will organise yourself.

This is good advice. It sounds oddly like the advice given me by my elder brother prior to my first "heavy" date. A real joker, that guy.

[znapper]

I start all my 35mm films in the light, cutting the leader and entering the film.
I never pull out more than 1-2 inches of film though, just enough to get things started.

Speeds things up, compared to opening the cartridge and entering the film onto the reel in the dark.
With commercial rolls, I'm not to worried about it scratching when it's pulled out once more, with bulk film, I always open the cartridge and enter the film in the dark, bulk cartridges can be messy stuff!

In the dark, with a commercial film canister, after entering the film in the light, I turn off the light and pull out 6-7 inches of film out, then spin that onto the loading reel, pull another 6-7 out and continue until the film is all rolled up onto it.

That way, I don't have to deal with the film curling up on me and getting tangled and/or scratched because of it.

[znapper]

Originally Posted by jcrutcher

Since you all were so helpful can I ask another question to you? If the development times are the same is ok to develop 2 different brands in the same tank? I.E. Tri-X and HP5
thanks, Jim

Just make sure that your current developer dilution can handle more than one film at a time.

On my HC-110 can, it states that dilution B can develop 4 films, while dilution F can only develop one film.

I don't know why that is (logical thing would be to double the amount of liquids), but that's what it says on the bottle anyway.

[crispy12]

I don't even cut the leader, I just pull it out if using pre-rolled film using a DIY film picker and load it in the changing bag. Never had any scratches as long as your cassette is clean.

for my bulk rolled film in reload able cassettes, I open the cap in the change bag and pull the entire roll out. After 10 rolls it became really second nature, my first roll took me 30mins, now probably 1 or 2 mins.

100% essential that your reels are dry: use a hair dryer if you need them dry quickly.

[kbg32]

Jim,

I highly recommend these books by David Vestal. David is well in his late 80s now and was highly regarded as a teacher and photographer. He wrote a great series on "how to" in photography techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/David-Vestal/e/B001K1D956

[pakeha]

do what works for you. I always get 35mm film past the ball bearings in full light , never had a problem.

[jcrutcher]

Thank you guys and gals! I developed my second roll tonight. the loading is a lot easier than I had myself worried about. here is a shot from the first roll.

M2, 50 mm summicron DR. Tri-X. D76 1 X 1 with kodak stop, fixer and wash stuff. I used a Paterson tank. Scanned with Plustek 7600 with vuescan. I have a Nikon 9000 scanner on the way. This is fun! I really appreciate your help.

[Rom]

Looks nice ! Did you rate the triX at more than 400 ? It seems grainy for d76 1+1, is'nt it?

[jcrutcher]

Originally Posted by Rom

Looks nice ! Did you rate the triX at more than 400 ? It seems grainy for d76 1+1, is'nt it?

I don't believe so. I guessed at the exposure when shot and had to use Lightroom to get it as close as I remembered it. I may not have washed the film correctly either, not sure if that makes it grainy.

[jcrutcher]

This is from my second developed roll. HP5 @ 400, D76 for 11 minutes (1X1). Leica M4-P ZM 35mm Biogon. Plustek scan. I payed more attention to the times for fixing and stopping. Loaded it in the bag very quickly so I might have that down now. What else do you see that I can change?