How to get film out of 35mm cartridge?

I appreciate this is a very basic subject but anyways: I've just got

a Pentax MZ-5n and am currently shooting a black and white roll I

intend to process myself. I've never used a motor drive camera in

past and always rewound my black and white home processed manually so

as to leave the leader protruding, for easy install on reel for

developing. I've looked through forums but have not found anything

specific to my two questions.

 

1. Does anyone know of way to rewind Pentax MZ-5n leaving leader

protruding?

 

2. What is good procedure for getting fully rewound film out of

cartridge and on to reel in darkroom? Do you use any bottle opener?

Any tips to accomplish this safely and efficiently?

1) Don't know<BR>

2) I use a flat screw drived and just pry. If it's a bulk loaded of my own I can just push it off with my fingers.

Hi, Mendel answer to part 2, Ilford film retriever for 35mm cassettes, made in uk, got one in my hand now.

Regards Roy Ames

I was taught to use a bottle opener. As with most photographic things, it helps to go through a dry run. So sacrifice a roll and open it up in the light. You can always use the film to practice loading the reel anyway.

The can opener on any pocket knife will do the trick. Just lever off the cap on the end where the spool doesn't stick out.

A bottle opener/church key works fine. One can also use ones bare hands and pry open the felt area; and then bend the sheet metal enough that one can pry the crimped end caps off. This is a good exercise in hand finger strength; but one must be carefull not to cut ones hands. When developing alot of rolls one gets good at this technique; but a church key is the easier method.

I never liked the idea of a film retriever or leaving the leader out--why add the risk of scratching the film by pulling it back through the light trap?

 

For most commercially packaged film I use a bottle opener. For bulk loaded film or any film that comes in a reusable cartridge, you can press the stem end of the spool on a table top while holding the cartridge in the center and the cap at the other end will pop off.

Thanks for all the responses. Bottle opener on non-protruding end looks like cheap and ready way to go. Does end cap come off pretty cleanly, without distorting cylinder?

 

The retractor would be more to my liking if it doesn't damage. I'll look into prices/recomendations from local (Vancouver, Canada) photo dealer. I like the thought of having the film sticking out a bit from undamaged cartridge, with leader already trimmed off, BEFORE I have to turn the lights out. Oh for the good old days with manual rewind...

 

I did see one post on subject saying something to the affect:

 

pry cap off, shake spool out, retrieve leader, slip back into open ended cartridge, with leader between felt strips, just to keep things contained and organized.

<img src="http://www.photo.net/photodb/image-display?photo_id=1137485&size=lg">

Just wondering, if I'm holding just spool and film: does film tend to coil semi-tightly against spool or try to straighten out and expand away from the spool?

Note inconsistant shape of cassettes after being opened in total darkness by hand! I dont like to repull the film thru the felt again if possible.

Kelly, thanks for pic. One advantage I can see with prying open the felt opening is spool and film are still "contained" but the barrier has been directly defeated. I have a cheepo roll of color film that I accidently wound right back in. Maybe I'll try earlier posters suggestion and try prying it open at felt strips.

Most all 1 hour labs have gizmos for removing the leader. I have one somewhere in my ancient Polaroid 35mm instant development kit.<BR><BR>Last week I stopped by Walgreens to have them remove the leader on an unused film casette. I goofed up and rewound it by mistake; when using a AF camera that I am not that familar with.

I have this really neat prong type thing for getting the film out in the darkroom. It's basically two handles sprung together. It fits around both ends of thecanister and squezeez. This pops the ends off the canister.

Don�t make this hard. It is easy. Take the film magazine and gently lift off the end without the protruding core. It helps to pry at two places about 90 degrees apart. I would strongly recommend against pulling the film back through the slot. It�s not necessary. It�s easy to remove the film in a changing back, in a closet, or in a pinch under the blankets in a darkened bedroom.

 

Kelly, there is no need to attack�that seems to be the right word�the film through the slot. It�s much easier and neater to pry off the end. The attack approach looks dangerous and unnecessarily difficult!

 

Cheers,

Joe Stephenson

Yeah, don't bother with a film leader retriever, you'll end up with a better chance of scratching the film with one. I use a bottle opener and have had no problems while doing this for the better part of 15 years.

<BR>

Brian

<BR>

<a href="http://bmacphoto.com">http://bmacphoto.com</a>

I have used a church key for about 40 years; but have learned to open them without one really easy.

Kelly, please explain to me what is a church key?

Church key, a slang term for a bottle opener, is first recorded in 1951, although it is undoubtedly older. It's US slang, so called because the bottle openers resemble the heavy, ornate keys that unlock big, old doors like those found in churches. The origin may also be related to the irony of associating churches with drinking.

Before pop tops this handy tool made triangular shaped holes in the tops of beer cans.

Jeff has the derivation about right. The correct term is "hook-type can and bottle opener," or so I was taught. They used to offered free on the counters of package liquor stores; now there is usually a small fee. Pop top cans have made them somewhat less necessary than in the past. I believe that the only one we still own is in the dark room.

Skoal, salud, and cheers,

Joe

Well, I've been out taking advantage of a sunny November afternoon. Still wondering, when I've got the spool and film out of cartridge, in pitch black in my sweaty hands, does it behave, meaning stay coiled, or does it tend to unwind and make misery. Also, I guess no one has any ideas on how to rewind MZ-5n without sucking the leader right in.

Mendel, I posted a very similar question in here several months ago.

 

I got a few really good replies. One trick someone suggested to get the header back out involves using the header from another roll, wetting it and inserting it into the roll in question and letting it glue itself to the film. It works superbly once you get the hang of it. Check it out here : http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003iF2

 

1) What I used to do with my N60 before I discovered how to take the header back out : Open the battery door slightly open so you can just release the pressure and "kill" the camera exactly when you need to, and press the mid-roll rewind button on the camera. I'm not sure if you camera has this function. What I'd do is watch the frame numbers count down on the display as it rewound, and as soon as the display read frame 0 I'd open the battery door killing the power instantly. If I was too slow I'd sometimes rewind it completely.

 

2) I use a bottle opener to get the film out and wind it into the reel by hand. If you haven't already tried to load a reel yet, I suggest you try it with a piece of scrap film.

 

Hope this helps!

OK, tried Leonid's tip, sacrificed a roll of really old color print film I'd accidently rewound (unexposed) back into it's cartridge. Bottle cap remover works fine, using 2 or 3 lifting points, and film stays simi-coiled, expanding just a bit, but ok as long as you cup it in your fingers. It's been about 15 years since I tried feeding a stainless steel reel, so I'm going to practice my technique, eye's closed and peeking for more feedback. Thanks all for explaining the obvious.

Gee-sh who would have thought that getting film out of the can would be so complicated!<P>

Will

I too have an MZ5n and process my own B&W. When rewinding, watch the counter count down from 36 or 24 or whatever. Have your finger ready on the back cover release mechanism of the camera body. One second after you see zero "0" on the counter, open the back cover. You'll find the film pretty much how where it was when you put it in. Saves licking film which doesn't taste too good. Works every time, and after a few rolls you'll fine tune your method a little. The worst you can do is open it a little early and lose a frame or 2. Now, once you done this make sure you identify the film as being exposed, especially if you currently identify unexposed film by the leader being left out.

 

Darryn Richter