Developing Reels

[ric1]

Hi,

 

Success!

 

Just developed first ever roll of Ilford FP4 120, exposed entirely by analogue

Gossen hand-held light meter: i bought batteries for the Kiev 60 TTL meter but

it is very erratic on my camera, at a rough guess, at least 2 full stops out?

 

The negatives are thick, dark and look excellently detailed; after i shot the

roll i discovered the tiny ASA setting on the cocking lever: luckily it was set

to 50 so the shots cooked slightly, as the Gossen was set to 100/125.

 

I went to the length of acquiring specialised metal 120 reels, which look the

business, but i cannot use them; i found the 'universal' plastic reels -

extended to 120 guage - much easier to use?

 

What is the secret of these metal reels, please - i notice they also have a

sort of sprung clip at their centre? i cannot coax the celluloid onto these

static spirals, it just lodges and the fingers skip over the film???

 

But hey, it all works!

 

;)

 

Ric

[subhash_tiwari]

Ric, I just got (back) into B&W developing.

I bought the HEWES 120 rels from eBay (about $20)and they have the clip you mention. I stick the film under it. Make sure the film is oriented along the spiral, and not against it. But, other than this brand or Kindermann, the plastic is supposed to be easier. I certainly find the latter better since (with the center spindle) one can gently agitate by spinning the reel, rather than roughly "sloshing" it in the metal tank.

Hope this helps,

Subhash

[buzz]

I used the plastic reels for a little while, but I found them difficult to use. i switched to the metal hewes reel you mention.

Simply slide the end of the film umder the spring clip and wind it on.

I use my middle finger and thumb to keep a slight convex shape to the film, and rotate the reel with my other hand. Once you do a few you might find it easier. With 35mm, its even easier, you just let the sprocket holes slide over and attach to the two tab at the center.

[ric1]

ow!

 

was doing it back-to-front!

 

doh!

 

must practise this inside-out technique

 

many thanks!

 

Ric

[Gary Naka]

Get an OLD scrap roll of film and practice loading in full light.

 

I don't use the clip. Many years of loading 35mm reels made the clip not necessary. The clip is only to help get started. A hint on the clip...do NOT shove the film all the way into the clip. That actually made it harder to load as it distorted the film and made the first winde harder to do. When I used the clip, I put the film in just enough for the clip to hold it. Again it takes practice.

[ric1]

Thanks - i now have the hang of it! i hold the film shiny side up, in my right palm, applying light pressure, so that the film arches width-ways, towards me, whilst winding on, with the left hand. When the film meets the metal reel, it untensions and slots itself into the reel spirals. i do use the clip, i find it useful to train the film onto the spiral?

 

Great stuff!

 

Ric

[Gary Naka]

The wider 120 film is a little harder to wind than the narrower 35mm film but with practice it gets easier.

 

N-Joy

[ric1]

Hello,

 

"a little harder?" gaagh! [lol] i now stopped using the sprung clip in the centre of the reel. There are two unsprung, inner 'horns' which i find you can hook the end of the film beneath, then wind the remainder on; i guess everybody has their own way to load a spiral?

 

;)

 

foolishly, in retrospect, i passed up the chance to acquire the metal tank which goes with the metal spirals, but i found you can use the larger Patterson tank, if you place a empty plastic reel on top of the 120 metal one: it creates a neat fit within the tank and you can develop as normal; i did need to cut a black plastic roundel however, which sits between reels, blocking light from the centre funnel; although this is a 'light trap' for Universal spirals, light does reflect from the steel spiral sitting at the bottom of the tank; i guess, in theory, some of this light might bounce about inside the tank down there? Unlikely, but what's the sense in taking the chance?

 

:-o

 

thanks,

 

Ric

[waite_watson]

Go with the kodakcraft type apron's available from freestyle in Los Angeles!They are much easier to load than any reel & work just as well!Don't listen to the nay sayers...they wasted many,many rolls of film learning to load their reels correctly...& still lose a few now & then, truth be told,but they wont admit it..& they think that if you don't go through the same hardships you're not a real 'photographer' because you don't have dedication.Never mind them.I want you to succeed on your 1st try so you'll keep buying film because if you & I don't film wont exist in a few years!They are trying to be snobby...but they're also cutting off their on nose to spite their face...get over it & help us save monochrome photography!

[ric1]

Hi,

 

i just loaded a steel spiral last night. it is easier since i discovered you can ignore the sprung clip in the middle of the spiral, and hook the film beneath two horn arrangements at the spiral's centre; this allows the film to marginally correct itself, if not square to the spiral, when the film is tensioned on winding? i actually 'like' these 120 spirals but will certainly experiment with the plastic aprons - with thanks - Freestyle also stock the metal 120 tanks ;)

 

thanks again,

 

Ric

[ric1]

Hi,

 

after developing film comes drying - i use a Durst drying cabinet, but are there clips designed to hold 120 film, please - i'm sure the ones i use are basically designed for 35mm, and they tend to cause the wider 120 film to curl around them?

 

Thanks,

 

Ric

[ric1]

waite watson wrote: Jul 28, 2007; 04:00 a.m -

 

"... I want you to succeed on your 1st try so you'll keep buying film because if you & I don't film wont exist in a few years ... help us save monochrome photography!"

 

1) i have found the level of help at this site/forum excellent and i'm sure we all wish each other success with our photography?

 

2) why do i use film? i use both moving and still celluloid (i.e, photographic emulsion) because digital photography and 'dv' video is not 'film'; as much as i like digital technology - it's great: but a very imprecise anaology might be acrylic versus oil paint? acrylic can do many things that oil paint can, but 'oils' it isn't, and oil paint it will never replace

 

i feel this is exactly the position with regard to photographic emulsion and digital photography? photographic emulsion has, what i can only describe as 'atmospheric depth' which digital media can never equal, let alone surpass

 

why is this? i believe it may have something to do with computers developing along graphic art lines, whereas painting and pure photography are, i consider, Fine Art?

 

if they stopped manufacturing oil paint tomorrow - and i could not mix my own - i would stop painting. if film stopped being made for still and ciné cameras, i would stop relating to lens imagery as a serious medium, for me.

 

this is why i use film: photographic emulsion is like blood to me, if it runs out my photography - still and moving - ceases to be ...

 

bright note: forums like this keep the medium alive

 

keep it up!

 

;)

 

Ric