Where can I get a 24 frame 35mm steel reel?

[ned1]

About a month ago I came across a 24 frame steel reel, unboxed and the only one

the store had. I bought it and found that it was MUCH easier to load than my 36

frame reels. I've been trying to find more, but with no luck. None at B&H or

Adorama. Anyone know where I can find such a beast?

[jtk]

SS reels do require practice but quality of reel is important. I think Hewes, Nikor, and Kinderman have been the only trustworthy brands.

 

Actual brand is crucial.

 

If 'bay sellers say they're "like" Nikor, you know they're selling junque.

 

Omega, Kalt and Prinz distributed junk...welds broke with handling, weren't well aligned in the first place, used soft steel etc.

 

Might be better for a rookie (eg 24 frame) to pay the ridiculous money for new rather than cheap used good brands because even the best used are sometimes drop-damaged, and it can be hard to see. Once you get good reels, treasure them.

[doug grosjean]

Agreed with John Kelly.

 

I got to the point in 120 where processing was easy, but I almost never got my 35mm stuff on the reels properly. Finally, I looked at the 35mm reel. Was wavy, like a potato chip. Of the two sides, neither side was in just one plane.

 

Bought good Hewes reels, and all my troubles were solved. My success rate with 35mm suddenly matched my 120 rate.

 

Sometimes, saving money just isn't worth it.

[ferensen]

Ebay.

[robert lee]

"I bought it and found that it was MUCH easier to load than my 36 frame reels."

 

This shouldn't be the case if you're using quality reels. The usability difference between a $25 Hewes and a $6 something else is substantial. I can consistently load 36 exposures onto a Hewes in about two minutes. It once took me 20 minutes (15 of those cursing) to load the same onto a "good deal."

 

For a piece of equipment that will last essentially forever, don't skimp.

[ronald_moravec1]

They we not popular as 24 could be used on 35 reel.

 

As said above, condition is everything.

 

Put your reel on a table and run a ruler around the top to the table. It needs to be tha same height all the way around and centered over the lower.

 

I have Nikors for 45 years now. If you can`t find a good Nikor, Hewes are said to be good.

[frank.schifano]

I can tell you from personal experience that Hewes reels are among the best available. They are pricey, but they load easily first time and every time. That alone makes them worth the price. Barring abuse, they will last a lifetime - and your children's as well.

[john_shriver]

The other thing to remember is that they were 20 exposure reels, since that was the "short" size of film back when they were being made. I suppose there might be really old ones only designed for 18 exposures, since that was the first "short" size.

 

They are pleasant to load. But, as others have noted, so are Hewes reels, or even a genuine Nikor or Omega reel that hasn't been bent.

 

While I do reach for my yard sale (really) Hewes reels first when I want a 36 exposure reel, I do have two grudges with them. The first is that you can't stick your pinky in the middle to pull them out of a tank. The second is that they are thicker than a Nikor reel, two of them can be a very tight fit in a short 16 ounce tank.

 

eBay is the place to find the 20 exposure reels. There's one in a lot every week or so.

[seandepuydt]

Where can I find Hewes reels?

[robert lee]

If you're in the States, B&H has them. Adorama carries it as well, but I think it's rebranded. I think Freestyle in Los Angeles carries Hewes as well.

[craig_shearman1]

Never heard of a 24-frame 35mm reel. Any 35mm reel I've ever seen is big enough to hold a full 36-exposure roll. I would think there would be a bigger hassle of getting into the dark and mistakenly trying to put a 36 onto a 24 than any advantage it would offer, not to mention having to keep two sizes of reels on hand. I really don't understand why anyone has trouble loading a reel. I learned when I was 12, and I find stainless much easier to load than plastic. If you've never done it before, it's worthwhile to scrap a roll and practice loading in the light. But once you've done it a few times there's nothing to it.