Bulk film loaders

john wrote:

: "Frank Pittel" wrote in message
: ...
: [...]
: Aside from the money you can save by bulk loading you can also control the
: amount of film you load in the roll. That was nice back when I used 35mm
: B&W
: film with the zone system. [...]

: You really ARE hard-core!

I never thought of myself as being hard-core. I remember the improvement in the
negatives and as a result my prints when I started to use the zone system. The
challenge then was to find a way to use the zone system effectively with 35mm.

These days I don't remember the last time I used 35mm for B&W and when
developing roll film now I use Diafine. For those that have never used Diafine
you should give it a try. The contrast of the negatives are "normalized" in that
the contrast of each negative ends up about the same irregardless of the
contrast of the scene. For most films it's speed enhancing and it's fine
grained. My favorite part is that I don't I don't have to worry about the
temperature and as long as you give it at least three minutes in each solution
the development time doesn't matter.

I've developed both Tmax-100 and Delta-100 in the same tank at the same time and
got good results from both rolls!! Did I mention the stuff lasts almost
forever?? I mixed my current solutions up about a year and a half ago and the
stuff is still going strong!!

--




Keep working millions on welfare depend on you
-------------------

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:53:18 -0500, Frank Pittel
wrote:

john wrote:

: "Frank Pittel" wrote in message
: ...
: [...]
: Aside from the money you can save by bulk loading you can also control the
: amount of film you load in the roll. That was nice back when I used 35mm
: B&W
: film with the zone system. [...]

: You really ARE hard-core!

I never thought of myself as being hard-core. I remember the improvement in the
negatives and as a result my prints when I started to use the zone system. The
challenge then was to find a way to use the zone system effectively with 35mm.

These days I don't remember the last time I used 35mm for B&W and when
developing roll film now I use Diafine. For those that have never used Diafine
you should give it a try. The contrast of the negatives are "normalized" in that
the contrast of each negative ends up about the same irregardless of the
contrast of the scene. For most films it's speed enhancing and it's fine
grained. My favorite part is that I don't I don't have to worry about the
temperature and as long as you give it at least three minutes in each solution
the development time doesn't matter.

I've developed both Tmax-100 and Delta-100 in the same tank at the same time and
got good results from both rolls!! Did I mention the stuff lasts almost
forever?? I mixed my current solutions up about a year and a half ago and the
stuff is still going strong!!

You do add new so;ution to replace that carried away, right?

Robert Vervoordt, MFA

Robert Vervoordt wrote:
: On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:53:18 -0500, Frank Pittel
: wrote:

: john wrote:
:
: : "Frank Pittel" wrote in message
: : ...
: : [...]
: : Aside from the money you can save by bulk loading you can also control the
: : amount of film you load in the roll. That was nice back when I used 35mm
: : B&W
: : film with the zone system. [...]
:
: : You really ARE hard-core!
:
: I never thought of myself as being hard-core. I remember the improvement in the
: negatives and as a result my prints when I started to use the zone system. The
: challenge then was to find a way to use the zone system effectively with 35mm.
:
: These days I don't remember the last time I used 35mm for B&W and when
: developing roll film now I use Diafine. For those that have never used Diafine
: you should give it a try. The contrast of the negatives are "normalized" in that
: the contrast of each negative ends up about the same irregardless of the
: contrast of the scene. For most films it's speed enhancing and it's fine
: grained. My favorite part is that I don't I don't have to worry about the
: temperature and as long as you give it at least three minutes in each solution
: the development time doesn't matter.
:
: I've developed both Tmax-100 and Delta-100 in the same tank at the same time and
: got good results from both rolls!! Did I mention the stuff lasts almost
: forever?? I mixed my current solutions up about a year and a half ago and the
: stuff is still going strong!!

: You do add new so;ution to replace that carried away, right?

Actually I mixed up a gallon of the stuff and haven't had to add more yet. It's
the first solution that gets depleted as the result of being absorbed by the
emulsion.

When I run to low on the first solution I'm going to dump what I have and mix a
new gallon. At my current rate of consumption that won't happen for years! :-)
--




Keep working millions on welfare depend on you
-------------------

Robert Vervoordt wrote:
: On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 21:22:50 -0500, Frank Pittel
: wrote:

: Robert Vervoordt wrote:
: : On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:53:18 -0500, Frank Pittel
: : wrote:
:
: : john wrote:
: :
: : : "Frank Pittel" wrote in message
: : : ...
: : : [...]
: : : Aside from the money you can save by bulk loading you can also control the
: : : amount of film you load in the roll. That was nice back when I used 35mm
: : : B&W
: : : film with the zone system. [...]
: :
: : : You really ARE hard-core!
: :
: : I never thought of myself as being hard-core. I remember the improvement in the
: : negatives and as a result my prints when I started to use the zone system. The
: : challenge then was to find a way to use the zone system effectively with 35mm.
: :
: : These days I don't remember the last time I used 35mm for B&W and when
: : developing roll film now I use Diafine. For those that have never used Diafine
: : you should give it a try. The contrast of the negatives are "normalized" in that
: : the contrast of each negative ends up about the same irregardless of the
: : contrast of the scene. For most films it's speed enhancing and it's fine
: : grained. My favorite part is that I don't I don't have to worry about the
: : temperature and as long as you give it at least three minutes in each solution
: : the development time doesn't matter.
: :
: : I've developed both Tmax-100 and Delta-100 in the same tank at the same time and
: : got good results from both rolls!! Did I mention the stuff lasts almost
: : forever?? I mixed my current solutions up about a year and a half ago and the
: : stuff is still going strong!!
:
: : You do add new so;ution to replace that carried away, right?
:
: Actually I mixed up a gallon of the stuff and haven't had to add more yet. It's
: the first solution that gets depleted as the result of being absorbed by the
: emulsion.
:
: When I run to low on the first solution I'm going to dump what I have and mix a
: new gallon. At my current rate of consumption that won't happen for years! :-)

: Just curious. I could only find quart sizes when I was using it. I
: topped up the working A from another A that I kept as a relenisher. I
: added some fresh B bath to the working solution's bottle and just
: poured back enough of the used stuff to fill the bottle. There was
: usually less than an ounce to be discarded. This replenishment method
: went on for near 2 years, until I had to stop all darkroom activity in
: order to move. The stuff was working just fine before I had to stop.

I got the the package to make a gallon from Calumet. I thought about the
"replenishment" method you described but decided against it. Even now after
consuming less then a quart of the "A" bath both baths are starting to look like
rather strong coffee!!

--




Keep working millions on welfare depend on you
-------------------

Donald Qualls wrote in message news:_xaYc.327482$a24.155007@attbi_s03...
Tina wrote:

Is it more cost effective to buy film in bulk and roll your own...I've never
done it before so I would have to by the film loader (any no brainer easy
loader to recommend?) and buy the film and buy the film holders. Opinions
wanted and thanks in advance.

Ah, my previous reply I should have mentioned that my loader (actually
$10 at a local thrift store, not $5 as previously reported -- I just
found the sticker still on it) is a Western Model 100 (same as a
corresponding Watson) with a labyrinth light trap -- no felt in the
loader. If I don't drop and break it, it will probably still be usable
when there's no more film to put in it. Cassettes will be the limiting
factor; there'll be 35 mm movie film long after cassettes are no longer
available.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

Didn't there used to be cartrages available that were designed to be
relaoded? They never came me w/ film in the first place. IIRC they had
a mechanical light trap rather than felt. It seems to me that Leica or
Contax made them. Boy, my memory is pretty sketchy on this. If they
were made, perhaps some could be found used today.
Also I started using Diafine in 1963. Great soup. Couldn't miss.
Replenished the 1st solution as the above poster said, but can't
remember if or how I did the 2nd. Probably as the company said.
Good luck to the OP finding good casettes w/o dust, John

In article ,
John McGraw wrote:

Didn't there used to be cartrages available that were designed to be
relaoded? They never came me w/ film in the first place. IIRC they had
a mechanical light trap rather than felt. It seems to me that Leica or
Contax made them. Boy, my memory is pretty sketchy on this. If they
were made, perhaps some could be found used today.

Leica, Zeiss (Contax) and Nikon made them. AFIK they were not interchangeable,
i.e. they would only work in the camera they were designed for.

The Nikon ones will only work in the F and F2.

Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, C.T.O. GW&T Ltd., Jerusalem Israel

IL Voice: 972-544-608-069 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838

"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
John McGraw wrote:

Didn't there used to be cartrages available that were designed to be
relaoded? They never came me w/ film in the first place. IIRC they had
a mechanical light trap rather than felt. It seems to me that Leica or
Contax made them. Boy, my memory is pretty sketchy on this. If they
were made, perhaps some could be found used today.

Leica, Zeiss (Contax) and Nikon made them. AFIK they were not
interchangeable,
i.e. they would only work in the camera they were designed for.

The Nikon 250 exposure cassettes were the same as the Contax. Perfectly
interchangable.

In article , jjs wrote:

"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" wrote in message
Leica, Zeiss (Contax) and Nikon made them. AFIK they were not
interchangeable,
i.e. they would only work in the camera they were designed for.

The Nikon 250 exposure cassettes were the same as the Contax. Perfectly
interchangable.

I was refering to the 36 exposure cassettes, I had forgoten about the
250.

Geoff.


--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, C.T.O. GW&T Ltd., Jerusalem Israel

IL Voice: 972-544-608-069 IL Fax: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838

On Tue, 31 Aug 2004 10:42:57 -0500, Frank Pittel
wrote:

Robert Vervoordt wrote:
: On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 21:22:50 -0500, Frank Pittel
: wrote:

: Robert Vervoordt wrote:
: : On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 13:53:18 -0500, Frank Pittel
: : wrote:
:
: : john wrote:
: :
: : : "Frank Pittel" wrote in message
: : : ...
: : : [...]
: : : Aside from the money you can save by bulk loading you can also control the
: : : amount of film you load in the roll. That was nice back when I used 35mm
: : : B&W
: : : film with the zone system. [...]
: :
: : : You really ARE hard-core!
: :
: : I never thought of myself as being hard-core. I remember the improvement in the
: : negatives and as a result my prints when I started to use the zone system. The
: : challenge then was to find a way to use the zone system effectively with 35mm.
: :
: : These days I don't remember the last time I used 35mm for B&W and when
: : developing roll film now I use Diafine. For those that have never used Diafine
: : you should give it a try. The contrast of the negatives are "normalized" in that
: : the contrast of each negative ends up about the same irregardless of the
: : contrast of the scene. For most films it's speed enhancing and it's fine
: : grained. My favorite part is that I don't I don't have to worry about the
: : temperature and as long as you give it at least three minutes in each solution
: : the development time doesn't matter.
: :
: : I've developed both Tmax-100 and Delta-100 in the same tank at the same time and
: : got good results from both rolls!! Did I mention the stuff lasts almost
: : forever?? I mixed my current solutions up about a year and a half ago and the
: : stuff is still going strong!!
:
: : You do add new so;ution to replace that carried away, right?
:
: Actually I mixed up a gallon of the stuff and haven't had to add more yet. It's
: the first solution that gets depleted as the result of being absorbed by the
: emulsion.
:
: When I run to low on the first solution I'm going to dump what I have and mix a
: new gallon. At my current rate of consumption that won't happen for years! :-)

: Just curious. I could only find quart sizes when I was using it. I
: topped up the working A from another A that I kept as a relenisher. I
: added some fresh B bath to the working solution's bottle and just
: poured back enough of the used stuff to fill the bottle. There was
: usually less than an ounce to be discarded. This replenishment method
: went on for near 2 years, until I had to stop all darkroom activity in
: order to move. The stuff was working just fine before I had to stop.

I got the the package to make a gallon from Calumet. I thought about the
"replenishment" method you described but decided against it. Even now after
consuming less then a quart of the "A" bath both baths are starting to look like
rather strong coffee!!

Yep, that's when I decided to try the use of a second package as
replenisher. The color got loghter after a few uses and the results
were consistent. So that's what I stuck with, happily.

Hey, even when it was getting brown Diafine kept on working; without
any Energizer Bunnies, too.


Robert Vervoordt, MFA

"John McGraw" wrote in message
om...
"jjs" wrote in message
...
"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" wrote in message

The Nikon 250 exposure cassettes were the same as the Contax. Perfectly
interchangable.

No, I wasn't thinking of 250 exposure. I was thinking of regular ~36
exposure.
It seemed to me that they were proprietary, too, but now I don't see
how they could be. We need some catalogs from the '50s; '60s; '70s to
check this out.

Not the '50s. But I was there using them in the Sixties and Seventies.
Nikon had proprietary 36-exposure cassettes. The cassettes would open as you
turned the back-lock. An aside, the Nikon rangefinder motordrives were
basically the same as the Nikon F. But it is true that the 250 cassettes
were interchangable between the Contax and Nikon F-250.

I still have a few of those 36-exp cassettes for the rangefinder and F (a
tiny bit different). Got to ebay 'em one day.