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  #11  
Old 6th May 2015, 05:50 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B&W Neil View Post
I tried bulk lengths back in the 80s and found far too many issues were creeping in, mainly dust and scratch marks, and that did it for me.

Neil.
Hi Neil, did you use a bulk loader?

Alan
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  #12  
Old 6th May 2015, 06:00 PM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Argentum View Post
Buy a second camera body. Then you have a backup too.

I had to rob a bank to pay for just this one Xpan!
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  #13  
Old 6th May 2015, 06:04 PM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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Originally Posted by David Lingham View Post
Only down side I found is it will increase your processing costs. As you are still using the same volume of developer for 12 frames as you would for 36.

I have got Jobo 2500 series drums and the black reels which have a red divider, so I can load a 120 or half length 135 inside the divider, and another outside it. Two of those reels fit in my drum needing 250ml of juice for rotary, so it should work out fine.
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  #14  
Old 6th May 2015, 07:15 PM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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I use a bulk film loader and load my film in used film cassettes. You can get the cassettes free from boots or any high street developing store if you ask politely. There is just enough film stuck out to tape your new film to, I use the thin brown parcel tape on both sides, this slips through the felt light trap easily.
Watson manual http://www.cameramanuals.org/booklet...ilm_loader.pdf

You tend to waste film using short lengths due to the film leader. I always load 36-38 exposures and take lots of photographs; unless I am trying a new film/developer combination then its 12 exposures.

Last edited by GoodOldNorm; 6th May 2015 at 07:43 PM. Reason: added text
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  #15  
Old 7th May 2015, 06:24 AM
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B&W Neil B&W Neil is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Clark View Post
Hi Neil, did you use a bulk loader?

Alan
Alan, yes ideed. It was the best there was available at the time. I used it for both colour slide film and mono films. Savings can certainly be made and you can load to a length size that suits your reqirements. However, every now and again scratch or dust problems would creep in and I could not put up with that, especially on the expensive colour slide films.

I did discover though re using cassettes was causing about half of the issues and once I stopped doing that things were better. But I cannot work with the thought that some negs might get blighted, so it had to go..

Neil.
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  #16  
Old 7th May 2015, 07:23 AM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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I must admit the thought of losing negs to scratches/dust is a little offputting, as the type of things I'd be using 400 speed for would be action shots, not the sort I could easily reshoot. I would hope that being fastidious about cleaning the cassette felt light traps would help a lot (since the Xpan is motor driven I don't think I could use those Shirley Wellard type cassettes). Do the bulk loaders also have felt traps for the film to pass through or do they use some other form of light trap?
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  #17  
Old 7th May 2015, 07:55 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Dave,
I used to use bulk loaded film, yes, you could save some money, but I also had a lot of problems with scratchs and dust, I used the reloadable
cassetes and as I was a student at the time and money was tight I would also use the old film cassetes, and I would not like to say what was the worst, and I would always get the problems on the best negatives on the roll, often making the best almost un printable, Never again I found it to be penny wise pound foolish, and you can still get 24 shot films, certainly Foma do them
Richard
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  #18  
Old 7th May 2015, 08:47 AM
davidgc davidgc is offline
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The other consequence of using smaller length film is that you will need to carry more film for your Xpan (Ok a few more cassettes are not going to break your back).
I recently considered bulk loading as I did not want to finish a 36exp film early to re-load with a higher asa film at night. I bought a second camera - an Olympus mjuii, which was relatively cheap.
As also mentioned Foma do 24's. I was recently sent some 24s by mistake as I had ordered 36s. As Sod's law predicted I would have preferred a 36 exp film the other day given the rapidly changing light !
The cost of Foma is relatively low so even buying 36s and ending the film early should not break the bank.
David
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  #19  
Old 7th May 2015, 10:05 AM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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To be honest I might end up carrying a few more rolls, but its not a dealbreaker. As a large format user its almost tempting to load a ton of cassettes with only two frames in each.....

I've never used any Foma film to be honest. I'd be lying if I said the occasional tales of QC issues didn't put me off it, although granted plenty of folk seem to get along fine with it.

At the minute in 400 speed I've got in a mixture of Tri-X, Tmax400, Kentmere 400, Delta 400 and Neopan 400 to see which I like the best (I've also shot HP5 in 120 size and sheet film before). I've not shot all of those yet, but for bulk loading since Kodak 100ft rolls are ridiculously expensive in the UK I'm probably limited to Kentmere, HP5 or Delta400 realistically. Not really seen anywhere selling Fuji film, neither b&w or colour, on bulk rolls.
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  #20  
Old 7th May 2015, 10:29 AM
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photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
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Just a thought If you have only used part of the film, whats to stop you taking the camera into the darkroom open the back and cut the film and remove what you have exposed and then re-thread what is left? You will loose frames but will that not happen if you use a bulk loader.
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