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05-20-2017, 01:57 PM   #1
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Questions on bulk loading of films.

So I've decided to get into this for several reasons:

1) Saving on film stock (hopefully!!!).

2) Ability to spin up short rolls (for push/pull tests, changes of developer or process, or strange experiments such as Caffenol).

3) Competitive prices on 100ft rolls for SOME first-line films (per B&H catalogue) compared with budget lines.

4) Gaining another skill in film!

Thoughts:

After watching vids online on the Lloyd vs. Watson bulk loading systems, I have decided to go with the Lloyd. This seems safer - the light trap is always "on" (albeit you have to make sure it stays dirt-free), and the waste on the film tail is short, probably no worse than commercial rolls (less chance of shooting those last couple of Pulitzer-winning exposures into an exposed "dead" tail - the photographer's equivalent of the one that got away), plus the Lloyd seems to have a lower bench or table footprint and to be handier for inside the darkbag.

Logically, waste at lead and tail will be a fixed value for every roll, so maximum efficiency will be had by loading up a full 36 frames every time. Naturally this will not always be done, per advantage #2 above, but doing so will enable at least some sort of standard calculation of number of "live" exposures obtained per hundred feet. This will enable a rough comparison to be made with the cost of buying film in shrink-wrap bricks of 36 x 10.

(I will probably load closer to thirty, because my negative sleeves can only take 7 x 5 and I hate having that one carried over to another sleeve every time.)

So, questions:

For those using the Lloyd system, how many exposed "live " frames do you get per hundred feet?

For those using both systems for whatever reason, how many fewer "live" frames do you get with the Watson?

As an interesting side note, B&H advertise a 100ft roll of "unperforated" Delta 3200. I assume that this means there are no sprocket holes. Of what use is this, and who would be buying?

05-20-2017, 07:58 PM   #2
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Lloyd's are the way to go. I have seven, all of which I have replaced the felt in and it is a simple task. The Watson bulk loader has a couple of "gotcha" traps just waiting to ruin your whole spool of film. I prefer a 24 exposure roll for a few reasons. The length of film is easier to load onto a spool and easier to hang for drying. If you're making 36 exposure rolls and you go one turn of the crank passed what you need, your film won't fit onto the developing spool and you will have to decide how much to trim off of which end in the dark or in the changing bag. A 36 exposure roll is difficult to find a place to hang it to dry. Lastly, 36 is a lot of frames to shoot. I've usually got all of my test shots by frame 18 and have to finish off the roll with pictures of the cats. Bulk isn't really that much cheaper if you're buying your bulk film through retail. It does give you the advantage of being able to make short rolls for tests, as well as making you use and develop the same film enough times that you become an expert with it. You can get more out of your bulk-loading by doing it inside a changing bag, allowing you to keep that last frame or two on the roll.
05-20-2017, 09:03 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
For those using the Lloyd system, how many exposed "live " frames do you get per hundred feet?

For those using both systems for whatever reason, how many fewer "live" frames do you get with the Watson?

As an interesting side note, B&H advertise a 100ft roll of "unperforated" Delta 3200. I assume that this means there are no sprocket holes. Of what use is this, and who would be buying?
Iʻve used and tried Aldenʻs, Watson, Adorama, and Lloydʻs. I use Lloydʻs because it is the simplest, least expensive, and the most foolproof.

In general, you can expect about 18 rolls of 36 exposures or 24-25 rolls of 24 exposure from a 100ʻ roll. Thatʻs around 648 exposures if you go with 36 exposure rolls. With 24 exposures, youʻll ʻwasteʻ more film on the leader and the tail; thus less total exposures.

Yes unperforated film means no sprocket holes. I know it has been used by photographers customizing it for use in cameras that donʻt use sprockets but the format is no longer mass produced.
05-21-2017, 05:17 AM   #4
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Now I have a couple of Alden 74 loaders. They are far nicer than the other brands I have used.

Don't load more than 36 exposures into a cassette unless you want scratched negatives,
not to mention difficult advance and rewind. I too prefer to load 24-30 frames per roll.

Use strong tape to fasten the film end to the spool. I recommend 3M Scotch Super 33+ electrical tape.
It is strong, remains pliable when cold and stretches a little if required (e.g. with motorized advance).
Another nice feature is that it peels off perfectly clean, leaving no adhesive residue.

Some cheap masking tape I used once broke in the field. That exposed film was in my only body.
It was game over until I could get home and unload the film into a daylight tank in a changing bag.

Try not to be too frugal attempting to use every available frame.
You'd hate your next masterpiece be ruined, half of it exposed to daylight during loading...

Chris

05-22-2017, 02:47 PM   #5
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I've used both Watsons and Alden for 50 years, and once you get your habits set they work fine. I shoot more old Leica and Canon rangefinders than anything else, with their special cassettes that don't use felt, but have a two-part trap that has to be closed with the loader knob opposite the winding knob before opening the loader (as well as closing the trap on the bulk film in the loader).
When you make a change in the process that adds extra steps (like using the special cassettes), it is easy to forget a step until your habits get reset. But if you might want to use old cameras that take such special cassettes, make sure to get a loader that can operate its light trap.
05-22-2017, 04:49 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by TomB_tx Quote
But if you might want to use old cameras that take such special cassettes, make sure to get a loader that can operate its light trap.
SLR all the way for now (mostly Pentax, one Ricoh, one Fujica). If I go for anything particularly old fashioned, it will if anything be a compact 120 folder and spooling my own film for that will be a non issue. As AquaDome suggested, the Watsons have a single important flaw that can ruin everything for the tired, unwary or forgetful (things I am frequently all three of by the time my responsibilities are discharged and I can settle down to fun), and a system which protects a hundred feet of film without me having to think about it much is a system I like.
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