[17dew]

Tri-X w/ Pentax MX 50 f2 developed in D-76,printed and enlarged by me around 1980

Attached Images

 

[timw4mail]

Metal.

Ah. From what I remember doing film development, the plastic reels are pretty much foolproof once you figure them out.


I've heard the metal ones are more difficult to spool?

[dsmithhfx]

Ah. From what I remember doing film development, the plastic reels are pretty much foolproof once you figure them out.


I've heard the metal ones are more difficult to spool?

The plastic reels are better, but you have to make sure they are dry.

[stevebrot]

Ah. From what I remember doing film development, the plastic reels are pretty much foolproof once you figure them out.


I've heard the metal ones are more difficult to spool?

I have both. The plastic ones can be fussy, particularly if not completely dry (hard to dry too). The metal ones are hard to learn and may be completely unmanageable if they are poorly made or have been damaged by dropping or other abuse (the sides must be parallel). Once spooling onto a metal reel is mastered, it is actually easier and faster than a plastic reel, IMHO. I learned on metal and have a strong preference that direction. That being said, it has become increasingly hard to source well-made metal reels. The used ones are almost always "sprung" and new ones often poorly made. I finally settled on reels from Hewes. They are precision-made of heavy gauge material and worth the extra money.

Hewes Pro Stainless Steel Reel - 35mm Reel | Freestyle Photographic Supplies


Steve

(...no relation to Hewes other than as a happy user...)

[TwoUptons]

My first experiences with metal reels were horrible. They were cheap, bent, or both...

I did a remote assignment once while in college where we borrowed a newspaper’s darkroom. They had the best metal reels ever. Instead of a clip to hold the film at the center, they used bent portions of the reels to catch in the sprocket holes, which also ensured the film started straight and aligned.
Those were fast loading and never ruined film. And I’ve never seen reels that good since...

-Eric

[PenPusher]

OK - not PENTAX but i took these on my 2002 Hasselblad 501CM + A16 back+ 50mm f4 CFi Distagon and 2007 dated Ilford XP2 400 Super at the 'Shrouds of The Somme' display in the London Olympic Park, Stratford. It was very moving-- over 72.000 figures each hand-crafted over 5 years to represent those British Soldiers killed in WW1 at The Somme and who have no known Grave. Hundreds of people silently filed past ---

Thank you for visiting, taking and posting, it takes something like this display for people to understand the magnitude of the sacrifice they made, just reading the numbers doesn't really convey what actually happened.

[abruzzi]

My first experiences with metal reels were horrible. They were cheap, bent, or both...

I did a remote assignment once while in college where we borrowed a newspaper’s darkroom. They had the best metal reels ever. Instead of a clip to hold the film at the center, they used bent portions of the reels to catch in the sprocket holes, which also ensured the film started straight and aligned.
Those were fast loading and never ruined film. And I’ve never seen reels that good since...

-Eric

Those were probably Hewes reels, they have the sprocket catch.

[drmoss_ca]

[martink58]

from my K1000, I had this film in the camera for a couple of years. I got that old familiar thrill when I scanned the negatives.

[timw4mail]

I didn't know there were medium format lenses that fast.

[abruzzi]

I didn't know there were medium format lenses that fast.

I think that is F4 (written as 1:4 on the lens.)

That has caused a lot of people to try to sell $10 Pentax 50 f2 lenses as $400 Pentax 50 f1.2

The fastest MF lens I’m aware of is the 80 f1.9 for the Mamiya 645 system.

[timw4mail]

I think that is F4 (written as 1:4 on the lens.)

That has caused a lot of people to try to sell $10 Pentax 50 f2 lenses as $400 Pentax 50 f1.2

The fastest MF lens I’m aware of is the 80 f1.9 for the Mamiya 645 system.

That makes sense.. the colon is really hard to make out in that photo.

[drmoss_ca]

That's right - f4 not f1.4!

[tuco]

Metal.

After each wrap of film on the reel, do you check for binding by pushing the film back and forth to feel it tighten/loosen in the reel? If it still moves freely by the last wrap you can have good confidence there will be no problems.

[wkraus]

Primary school at Zaouiat Ahansal, central High Atlas, Morocco. Pentax MX, smc Pentax-M 1:2.8 28mm, Ilford HP5 film/ID-11 1+3 developer.