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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II 12-31-2016, 03:19 PM  
What's the best way to do B&W images on the K-3?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 18
Views: 2,394
The first step is correct choice of film for your subject and light...

Sorry, just jesting! I just wanted to be first in with the inevitable "shoot film" comment:).

The other posters are right about shooting raw and then going mono in post (and not just by desaturating).

But also consider your output. In my relatively limited experience a lot of those film emulators look great on screen but suffer particularly badly when printed on anything less than top notch printers. Your average suburban print shop will often struggle with blacks and subtle tones even more than they do with colour, meaning you'll have to do a bit of experimentation anyway.

Rob
Forum: General Photography 12-25-2016, 07:32 AM  
"I won't put that in this camera" - musings on film selection.
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 28
Views: 2,383
Hello goatsNdonkey, thanks for the info, but that actually confirms my experience. I was addressing a poster who may have been suggesting that the battery was susceptible to being run down if the eyepiece was not protected from stray light over time. My experience is that this is simply not the case, and I tested my old battery to confirm this.

So, no... I don't store my K1000 with a cover on the eyepiece and have never had any issues.

I fear I have inadvertently hijacked this thread. To bring it back on topic, I will note that I just finished developing the last two rolls shot through my ME Super.,.. and no surprises it was my traditional HP5@1600 for both. This combo just seems to work and I rarely put anything else in the ME.

Cheers,

Rob
Forum: General Photography 12-24-2016, 12:41 AM  
"I won't put that in this camera" - musings on film selection.
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 28
Views: 2,383
ChopperCharles and Gaweidert, absolutely I find the K1000 meter to be reliable. You aren't the first to say make this observation, though, so perhaps I'm just lucky enough to have an especially good copy. However, once I got the hang of how the K1000 metered a whole scene, it became easy to adjust exposure for averaging or bringing out this or that. The matchstick has generally worked for me, and when I do blow an exposure I can usually attribute it to a bad calculation on my part.

As for batteries, I must be doing something wrong because I literally get years of life out of mine. The battery in there right now is two and a half years old, and it often sits on the shelf for months at a time with nothing over the eyepiece. To confirm, I just grabbed it went outside and used it to meter three scenes in afternoon light, then shot the frames on a K1. To my surprise, the K1000 actually overexposed by about a stop, before I remembered the yellow filter on the K1000. I removed the filter, and it was pretty much bang on.

So, I guess I haven't had your experience.

Rob
Forum: General Photography 12-18-2016, 02:32 AM  
"I won't put that in this camera" - musings on film selection.
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 28
Views: 2,383
Hm... I never thought about it... but actually I do.

My ME Super is permanently loaded with HP5@1600. If I have a camera I just carry around, it is this one, and that's the film that gets the job done for me. With that speed, I can stop down the aperture and the camera almost becomes a point and shoot.

Interestingly, I'm with Matt... for some reason the ol' K1000 gets the fancy film, or stuff that I want to experiment with. If I want to go slow and deliberate, this is my go-to 35mm body. The thing is so simple and the meter so reliable, It gives me the most confidence.

The real thing I swap around is the lenses. No lens simply lives on a body on my shelf.

Rob
Forum: Pentax Medium Format 12-18-2016, 02:12 AM  
Lightweight tripod for Pentax 67II?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 8
Views: 4,134
Hello,

Welcome aboard!

I've traveled with a 67 and can vouch that it is not something you just bring along. However, it is a fantastically rewarding bit of gear to use that requires patience, practice and a fair bit of dedication to use. After two years I feel like I am only just beginning to do mine justice; maybe. But it is sooooooooooo worth it.

However, one thing I have learned for sure is don't bother with a light tripod. Don't even try. You will just be disappointed with the shots, and endanger your camera. The absolute minimum should be a tripod fully able to take on a full blooded FF dslr... and I don't know of any travel tripods that will match up to that task. i know this, because I learned the hard way.

On the other hand... don't be afraid to shoot that thing hand held. I know lots will say a tripod is compulsory for the P67, but it isn't. For absolute perfection in landscapes, sure. But really, one of the truly beautiful things about the P67 is the ease with which you can use it on the street. Use fast film, keep the shutter above 1/126 and !KA-CHUNK! away. You have fabulous lenses for that task..

I actually don't know if a travel tripod would over any stabilization worth bothering with, to be honest.

Rob

Oh... and standard mechanical screw in cable release is fine. Get a decent one, though.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 10-14-2016, 11:07 PM  
TAV Is the Best
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 32
Views: 4,270
Each of the modes has its uses, and should not be used exclusively, but TAv is my goto auto mode these days, especially in fast changing low light. Seriously, with current sensors handling noise so well, I'm much happier with the freedom to set my shutter and aperture as I please.

The key is setting the ISO range to a level that falls within the maximum amount of noise *you* are comfortable with for the circumstances, and keeping an eye on when it redlines. if it does... adjust shutter or aperture as appropriate:).
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-08-2016, 09:45 PM  
Why does a photo shot using AV or TV show up in Adobe Bridge as shot in Auto?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 16
Views: 2,615
Use TAv and spin the teacher right out.

These days, that's my goto auto mode.
Forum: Photographic Technique 08-19-2016, 01:38 AM  
The Moon is incredible right now!
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 26
Views: 3,704
Hey Tas, great shot of the Story Bridge. I recognized it straight away and slapped my forehead that I'd never thought of shooting from that angle:).

Good luck this evening!

Rob
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 03-12-2015, 06:17 AM  
B&W film processing in Sydney (Australia)???
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 12
Views: 1,326
Hey Tsuken,

I second LesDMess' suggestion.

Now, I know there may be good reasons you don't develop your own B&W, so if that's true I hope you'll forgive this gratuitous advice. But just in case you've never considered the option as practical (I know I did for too long), I in my view developing your own film is faster, more convenient and a lot more fun that sending it to a shop.

If you buy a Paterson Tank, change bag, a few bits and pieces and your chemicals brand new from Vanbar's you'll be set back about AU$150. If you are patient and watch the various local and online classifieds, you can usually pick that stuff up for peanuts (and sometimes for free). After that, developing 35mm costs about a dollar a roll and with a small amount of practice you'll be pumping out a couple of rolls per hour. Compare that to the cost and hassle of dropping off and picking up film and even the cost of brand new gear is recovered quickly.

If you do have your reasons for not developing yourself, there are a couple of postal options. I've not tried them, but the guys at FilmNeverDie (yep...that's how they spell it) have very cheap rates. They may be worth a look.

Either way... don't give up on the film (says the bloke who has just emerged from a printing session in his newly converted laundry/darkroom:)).

Best of luck,

Rob
Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II 11-11-2014, 02:46 AM  
why I won't buy a k3 (Warning: Satire Thread)
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 102,938
Views: 4,796,356
I think it hit -6C once around here for about half an hour when I was a lad. No, I think I might be exaggerating... more like -4C for twenty minutes.
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 10-09-2014, 04:56 AM  
Pentax dslr: apsc costs more than one stop (relative to full frame)
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 239
Views: 20,515
Um... so what?
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 02-10-2014, 03:13 AM  
Are we really THAT rare?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 7,240
Views: 985,544
I was at my local camera store a few weeks ago picking up a couple of CR2s for a MZ60 I wanted to try out. But this story isn't about the MZ60, its about the sales pitch the assistant was giving a young woman and her dad about which DSLR she should sink yer holiday money into.

It came down to Canon and Nikon as far as the salesperson was concerned, and she had the young woman tossing up between a Cannon 650D and a Nikon 5100. That girl was walking out the shop with one of those cameras or the other, and that there is why retailers love the Canikon duopoly; the salesperson doesn't care so long as the customer walks out with something, and having the "choice" between Canon and Nikon makes the customer feel more in control of their decision. Any more options, and the customer is likely to just walk out the shop to "think about it"... and then spend their money elsewhere. A duopoly like Canikon is juuuuuuuust peachy for bigger retailers.

Needless to say when the sales person went out back to grab one more accessory that was vital for all new photographers, I sauntered over and suggested to the girl that she check out the K30 and twin lens kit on the bottom shelf (barely visible) that was going for about two thirds the price of the Canikons... and then I mentioned weather sealing and backwards compatibility. I think she got the message...

Rob
Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 02-10-2014, 02:52 AM  
Triggers and Strobes Questions
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 3
Views: 1,101
Hello,

I recently went through the same process when I upgraded my mismatched pair of old flashes and Hahnel transmitter/receiver sets.

I was originally tempted by the YN560III plus RF603II combo as well. However, a bit of research seemed to suggest that neither the Nikon or Canon flavour of RF603II worked well with Pentax.

In the end I went for a pair of YN560III plus two duo sets of Cactus V transceivers. The YN560IIIs are very good build quality for the price. I have had about six months flawless operation with at least one studio shoot a week, while making all the usual mistakes. I only bought the Cactus V's a few weeks ago, but they have worked very well so far in combination. My only fault with the Cactus units are that they are unnecessarily large and can cause some ergonomic issues with some brackets.

In case you are interested, I usually use one Cactus on my K5, one one each of the YN560IIs, and the last one on either a third flash or sitting on my K10D (also no issues). The Cactus V has also worked flawlessly with two different Sigma strobes and a couple of Canon speedlights. Neither the Cactus or the YN560III's work with TTL metering, so its manual all the way... but in the studio, who cares?

Best of luck!

Rob

Note: You can get by with YN560IIs if you aren't using the RF603IIs. Apparently the only difference between the 'II and the 'III is that the 'III is made to work wirelessly with the RF603II.
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 01-09-2014, 03:42 AM  
Darkroom build thread.
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 17
Views: 2,504
Just do it.

After a couple of years shooting digital, I took up film the Christmas before last and haven't looked back. My advice is not procrastinate too long on building a perfect dark room. About twenty seconds after I got my first prints back from the lab a bit over a year ago, I knew I wanted to develop and print my own, so I started planning a "good" darkroom. I thought I had the answer when the studio I joined had an old darkroom, but endless small issues with plumbing and electricity meant it never got up to speed. The problem I had was that I had no idea what I was doing and no-one to teach me so I could not tell what was really important or not. I was going for text-book perfect because text-books were all I had to go on.

Then, one afternoon over this Christmas just gone, I was looking at my enlarger and other gear sitting in the garage (scrounged for next to nothing over the past twelve months)... and just decided to do it. I taped up the kitchen window, put up a curtain rail with an old black out curtain across the threshold, dragged in a trestle table and set up the gear. I waited for the sun to go down and two hours later I had my first prints drying on pegs. They were okay, too.

Now, I won't be doing chemistry in my kitchen again anytime soon... but the simple act of running a few prints has given me a huge insight into what I actually need. The real dark room is underway in an old laundry now that I previously thought was too small.

You are lucky to have someone to teach you... so just scrounge that gear, set it up someplace and get printing...

Best of luck, and love that film:)
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 12-19-2013, 12:36 AM  
Are There Any Good Books On Darkroom Processing?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 9
Views: 4,584
Hello,

Sounds like I might just be a few months further down the track than you are. I shot digital and then decided I wanted to shoot film and develop it myself just for kicks.

I didn't use a single book, but rather used some simple guides and an experimental approach. I usually don't mind learning from text books, but I struggled to find one that gave me enough specifics to be able to walk through the process of development second by second and degree by degree. I would recommend starting with the Ilford guide to black and white development (just look it up). Yes, to use it you will be using Ilford products, but these are pretty good in any case and what you will have is a very detailed approach to developing your first few rolls. It also provides a good list of equipment and I would recommend following the guide as closely as possible. I cut a few corners (with a cheap thermometer, for example) and ended up wishing I'd gone for proper kit at the outset. Also, follow the guide as closely as possible, even down to the timing af agitations, even if it seems pedantic. All those steps are designed to get you to a reliably good negative... after you achieve that you can go practice advanced techniques for better results that suite your style and environment (I live in a warm and humid climate, for example, which means I have to modify my process quite a bit to those used in more temperate climes).

Getting a few rolls developed in a shop is not a bad idea. You will need these as reference rolls so you you have something to compare your own efforts to. Also, perhaps just invest in the developing gear first and master that while scanning negs for the first few months. Otherwise, learning the whole process in one hit may be frustrating since you need decent negs to create a decent enlargement in any case.

So don't worry about the book and use that money on a thermometer instead. Be brave and be ready to lose a few rolls to experience. Be pedantic and prosaic before trying for experimental and extraordinary. Besides, the great thing about film is that extraordinary sometimes comes as a complete surprise, anyway.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 10-18-2013, 02:15 AM  
Are we really THAT rare?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 7,240
Views: 985,544
Really guys... where are you all living? I haven't posted in a while (this is one of my favourite threads), but I keep seeing Pentaxes all over the place. Was walking across King George Square today and saw a white K-r on a tripod being operated by a young bloke. His girlfriend had a red one.

Make no mistake... I see ten or twenty times as many other brands.... but that still means about five or ten percent of cameras is a Pentax, so I see one every few days. Then there is the K1000 thing that was happening with the hipsters round here a while ago...
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 08-16-2013, 12:14 AM  
Pentax AF-200FG vs. Yongnuo YN560EX
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 12
Views: 2,342
I have this flash. I bought it on a bang-for-buck basis, and for that I suppose it comes out okay. It's strengths are its price, features (once you figure them out) and power. It's drawbacks are terrible ergonomics, questionable build and dodgy wireless functions (until you get the hang of them). I have never had an issue with charge times.

Having said that, I have used the thing a lot for almost eighteen busy months now and I have figured out all the quirks, so the ergonomics are not so much of an issue. Also, surprisingly, none of the parts I expected to fail have failed and it still works perfectly (I really expected to loose either the battery door or the wide angle screen, but both are fine).

All in all. thoughI still wish I had sprung a bit extra for a the Metz of similar guide number... though these days I would just go for the Yongnuo manual.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 08-04-2013, 05:32 PM  
My First Wedding - Robert und Sylvia (31 images)
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 37
Views: 10,070
Alex,

Great write up. So much of what you said resonated with my first wedding experience. In many way's I could write up mine and do a point-for-point summary stating "If you don't use Alex's tip, this will happen":)!

I was roped in for a mate's wedding. Photography is not my day job, either, so it was still intimidating and I thought I should prepare as though it were the "real thing". I half did, doing a walk around of the site and writing down a list of key shots all wedding photographers should take. But, in the end it nearly turned into a debacle because of a silly assumption on my part. It was supposed to be a quiet affair, a few guests at the registry followed by steaks. It turned out to be sixty guests and a booked out restaurant. I failed to take my mate's tendency for understatement into account, and wonder if someone with a military background would have paid a bit more attention to this important bit of intel;)?! Well, thank goodness for the prep, and with a little innovation it all went down a treat.

The biggest thing that resonated was your emphasis on preparation. I do the same deal with my gear. I have a table on which I lay out all of my gear and then pack it all individually. I never leave a bag packed; this means I always have to pack every time, so must make a visual check of everything going in. Yes, this takes a bit more time, but the key is storing everything properly so packing is less laborious and it's not as though I often get called out on shoots at a second's notice. Lucky I did in this instance, because it meant I consciously packed an extra flash, memory card and lens that I normally wouldn't take in a light kit. I didn't take my extra body (which was nearly fatal), though I did pack my Q (which was an enormous boon). At the wedding, the extra flash was invaluable setting up some impromptu backdrops, and for an assistant if I had had the second body I could have given it to another friend I know can shoot. As it was, I grabbed a young bloke with the right attitude and a half decent Canon round his neck and co-opted him as my spotter. I told him to shoot everything interesting that I missed, and at least we had another angle on all of the big moments. Plus, in the end he took the two best shots of the night:)!

So prep can save the day (it did), and failing to plan is certainly planning to fail (true in this case, but for some good fortune!). Oh, and don't believe your mate when he says his wedding will be a small one; get the right intel... speak to the fiance:)!

But great write up, and congrats on a good job!

Rob
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 07-28-2013, 07:21 PM  
Project: A brief foray into film.
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 20
Views: 2,794
Hey Earl,

Great story. My prediction is that you will pick that MZ-S up in about a year or so and give it another swing.

I got into photography just a couple of years ago, and after I had been shooting digital for a couple of years a friend of mine thought it was time I learned photography and so gave me a K1000. I shot my first couple of rolls just like you did, and I remember being intimidated by the mystique of film and using a fully manual camera (my K1000 battery was a dud when I used it that first time, so Sunny Sixteen all the way). The film was straight Kodak Gold 400 and the lens was a classic M50 f2. Anyway, I was amazed to discover that after a full day's worth of shooting around Melbourne, I had only taken the 36 frames of those two rolls. When I picked the film up from the lab (I rushed off and had them processed at a i hour joint) I was amazed at how wonderful that film effect was.... and how forgiving the format was, too. But most of all, it was just somehow intangibly different.

The experience was fun for all the reasons you state... except I was hooked. These days the two cameras you will most likely find in my bag are the K1000 and my Q. My K5 gets a run only when I need to do something that requires its capabilities . I have started the long road of learning to develop and print my own film.

So, my advice is keep that camera... or sell it at a good price if you can and buy an old manual camera instead. I don't say I prefer film, but film brings another dimension to my photography, another process to explore.

Again, great story and thanks for sharing.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 07-26-2013, 01:17 AM  
Are we really THAT rare?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 7,240
Views: 985,544
I get this all the time. It's because we live in a world where everyone has been trained to be brand loyalists and part of that training is to fear and loath "lesser brands" more than similar "big brands". You can see it in other areas as well. Walk up to two guys arguing the toss over Ford and Holden, and announce yourself as a Volvo or Subaru driver. The two big name fanbois will turn on the newcomer, because they are more afraid of the unknown that the newcomer represents than they are of their own evil twin. Ford and Holden are actually so similar in product and approach, that a criticism of one is really a criticism of both... and non-conformity is the greatest criticism of all. It's your classic market duopoly dynamic; the major players actually ensure their mutual survival by killing of the real competition. The end result from a consumer's point of view is effective monopoly (ie: bad news for innovation and competition).

Photography is not my day job; it is a hobby and an art form for me. However, I have been lucky enough to start getting enough paid gigs now that I can effectively feed my hobby with my hobby. That which I earn by the lens gets spent on the lens. This means that I am rubbing shoulders with a lot of lesser professionals and wannabe professionals and the comments I get for using Pentax gear in some discussions reflect the duopoly theory precisely. I have actually been bailed up by two competing Canikon guys and told that my Pentax should not be used for professional shooting, and that my work cannot be good enough as a result. Well, that might be true, but that would be because I am only an average photographer. But when pressed on why Pentax is to blame for my average photos, the effective response is that only Canon and Nikon are used by professionals...

Anyway, folks, the impression I am getting is that the prosumer ranks (these are the most vocal) of photographers are filled with individuals who know more about camera gear stats than they know about taking photos. They are prime candidates for marketing and the brand snobbery that follows from it.The real professionals I have been lucky enough to encounter know enough to realize that gear is just gear and I can actually understand why they go Canikon; they are looking for a complete system, and every accessory made for cameras is made first for Canikon. Really, not even Pentax loyalists can argue with that. I love my cost effective Pentax stuff, but if I was earning my real money from photography I would want to buy into the system with ubiquitous support. But as for most other camera toting folk... it all comes down to the marketing and people's training as good little consumers.

That is why two mega-companies selling stuff that is too expensive for mediocre products can whip companies that produce innovative and cost effective stuff at the cash register. Pentax only really stands a chance with folk who are pragmatists, sentimentalists, experimentalists or are simply bloody minded. But lets not forget... its not as though Canikon produce rubbish cameras, either. Get a modern DSLR from any of these manufacturers and you are going to get an amazing bit of gear, especially when you compare what you are getting with a lot of other consumer-grade electronic fluff.

As one last little example of the power of simple brand identification... my offsider who actually runs the biz side of my photographic ventures has decided she'd like to jump behind the lens, too (she has a better eye than me, after all!). After me teaching her on Pentax and us producing all of our successful stuff on Pentax (ya know, the reason we have a biz in the first place)... now that she is looking at cameras herself she is going to get a Canon or a Nikon. She doesn't know which. She doesn't know why. She actually described it as simply feeling that with Pentax she was always alone... and that Canikon is all around. You can't reason with that:).
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 07-03-2013, 01:38 AM  
Eye-fi support
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 16
Views: 6,819
Well, I can confirm that the Eye-Fi cards work on both K-5 and Q Classic. I set them both up on the latest firmware, but neither showed any contextual menus. I set the Eye-Fi using it's own software and happily swap the card between all cameras (even the ol' K10D) with no worries at all. In fact, I think that is one of the key conveniences of the card; it is NOT camera dependant and for that reason I'd actually rather not have interfacing firmware on the camera. Although a little tricky to set up I followed the instructions carefully and it works like a charm on my Windows 7 notebook, my ancient Android tablet (pre Icecream Sandwich) as well as my up to the minute Android phone. I know it works on the girlfriend's Mac as well. I just swap the card between cameras and toggle the devices and the darned thing just works. I love it, and there is a lot to love for what it is; just so long as no-one expects it to be a replacement for tethering, which it isn't.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 06-16-2013, 05:55 AM  
Are we really THAT rare?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 7,240
Views: 985,544
Hello Gordon; you may have me at a disadvantage. If we we met at the fair, I didn't connect you to the poster who scored that fabulous sounding kit in the 6x7 thread. Well done, on that!

As for my own 6x7 adventure, I have vowed to stay clear until I have my 35mm film processes up to a satisfactory level. I have a good K1000 kit now (thanks to a couple of purchases at the fair and a gorgeous Pentax-M 80-200 4.5 and M-28 2.8 immediately after), but am still struggling with the finer points of developing. After I have that sorted, I will start enlarging, with most of the bits and pieces for a darkroom already scrounged and assembled. Only after I have my analogue workflow for 35mm sorted will I allow myself to think about the 67 again:). Maybe at that point I'll drop you a line and you can show me the gear you scored... so I will have an idea of the standard to look for! I was very envious reading that list of gear.

Cheers.

Oh... and I didn't see any Pentax cameras today that weren't mine...
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 06-07-2013, 07:12 PM  
Are we really THAT rare?
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 7,240
Views: 985,544
I saw that in the paper... but Brisbane isn't Sydney. Oh, well.

The selectors must have been after a particular look. That second photo is my preference too... great lens flare and dramatic palette. The first looks like a (very nice) postcard.

I am beginning to think I must be hallucinating. Was out with my K1000 in town the other day trying not lo look like a hipster while taking some long(ish) exposures on tripod with cable release. Saw a stormtrooper K-x... passed close enough for me to identify it positively. I pointed and waved, but the owner just looked at me strangely and quickened his pace. Seriously, all the Pentaxes are here!!!
Forum: Pentax Q 05-30-2013, 08:44 AM  
There should be a warning here...
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 28
Views: 3,015
And right there is the charm of the Q. The charm that all the pixel-peeping, number-crunching, sensor-envy types who pooh-poohed the Q will never understand. Somehow, this camera is just a joy to use and I take more photos with it than all my other cameras combined (K5 included).

Be unrepentant, mtngal!
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 05-27-2013, 05:17 AM  
Aarg getting film onto plastic reels
Posted By TheOtherRob
Replies: 22
Views: 3,134
Crabe919...

Firstly, I feel your pain. I have been shooting and developing film for a few months now and I can say that loading that reel is the source of much frustration. I use a Paterson two-reel tank and have been sampling lots of types of film, but have also reached that odd point where an otherwise smooth-loading roll just gets hung up and will go no further. It was tangible point I seemed to get to with each 36 exposure roll. I don't know if it is any one thing, rather a combination of accumulating errors that mean those last few twists are more sensitive than the first. Some of the things I do to minimize this are as follows:

I don't fully rewind film in camera. I have a K1000, so there is a noticeable release of tension when the film comes off the winding spool. I give the crank one last turn at that point and I am left with the narrow tongue and a couple of frames hanging out of the film canister when I pop the back (ie: the stuff that was exposed when winding the film on). I am careful to keep the plastic canisters, so I can pop the roll back in until I am ready to develop it.

This means two things. First, when I am ready to load a reel, I can actually start the film on the reel outside the change-bag by snipping off the leader and winding on those exposed frames with the rest of the film safely inside its canister. That's just the start, though (with practice, loading a reel in the bag is no biggie anyway). The main thing is that while you are winding the roll on in the change bag, there is no excess film exposed in the change bag... you just extract a few frames at a time. This helps keep unwanted contact with the film to a minimum and also served to keep the film nicely taut and straight as you are winding. I find this helps tremendously in keeping the feed of the film smooth.

The other thing is to consciously slow down your winding as the roll progresses. I know I ruined at least two rolls when I stopped paying attention and cranked the reel too hard after the first dozen or so "easy" frames were on the reel. Remember that in the last few twist you are dragging a lot of film through that reel. You have to keep it slow and make sure your thumbs stay near the entry point to guide the film on. This gets more important the further you get into the reel.

But don't give up! I still bugger the odd roll up and it is just a matter of working out your own repertoire of tricks.
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