Film noob; thinking of buying a bulk roll of Illford HP5 and a bulk loader instead of Tri-X rolls

[rpavich]

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I'm a noob but I realize how much film costs already.

 

I priced a 100' roll of Illford HP5 at B&H; it's $55.00

 

If I get 20 rolls out of that that comes out to $2.75 a roll...not bad at all.

 

 

Even with buying the film cassettes and bulk loader it's cheaper than buying Tri-X.

 

Do you more experienced folks see any flaw in my plan?

Edited August 17, 2015 by rpavich

[chrism]

Best part for me is that I can make short loads of 24 frames if that's what I want.

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[earleygallery]

I've never bothered with bulk film, but as it's increasingly difficult to find film on the high street it makes sense. I must look into it also.

[Jeff S]

Buy the film that best complements your shooting and print style, then seek the best deal on it that you can use and/or store.   That's how I would prioritize.

 

Jeff

[fotohuis]

From 100ft/30,5m you can make 18 pcs. 135-36 films. The price of bulk film can be very different. Foma, Rollei and OrWo Filmotec are in Europe interesting. Kodak and Ilford are already pretty expensive. In the USA it will be certainly a different situation.

[rpavich]

Buy the film that best complements your shooting and print style, then seek the best deal on it that you can use and/or store.   That's how I would prioritize.

 

Jeff

I don't have a shooting or print style yet...that might be a benefit that while I'm learning, that I don't incur lots of cost.

[pico]

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There is no disadvantage to using bulk loads. I did it for many years.

 

One tip: be careful in choosing cassettes. The felt gate can pick up

grit and scratch the film. I pull a little piece of masking tape through

the felt gate when the cassettes is still open to clean it.

 

I use the same masking tape to attach the film to the spool.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

[Michael Hiles]

The old Leica cassettes are very nice. Not easy to find, but they are infinitely reusable, and there is no felt light block - a gap for the film opens when the camera's bottom plate is closed.

[pico]

The old Leica cassettes are very nice. Not easy to find, but they are infinitely reusable, and there is no felt light block - a gap for the film opens when the camera's bottom plate is closed.

 

Thanks for the reminder. Not all bulk loaders open and close the cassettes. The old Watson 66B did.

Unfortunately, the later Leicas cannot use them. Perhaps someone can tell us which model was

the last that could.

[TomB_tx]

My early M6 can still use the M3 style cassettes, but I believe later can not, and of course the M5 can't either.

[NJH]

I don't know about anywhere else but bulk rolls here in the UK will tend to mean something like Kentmere 100/400 or import Ilford Pan 100/400, those are where the value is, Tri-X is crazy money here bought bulk and occasionally some of the retailers will have blowouts on certain films. I scored 10 rolls of Tri-X earlier this year in a deal like that, ISTR it was not much more than £3 a roll. I am currently converting my upstairs closet into a darkroom suitable for tank loading etc. too small to use as a print darkroom but will give me enough space to fiddle with film in the dark. 

[pico]

, Tri-X is crazy money here bought bulk...

How unfortunate. At one time Kodak shipped bulk Tri-X, usually in 120 format to Ireland where it was cut, rolled and repackaged so that even considering the expense of shipping back to the USA it was still less expensive! Apparently packaging was something Kodak struggled with

[pixie]

My preference for Ilford Film and Kentmere is that these films dry FLAT.

Using a basic scanner, the Canonscan, curved film is a no-no.

Simply not scaneable.

Kentmre 400 is not Ilford HP5, but a nice film..

Developer is Kodak HC-110.

Ratio 1:30 or 1:50.

!8 films of 36 tops..

One can cut shorter lengths, but leaders use up film..

Kentmre 400 costs less than bulk loaded Tri-X.(Canada).

[fotohuis]

Absolute flat is drying the new Foma Retropan 320 Soft film, suitable from iso 160-800 and the Foma price is more then OK. It is a low contrast type film with pronounced grain structure, more or less comparable like the old Tri-X 400. Good combination you can get with HC-110 (B, 1+31) for 8:30 minutes (20C).

[NJH]

How unfortunate. At one time Kodak shipped bulk Tri-X, usually in 120 format to Ireland where it was cut, rolled and repackaged so that even considering the expense of shipping back to the USA it was still less expensive! Apparently packaging was something Kodak struggled with

Yeah I don't get it, have a look at this UK based retailers prices to see what I mean:

http://www.firstcall-photographic.co.uk/categories/39/bulk-b-w-film

£170 or so for Tri-X 30m vs £42 for Kentmere 400 30m. That seems typical here for bulk reels which at that price makes one think why on earth would anyone buy TriX bulk in the UK when every now and then one of the internet retailers such as Mathers will do a dell on 36 exp cartons of the stuff.

[philipus]

Tri-X bulk load doesn't make sense in Europe (unless one finds it for a good deal or really needs to load short rolls). I've been very pleased with Kentmere 400. Inexpensive and delivering nice, sort of old school results in HC-110.

 

Absolute flat is drying the new Foma Retropan 320 Soft film, suitable from iso 160-800 and the Foma price is more then OK. It is a low contrast type film with pronounced grain structure, more or less comparable like the old Tri-X 400. Good combination you can get with HC-110 (B, 1+31) for 8:30 minutes (20C).

Hartelijk bedankt Robert. I didn't know this. 

[fotohuis]

For the bulk loader I can advise you the AP model (from Spain). The mechanism is better then the Restem/Watson type and the tape end on the cassette cylinder length is shorter then the other models. 

For iso 400 films apart from the mentioned Retropan 320 Soft, Rollei RPX-400, N74+ (OrWo Filmotec, in fact cine film) and if you can live with less speed and less good in pushing: Fomapan 400 (in fact an iso 250 film). All mentioned films are less then Eur. 50 for 30,5m/100ft.