UK Bulk Film Users

[MPerson]

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If you want a cheap bulk loader First Call have started selling one for £19.99. It is based on the old Lloyd's style loader, heavy plastic and works very well. I have two AP loaders but at £40 a throw too expensive to buy more. ine arrive today and I spent the morning loading 40 cassettes and it worked flawlessly.

 

They are also doing an offer of two cans of 100ft of Legacy Pro - 100 iso and 400 iso - and you get a free loader thrown in.

 

No connection with the company just a happy customer and thought worth sharing.

 

First Call Bulk Loader

 

[ATTACH]208900[/ATTACH]

[cocker]

Thanks Andy. I'm tempted. I think I'm right in thinking Legacy pro 100 & 400 are Fuji Acros and Neopan?

[MPerson]

Allegedly Keith.

[aesop]

If you want a cheap bulk loader First Call have started selling one for £19.99. It is based on the old Lloyd's style loader, heavy plastic and works very well. I have two AP loaders but at £40 a throw too expensive to buy more. ine arrive today and I spent the morning loading 40 cassettes and it worked flawlessly.

 

They are also doing an offer of two cans of 100ft of Legacy Pro - 100 iso and 400 iso - and you get a free loader thrown in.

 

No connection with the company just a happy customer and thought worth sharing.

 

First Call Bulk Loader

 

[ATTACH]208900[/ATTACH]

 

 

...I am interested in this approach to film, Andy - I have never dealt with bulk film before but am totally au fait with wet darkroom discipline.

 

How straightforward is the whole business, assuming I have purchased the requisite bits (bulk film, loader and cassettes)? In particular, is there a need to fashion leaders for each cassette? Do you have a preferred brand of cassettes/loaders and how easy/difficult is it for accidents (leakage) to occur with these?

 

Any advice will be fully appreciated. Thanks.

[Stealth3kpl]

...I am interested in this approach to film, Andy - I have never dealt with bulk film before but am totally au fait with wet darkroom discipline.

 

How straightforward is the whole business, assuming I have purchased the requisite bits (bulk film, loader and cassettes)? In particular, is there a need to fashion leaders for each cassette? Do you have a preferred brand of cassettes/loaders and how easy/difficult is it for accidents (leakage) to occur with these?

 

Any advice will be fully appreciated. Thanks.

 

I used to use a bulk film loader when I was 14 at school. It's no more complicated than loading or rewinding a used film in your camera. I used to reuse ilford FP4 cassettes.

With a Leica I don't think you'll need to fashion a leader, but I used to with the school's Practika. We never had any light leakage probs or accidents at school and you can imagine how we would mess around!

Pete

[nickdando]

I used to use the Leitz brass re-usable cassettes (N-type) in my M3. It will still work in the M6, but as I have the Leica Motor attached now, I can no longer do it.

 

The loader I used was branded as a Konica and it took a small amount of modification to fit the Leitz cassettes. It was fiddly to use as the film had to be attached to the core in the open air, the lid shut and then the film wound onto the spool. Once complete, the entire unit had to be put in a changing bag, opened up and the film cut with scissors. The cassette could then be removed from the loader and the opening slot closed, making sure that a small length was left free.

 

Pop the cassette in the camera, load as normal (awkward on the M3 as the leader had to be threaded into place and the spool put back into place), close the back and finally secure the baseplate. The baseplate latch actually operates the cassette mechanism, opening up the film slot fully. A clever piece of kit. Though they will only work with Leica M cameras, as far as I know. Does anyone know if they would work with a Leicaflex and the early Rs?

 

Nick

[peter_n]

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Bulk loading is fun and therapeutic. I use the Alden 74 model on this side of the pond. Very easy to do, never had a mistake or scratched film, and I use discarded cassettes from film labs. I also have a stash of 100 reusable cassettes if I need backup.

[MPerson]

...I am interested in this approach to film, Andy - I have never dealt with bulk film before but am totally au fait with wet darkroom discipline.

 

How straightforward is the whole business, assuming I have purchased the requisite bits (bulk film, loader and cassettes)? In particular, is there a need to fashion leaders for each cassette? Do you have a preferred brand of cassettes/loaders and how easy/difficult is it for accidents (leakage) to occur with these?

 

Any advice will be fully appreciated. Thanks.

 

Aesop - as has been said it is very easy. I fashion a leader as I use the film in other cameras as well as the Leica's. I initially fashioned a template from thick cardboard for the leader but after awhile you get an "eye" for it and now do them by hand.

 

I use the metal cassettes from First Call. I have never had a light leak in the metal cassettes and they are secure once loaded.

 

The only thing you need to check each time, before loading a batch of cassettes, is the felt light trap for dirt/dust. It can easily be removed by dabbing the felt with a small piece of blu-tack or the sticky side of the masking tape.

[aesop]

...super stuff - thanks a lot for all the input, Andy (et al). I am now fully convinced and will definitely go down this route. One last question:

 

Once the bulk film is in the loader, is it advisable to use up all the film in one go (i.e. transfer all the film into X amount of cassettes at one sitting), or to load the cassettes as and when necessary? I would imagine it is the latter, in which case a partially-used roll of bulk film can be stashed away until needed again, just like film in "regular" cassettes.

 

Again, thanks to everyone for the support.

[rob_x2004]

If you are using reloadables, and you are using a decent tape you might as well roll plenty. If you are using mini lab cast offs and using regular sticky tape that might deteriorate its probably better, within a month or so:rolleyes:, to load them as you go. If you fork out mega bucks for proper film tape it doesnt matter what you do.

[MPerson]

I use the 1" decorators masking tape from Homebase. Holds firm and peels off clean without leaving a sticky residue on the cassette spool.

 

When the cassettes are spooled I just write film name and asa on the leaders.

 

I leave the unused film in the loader with a piece of masking tape on the top detailing the film, date loaded and how many cassettes I have spooled from the roll already.

[rob_x2004]

Inch! Thats belt and braces. These days I use left overs from the happy snaps and a sellotape:p. Only problem I need a little bit of light for the but join. But at least I can sort the film cans and a hundred is a hundred, two is two etc.

[peter_n]

Once the bulk film is in the loader, is it advisable to use up all the film in one go (i.e. transfer all the film into X amount of cassettes at one sitting), or to load the cassettes as and when necessary?

I have two bulk loaders and generally use one as a "production" loader where I'll put a 100' roll in there and churn out 18-19 cassettes in one go while I'm watching the telly. The other is for short rolls of 10-12 exposures that I can use for testing. Mostly I just leave the partially used roll in that loader.

[giordano]

Does anyone know if they would work with a Leicaflex and the early Rs?

 

No, they won't.

[ejd]

If you want a cheap bulk loader First Call have started selling one for £19.99. It is based on the old Lloyd's style loader, heavy plastic and works very well. I have two AP loaders but at £40 a throw too expensive to buy more. ine arrive today and I spent the morning loading 40 cassettes and it worked flawlessly.

 

They are also doing an offer of two cans of 100ft of Legacy Pro - 100 iso and 400 iso - and you get a free loader thrown in.

 

Andy -- thanks for this. I might give it a try.

 

John