Best Stainless Steel reel for 120?

I have a number of the Hewes stainless steel reels for 35mm.
But none of my 120 reels are marked.
The one I have has a wire clip in the center but its really not easy to center or get secured.
What brand SS reels do you recommend? And why!?

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but I don't like any stainless steel reels for 120 (don't love them for 35mm either). I'd suggest the Jobo 1500 series reels. I find them foolproof.

I use only Nikors

The older Nikor reels are nice. 120 Hewes reels are beautiful. I have pretty much adopted Jobo.

I have not used SS 120 reels enough to develop the skill.

Cheap reels have soft wire that bends easily and are miserable.

I have a very old Honeywell reel. Been using it for well over 50 years.

Back in September, I asked a similar question, "What Is the Second-Best SS reel for processing 120 film?" Based on my experience with stainless steel reels for 135 film, I assumed Hewes reels were also the best for 120 film, but I was reluctant to pay the price. After reading the replies, I decided the brand makes less difference for 120 than it does for 135.

Now that I have had the opportunity to try a few different brands of 120 reels, I can confirm that I can see very little difference in actual use. Sometimes I have a little trouble getting the film centered in the wire clip -- and sometimes I don't. If I can't get the film started under the clip, after one or two tries, I just lay the end of the film over the top of the clip and start winding. Works fine.

So for me, the bottom line is: as long as they haven't been damaged, the brand of ss reel is not a significant issue for 120 film.

I only use Kindermann 120 reels. The ones with the black center for use with the film loader. I use them with the loader but they are easy to use without as well.

I have collected approximately 25 reels over the years and prefer the Hewes. They are more robust and have dropped them a few times without damage. I find the wide clip easier to use for centering the film in the dark. Other than Hewes at $75.00 new, just about any propular brand that is used and has not been damaged. Unfortunately you don't know if it has been damaged until you buy and test it. I would be more inclined to buy a used Hewes than any other brand.

I believe mine are Nikor. I've never had an issue with them. I've been all stainless for 35mm and 120 for the better part of the last 10 years. The hardest is a 36 exposure roll of thin-base film like Ultramax 400. I think 120 is the easiest. Much less punishing of minor alignment mistakes at the start.

Nikor. Hewes. Kinderman.... they're all top notch

I have 6 or 7 at last count, Nikor, Honeywell and some that I have no idea who made them. I bought a few in the 60s and still use them, just dont find any difference between them at all. With 135 brand does make a difference, not in 120.

If you come across used reels and are wondering what brand they are, the HEWES reels that I had had HEWES inscribed on the cross braces, like this:

Matt -- I vaguely remembering Hewes went to a a lighter gauge that is no longer printed with "HEWES". But I won't take a bet on it...

But 120 reels by nature are stiffer beasts than the thinner-gauged 35mm reels. I use a variety and as long as they are not bent, all seem to work fine. Just center oneself to the universe...

Whenever someone creates something more fool-proof, nature seems to come up with a better fool...

brian steinberger said:

I only use Kindermann 120 reels. The ones with the black center for use with the film loader. I use them with the loader but they are easy to use without as well.

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Those are my very favourites in both 35mm & 120.... !

darinwc said:

I have a number of the Hewes stainless steel reels for 35mm.
But none of my 120 reels are marked.
The one I have has a wire clip in the center but its really not easy to center or get secured.
What brand SS reels do you recommend? And why!?

Click to expand...

The Hewes 120 and 220 reels have wire clips just like Brand X, I don't love that "feature" but the build quality is still first rate. BTW the clips feel "backwards" compared to some others so you don't want to try using a mix of 120 reel types, it will mess with your head in the loading bag or darkroom!

MattKing said:

If you come across used reels and are wondering what brand they are, the HEWES reels that I had had HEWES inscribed on the cross braces, like this:

View attachment 391384

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YUP! And some brands will have little bands to brand them. And of course the Kindermann reels will have little cranks.

darkroommike said:

YUP! And some brands will have little bands to brand them. And of course the Kindermann reels will have little cranks.

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The Kindermans don't all come with cranks, but they have a black plastic core with a hole for mounting the loading device....

I have a mix of Nikor, Kinderman, Omega, and whatever other brand(or undbranded) ones I've accumulated.

Honestly, with 120, I don't notice much difference between them. Some of them do have distinctive film clips, but I don't really like any of them as I find they all tend to distort the film enough to make loading difficult. In fact in some ways I prefer the less robust wire clips on "generic" reels as they seem to just get in the way less.

All 120 reels use heavy gauge wire, and they are both more durable and IMO universally nice loading. I'll ocasionally get one that's banged up and won't load right, but the chances of that happening are MUCH lower than most any 35mm reel(I even have one Hewes that I have sitting aside-I can't bring myself to toss it-that looks to have been dropped, has some bends, and doesn't load well).

220 is a different story. The 220 Nikors I have are measureably better in most any way to other 220 reels I've used. Their construction is a lot like a 220 version of a Hewes 35mm.

The only real downside to the Nikor 220 reels-and this is a big one-is that they are ~4 1/2" in diameter, and not the standard ~3.5". This means you have to use a special tank designed, as best as I'm aware, just for these reels. I only have one-it's a two reel tank, but I've never developed more than a single roll in it. A lot of that is because my recent 220 film has been C-41, and I only had 1L of C41 chemistry mixed when I was doing it. As best as I recall, I measured 1.25L to cover both reels.

To me, it's all about the little clip or spring that retains the film. I became "most proficient" with the ones in college that have the small wire "V" in the center. One can certainly learn to use anything, but those are the type I got along with the best. After getting away from the darkroom for a while, I ended up with a Patterson tank and reels and I have found the transition to plastic to be pretty easy. I still have stainless stuff around though.

MTGseattle said:

To me, it's all about the little clip or spring that retains the film. I became "most proficient" with the ones in college that have the small wire "V" in the center. One can certainly learn to use anything, but those are the type I got along with the best. After getting away from the darkroom for a while, I ended up with a Patterson tank and reels and I have found the transition to plastic to be pretty easy. I still have stainless stuff around though.

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I learned to roll film onto the Nikkor (and other) SS reels without using the clip. It's much easier. You just slide the end of the film into the center of the reel and start winding.

chuckroast said:

I learned to roll film onto the Nikkor (and other) SS reels without using the clip. It's much easier. You just slide the end of the film into the center of the reel and start winding.

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I'd love to hear more about this. I've always used the thin wire "clip" in the center. I find I have to maintain a bit of pull tension on the film while I wind it on or else it gets mis-aligned very easily. Even a couple of my 35mm reels have a weak hold with the spring clip, and while I"m winding them they tend to pull right back out.

Being able to get around issues with that spring clip in the center would be awesome.

BHuij said:

I'd love to hear more about this. I've always used the thin wire "clip" in the center. I find I have to maintain a bit of pull tension on the film while I wind it on or else it gets mis-aligned very easily. Even a couple of my 35mm reels have a weak hold with the spring clip, and while I"m winding them they tend to pull right back out.

Being able to get around issues with that spring clip in the center would be awesome.

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Assuming you are right handed:

• Make sure the end is cut square
• Insert into open port of the reel center with right hand
• Hold the film in place with your left index finger
• Start winding the film holding the film bu its edged with your right hand but turning the wheel with your left hand, finger still on the center
• Once the film as a turn on it, you can release your left finger and keep turning the reel with your left hand while feeding the film with your right
• I periodically stop turning the reel and push the film in very slightly with my right hand while now gently rocking the reel with my left. This ensures the film feeds squarely onto the reel as you go.

This sounds far more complicated than it is. Get an old roll of film you're not going to shoot and practice in the light until you get it right, and then work on it in the dark.

The old reels never had a clip at all, so this isn't some magic I invented. it's how I learned to load film back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

I have a strong preference for Nikor SS reels because they have the best wind spacing of any reel I've used AND have the minimal amount of contact with the film. This promotes maximum fluid flow and evenness of agitation across the film surface. This is somewhat of an issue for normal agitation, but it is a Really Big Deal (tm) for low agitation/long duration development like Semistand or EMA. I tend to do a fair bit of this and have never had any issues with the Nikor reels. (The plastic reels with high wind walls are a nightmare of bromide drag and yuck if you try doing this with them.)

chuckroast said:

Assuming you are right handed:

• Make sure the end is cut square
• Insert into open port of the reel center with right hand
• Hold the film in place with your left index finger
• Start winding the film holding the film bu its edged with your right hand but turning the wheel with your left hand, finger still on the center
• Once the film as a turn on it, you can release your left finger and keep turning the reel with your left hand while feeding the film with your right
• I periodically stop turning the reel and push the film in very slightly with my right hand while now gently rocking the reel with my left. This ensures the film feeds squarely onto the reel as you go.

This sounds far more complicated than it is. Get an old roll of film you're not going to shoot and practice in the light until you get it right, and then work on it in the dark.

The old reels never had a clip at all, so this isn't some magic I invented. it's how I learned to load film back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

I have a strong preference for Nikor SS reels because they have the best wind spacing of any reel I've used AND have the minimal amount of contact with the film. This promotes maximum fluid flow and evenness of agitation across the film surface. This is somewhat of an issue for normal agitation, but it is a Really Big Deal (tm) for low agitation/long duration development like Semistand or EMA. I tend to do a fair bit of this and have never had any issues with the Nikor reels. (The plastic reels with high wind walls are a nightmare of bromide drag and yuck if you try doing this with them.)

Click to expand...

I'll definitely give this a shot tonight.

BHuij said:

I'll definitely give this a shot tonight.

Click to expand...

It takes practice. Let us know how it goes.

chuckroast said:

Assuming you are right handed:

• Make sure the end is cut square
• Insert into open port of the reel center with right hand
• Hold the film in place with your left index finger
• Start winding the film holding the film bu its edged with your right hand but turning the wheel with your left hand, finger still on the center
• Once the film as a turn on it, you can release your left finger and keep turning the reel with your left hand while feeding the film with your right
• I periodically stop turning the reel and push the film in very slightly with my right hand while now gently rocking the reel with my left. This ensures the film feeds squarely onto the reel as you go.

Click to expand...

Is this after you have removed the backing paper? Or do you let the backing paper fall away as you load?