Do you "roll your own"?

[Tony-S]

I have two loaders, one with Technical Pan and one with Legacy Pro 100. I don't shoot much 35mm anymore.

 

[nworth]

For 35mm, yes. I have bulk loaders with TX and TMX in the refrigerator right now. I like being able to make custom length rolls, especially since I experiment a quite a bit. I have loaded cassettes directly from the bulk spool, which is quite easy. That would be my approach if I didn't have some excess bulk loaders.

 

[2F/2F]

I have two bulk loaders and a bunch of cassettes that I inherited. I personally have no good reason to use them, though. Pre-loaded cassettes make sense to me. Too much monkey business for me bulk loading. There are already enough things for me to screw up as it is. I'd use them if I got a bunch of bulk film for very cheap, especially if it was an emulsion that is no longer made. I'd love to find several bulk rolls of frozen 320T, for example.

 

[mrred]

I have 3 loaders on the go. on holds my BW 100 (foma 100 lately), another BW 400 (Neopan 400 lately) and another for C41 (Portra 160 NC and should have bought more spools while I could). It *is* the way to go.

 

[pentaxuser]

If the OP is looking to bulk load, I have two recommendations. Either the AP/Bobinquick or the Telesar. The former is one of the neatest and most foolproof loaders I have come across and will take the kind of bulk rolls with metal covers such as Legacy film was rolled onto.

The Telesar won't unless you file down the ribs on the top cover. Not particularly difficult to do but in its favour it is a labyrithine loader that doesn't use a light gate that crimps the film or light-tight felt trap so no danger of scratches from dust.

Both are accurate measurers of the number of frames and of the footage remaining in the film compartment.


pentaxuser

 

[BetterSense]

I do periodically, but for Tri-X and T-Max 400, the cost for factory rolls is so low ($3.50), it doesn't seem worth it.

Where are you buying your film from? I buy from Freestyle and I find the discount for bulk TMY is substantial. TMY is $5.29 per roll, but bulk TMY is $54 per can which works out to about $3 per roll or a 43% savings. Are you finding a lower price on pre-rolled TMY?

 

[Tim Gray]

B&H has Tri-X and TMY for about $3.50 a roll. TMY might be 10 or 20 cents more. Since I live outside of Philly, B&H is WAY faster with shipping so I usually order from them. If I get my order in before lunch, I can usually have it the next day, even if I select the cheapest shipping option.

Factor in canisters and time, and the savings with bulk rolls isn't substantial at those prices. Not enough to interest me. I have done Plus-X in the past because factory loads were in the $5-6 dollar range and the bulk rolls were about $50. Now however the situation has reversed. Factory loads for $4.50 and bulk rolls are $70. Not worth it anymore in my book.

I did just get a bulk roll of Panatomic-X though. I'll certainly use that I'm also looking into doing some Vision3 500T if I can figure out processing.

 

[hpulley]

I have 3 loaders on the go. on holds my BW 100 (foma 100 lately), another BW 400 (Neopan 400 lately) and another for C41 (Portra 160 NC and should have bought more spools while I could). It *is* the way to go.

Portra 160NC (2009 expired) 100' rolls are still on eBay.

 

[Clay2]

Yes I bulk load Tri-X using new plastic re-loadable cassettes and my limited
supply of the old Kodak cassettes with the pop-off ends.Just treat them gently when
unloading the camera.Also have a few of the old Nikon re-loadable cassettes.
Best regards,
/Clay

 

[frobozz]

Portra 160NC (2009 expired) 100' rolls are still on eBay.

Are they definitely perforated? I've seen auctions where if you look closely you can see it's the unperfed 35mm, which I bet is a real shocker to the unsuspecting buyers!

Duncan

 

[Moopheus]

Are they definitely perforated? I've seen auctions where if you look closely you can see it's the unperfed 35mm, which I bet is a real shocker to the unsuspecting buyers!

Duncan

Ultrafine has some old-stock Portra rolls. Some of the other dealers are selling unperfed rolls, for cheap.

 

[hpulley]

Ultrafine has some old-stock Portra rolls. Some of the other dealers are selling unperfed rolls, for cheap.

Ultrafine has both. I buy unperfed for my 126 hand loads, they're a good deal: starting bid $23.95 a roll or $29.95 buy it now. The perfed is $49.95 buy it now, don't recall what the starting bid was.

 

[mikecnichols]

I haven't rolled my own since I first started seriously shooting. We used to roll our own TriX for astrophotography in an advanced astronomy class in college.

 

[anon12345]

I started using a Watson 100 in May last year. I'm glad I started.

 

[wblynch]

I only wish we could get unperforated 35mm in black and white.

Or, even better.... with 126 Instamatic perforations already punched!!

 

[removed account4]

i just rolled another roll of 122.
this time i am using rebranded
ilford mgrc ... no type on the back
so it is ez to contact print ...

 

[hpulley]

I only wish we could get unperforated 35mm in black and white.

Or, even better.... with 126 Instamatic perforations already punched!!

You and me both! What I would do to find a crate of Verichrome Pan 126 in deep freeze somewhere... but unperfed FP4+ would do

 

[happyjam64]

I only wish we could get unperforated 35mm in black and white.
Or, even better.... with 126 Instamatic perforations already punched!!

Just stumbled across this...
http://www.macodirect.de/surv-perforated-13536-p-1932.html
Anyway, I have a couple bulk loaders. One for tri-x and one for apx100. Ah, I love apx100, I have about one and a half 100ft rolls left.
We also bulk load at school, I just finished rolling 99 rolls of delta 400. Why 99? That's all that would fit in the ilford 8x10 box haha!

 

[hankthetank]

Buying a bulk lot of 10 expired HP5+ rolls in 2009 was my first go at b+w (and processing myself). Loved it. So late last year I bought a bulk 100ft Tri-X. Then I got a bulk loader at the photo fair in Melbourne late last year as well. Started my first roll on Jan 1 this year, and am now on my 5th roll. The economics for me are a no brainer, especially when factoring in the (relative) non-cost of chemicals. It looks like I actually *will* get 17 rolls of 36-exp for a cost of $71/17 = $4.17 per roll.

I ran down my D-76 with the intention of standardising on Adonol. But that looks like being impossible to get in Melbourne, so I will look at one of DD-X, ID-11, LC29, or XTOL. I rate Tri-X at 400-1600.

 

[hpulley]

Just stumbled across this...
http://www.macodirect.de/surv-perforated-13536-p-1932.html
Anyway, I have a couple bulk loaders. One for tri-x and one for apx100. Ah, I love apx100, I have about one and a half 100ft rolls left.

Developing times Rollei Retro 400S, very interesting! Thanks for that link. In reusable 35mm cartridges too.

We also bulk load at school, I just finished rolling 99 rolls of delta 400. Why 99? That's all that would fit in the ilford 8x10 box haha!

99 rolls of Delta 400 on the wall, 99 rolls of Delta, take one down, shoot it around...98 rolls of Delta 400...

 

[IloveTLRs]

Yes, I've been rolling my own for over two years now. I use Tri-X 400 exclusively, though I'd like to get into FP4+ and Pan F+ 50.

I started without a bulk loader and am too lazy to get one now. I use plastic, metal and original cassettes (Leica & Nikon.) It takes about 5 minutes to do 5 rolls, and could not be any easier.

 

[happyjam64]

99 rolls of Delta 400 on the wall, 99 rolls of Delta, take one down, shoot it around...98 rolls of Delta 400...

I don't know, that's a pretty hard toss up between beer and Delta 400

 

[walbergb]

I've rolled my own 35mm film using an Alden 74 and use electrician's tape to attach the tail end to the spool. Mainly I create 25 & 30 frames so they fit in PrintFiles (7 rows of 5 frames) and i can get the data from the top into the contact sheet. I prefer the plastic cassettes over the metal ones. I've never had the end cap come off the plastic variety. On the other hand, I frequently get one of the metal cassette ends popping off. Primarily I use T-MAX 100 (EI = 80) or HP5 400 (EI = 250). I have in my freezer some Ilford Pan F and 3 rolls of Kodalith film.

 

[hpulley]

Ordered 20 rolls of that unperforated 35mm 400 B&W film ("processing times Rollei Retro 400S", not sure if that means it is Rollei). Now to see which arrives first, that order from Deutschland or my 160NC 100' roll from Cali...

But then I'll have 20 reusable 35mm canisters so... I'll have to get a bulk 35mm perforated roll

 

[Ronald Moravec]

Is there another way? Seriously.

My leica is fed with brass cassetts and no felt lips to scratch the film. Water and air filters complete the process and I never get blemishes on film. My retouching skills are deteriorating.