How many 100' bulk rolls have you used?

[Chris Maurer]

For any bulk roll film users how many feet have you gone through in your life? What's your biggest take-away from your experience using bulk film (pros or cons).

 

[Europan]

Eyemo user here, so hundred footers are nothing special to me. Else I only use a Minolta Pen.

 

[Chris Maurer]

Europan - Cool! I guess I should have specified for still imagery. I can imagine 24fps gets pretty expensive even for just a 5 minute short film.

 

[Ian Grant]

I dread to think, a great many - way over 100 tins from the late 1960's FP3 and HP3 (ex military) then FP4, Barfen re-branded Fujichrome E4 then E6, I stpped in the late 1980's except for E6.

Ian

 

[MattKing]

I've been using bulk film off and on for 40 or so years, so I hope you understand if I say that I have no idea about the total number I've used.
I would include in the number the bulk rolls I purchased for a university newspaper back in the 1970s. I ran the photo department for the newspaper and I and several other photographers worked together to provide "art" for three times per week publication throughout the academic year.
In those days, there was a substantial cost advantage to bulk film, and we needed that, because our budget was small. The cost advantage is much smaller now.
The other advantages to that endeavour are ones I still enjoy now. I enjoy being able to customize my roll length to the task at hand. And I enjoy the inventory advantages that flow from bulk film - if you have an unopened bulk roll at hand, you have enough inventory to be able to order and receive more before you run out.
I prefer the Watson style loaders, but I like the reduced waste and less problems with long "trailers" that the Lloyds style loaders offer.

 

[blockend]

Many, over 40 years. Pre-loaded colour, bulk black and white is how it goes. Repeated experience has taught me not to trust re-loadable plastic cassettes, the felt-less upmarket types, I haven't used. I now use ordinary film cassettes, leave a film tail out, check the felt carefully, and don't re-use more than four times max. That approach has completely eliminated tramline scratches.

The most consistent mistake newbies make is to keep the loader in the daylight position, making the film arc round the light trap, and scratching it horribly.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I don't know the total of how many bulk rolls I have used, but it is an average of 1 roll per month for the last 2 years or so.

 

[removed account4]

no less than 3 no more than 6

 

[Agulliver]

I first encountered bulk loading in the mid 80s when the teacher running the school darkroom explained them to me. He taught me the basics of processing and printing B&W too...knowledge I use to this day. However I didn't get my own bulk loader until about 2005, when I went through my second phase of B&W photography. It came with nearly 100' of Tri-X in it and I only finished that roll in 2016 (third phase of serious B&W photography).

Starting in 2015 I really decided that bulk loading was the way to go, as I have ramped up my use of film significantly. All my bulk loaders have been purchased via eBay. I'm still not the most heavy user of film but have probably burned through 200' of Fomapan 100, 100' of HP5+ and am on the way through a 100' roll of Kentmere 400 in addition to that "second hand" roll of Tri-X.

 

[Chris Maurer]

Thank you everyone for the responses. It's interesting to hear your experience with bulk film. Keep them coming

 

[Paul Howell]

Past 60 or so years a couple of hundred, currently I have 2 rolls, Ultrafine 400 and Forma 200. I use mostly use packaged film, but roll shorter lengths like 12 or 15 exposures.

 

[removed-user-1]

In my several years working for my school newspaper in the 1990s, many. Have no idea, really. We published twice a week and went through many bulk-loaded 24-exp rolls an issue.

For my personal work, I've used about 6 bulk rolls over 25 years. These days I just don't shoot enough to justify buying bulk. The empty cans make great storage containers!

 

[narsuitus]

What's your biggest take-away from your experience using bulk film (pros or cons).

Bulk Film Pro:
Easy to make custom lengths of film (I usually only made 36-exposure rolls)
Buying film in bulk may reduce cost per roll (especially when shooting color)
Able to load film in scratch resistant felt-free cassettes (I used Nikon AM-1 cassettes)
Able to load film in cassettes that reduced friction for better motor drive performance
Can be used when traveling to countries that limit the number of rolls brought into the country

Bulk Film Con:
Long leader wastes film
Long trailer wastes film
100 feet of desired film is not always readily available
Must decide if plastic or metal cassettes work better
Must decide of felt or felt-free cassettes work better
Must decide if snap-on or screw-on cassette tops work better
Big financial loss when a 100-feet of film is accidentally exposed to light



Burke & James Watson model 100 bulk film loader by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Daniela]

I'm about to open my first package of 100 ft

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I'm about to open my first package of 100 ft

Good! Don't forget to open it only in total darkness.

 

[Sirius Glass]

For about ten years during the 1970's and 1980's I would use 100' of Ektachrome for my month long trip to Europe. I found that the film processing companies did not like to return my reusable cartridges. The cost of buying new film cartridges every time made it economically unfeasible to continue using bulk film.[/QUOTE]

If I were to go back to shooting slides, I would bulk load and process the film myself. That way I would spend my time using an iron to heat the cardboard for mounting slides, or use glass slide covers.

 

[destroya]

ive gone thru about 40 or so in the last few years. for the films i shoot it saves me quite a bit from shooting pre-rolled. never had any issues with scratching, light leaks from cassettes and like the fact that i can short roll if needed.

my sister says i went to the cheech and chong school of photography, learned to roll my own and loving it

 

[EdColorado]

I started bulk loading some time in the early 70's and have been doing it on and off since.

Back in High School (late 70's) I shot high school sports for a local paper. They supplied bulk rolls of Tri-X for our use.

Memories of what must have been a very shy lab tech...
I'd ring a bell at the back ally entrance to the papers offices and the tech would open the door just a crack and ask "how many rolls?" I'd tell him how many I wanted and the door would close. A few minutes later the door opens a crack and a hand shoots out with a zip lock bag with my requested film. Later that night, after the game, I ring the bell and the door opens a crack. Give him my name and the hand comes out to take the bag, and there better be the same number of rolls as he gave me. It always felt like we were doing a drug deal, or I was a spy passing microfilm to my handler. I never saw a processed roll, just the small shot that would (maybe) be in the paper the next day. Too bad too, I wish I had some of that film now. John Elway was the star quarterback at my high school.

I've always used metal snap together cans and I don't remember ever loosing a roll due to one popping open. Must have happened at some point, but I have no memory of it.

Blockend mentioned the newbie mistake of forgetting to open the light trap before cranking the loader. Well, it's not just a newbie mistake but fortunately these days with Photoshop if you want to take the time you can remove the scratches. Lots of scratches though so pay attention, its amazing just how easily the film will run through that closed light trap...

I like to bulk load, and got started in it way back when, for the cost savings. That and the ability to load custom lengths. My shooting needs have changed. Back in the day we loaded long rolls, crammed as much in a cassette as we could without causing scratching. Now I load short rolls of 10-15 frames so I can get the roll done and processed. I just don't shoot as much as I used to, and have too many cameras loaded with film. Another benefit is the ability of having so much film in a smaller storage space.

Right now my bulk inventory is about 125ft or so of Delta 100, just under 100ft of Pan F, 100ft of Velvia 100, and 300ft of Ektachrome. I have two loaders at the moment but am about to pick up at least one more. I keep one loaded with Delta 100, the other with Pan F and I'd like to load one with 400 speed something (probably HP5 as Tri-X is stupidly expensive).

I cant be sure as I don't have any of the old reloadable cassettes around but it seems to me that the ones we can buy now are much lower quality. They just don't seem as secure.

 

[lovely_sausages]

I'm on my 3rd roll. The first 3 was hp5+, second was tri-x, and the 3rd is now an expired roll of Plus-X. I've got 200 feet of hp5+ in the freezer for when this PX is finished. I wish I would have got into it sooner... I made the move back to film 6 or 7 years ago and I could have saved myself a lot of $$$ had I discovered bulk loading right away... I usually load 30 frame cassettes as ifind a 24 goes rather quickly and a 36 can last too long. My M.O. when it comes to loading is to usually roll off the entire 100' in one sitting so that I've got 20+ rolls of film ready to go, and I label them all with masking tape on the cassette with film type and number of exposures. Then, after shooting I write the ASA that I shot the film at. I'm a bit of a film freak. I have also found that buying bulk rolls tends to combat G.A.S. better to have too much film than too much gear!

 

[Pioneer]

Haven't got the slightest idea how much I have used but I do know I have at least 30 rolls on ice right now. I use it continuously.

PROS
Biggest pro for me is reloading my Leica and Zeiss cassettes. These cassettes will likely last way beyond my lifetime and are one of the advantages to the older Leica and Zeiss camera systems.

Another is cost savings. It is not as much as it used to be but it still adds up if you shoot a lot of film. Older spools are available at decent savings on the auction sites. Expired TMX 100 can still be found at excellent discounts in 100 foot cans. The slower black & white films don't seem to be as effected by age as color and slide films do.

Another pro is the fact that I can carry a lot of film in a very small space when traveling.

I will also make up custom film lengths for special projects (usually lens testing.)

CONS
Scratches on the film can be a big one if you forget to open the light trap. This is not just a newbie issue but also occurs to forgetful old men as well.

Another con is the possibility of the loaded cassette popping open on you later (this is primarily a problem for me with the metal reloadable cassettes.)

Bulk film is still available but may not stay that way forever. Some manufacturers are not offering some of their newer offerings on bulk rolls and some others (Kodak Alaris) seem to be trying to eliminate that option by overpricing their bulk rolls.

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm probably not the sort of user you're thinking of, but way back when, I spent several years pushing a long-roll portrait camera back and forth. I shot probably a couple, sometimes three rolls a week - 70mm x 100 ft Kodak CPS (forerunner of VPS II and VPS III, then Portra).

Anyone who's done the sort of work that demanded these cameras knows that nothing else could have stood in for them. You use a remote trip button to shoot, the camera imprints an image of the "sitting card" number between frames, the motorized film magazine advances the film, and you're ready to shoot again. When the roll runs out you swap out to a loaded magazine, shoot a "slate" (identifies the roll) and resume shooting.

 

[Daniela]

Good! Don't forget to open it only in total darkness.

Too late
Nah, just kidding LOL
I love reading everyone's stories.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

100' ? You haven't even started yet. I used 300', 400'.
But main take-out or how you choose to call it - it doesn't count for anything until you realize what it is matter. The only thing which is matte,r is how many prints you could get from fifteen frames load.

 

[dynachrome]

I wouldn't know how many I have used. I started using then in about 1972. Back then a 100 foot roll of Tri-X 35mm stock was not much more than $5. If you still use Tri-X in 35mm size, it's now less expensive to buy it already rolled. HP5 Plus is also a nice 400 speed film but not as fine grained as Tri-X and the Fuji 400 b&w is no longer available here. I have a number of daylight bulk loaders but I prefer to use them in a large changing bag. I count the clicks to know how much film has been wound into each cartridge. This way I don't have to worry about extra long leaders.

 

[msage]

I was a darkroom assistant at my college in the 70's. One of my jobs was to load rolls of film from a 100' roll of Tri-x or Plus-x. Not counting the scratches (no matter how careful I was) and cassette failures I just thought my "time" was more valuable shooting and printing in the darkroom than bulk loading film. I probably went though 5 or 6 rolls for that job and a few more later in my career when a specialized film was only available in 100' rolls. I don't miss it at all!