Just bought Watson 100 bulk loader: 35mm Canister Recommendations?

[Patrick Robert James]

After many years of bulk loading and doing it just about every way possible, I just use the leftover cassettes from a mini lab and tape the film to the stub. I've found it to be the best, simplest and fastest way. If you don't have a lab near you there are people that sell them in bulk on ebay for cheap. I cover the auto ISO grid with tape.

If you are going to deal with 400' movie spools, then invest in a movie film winder. It makes transferring the film to 100' spools incredibly fast. I can have the whole 400' transferred to 100' spools in a few minutes. You really only need one. Get one for 16mm film if you can't find one for 35mm. You can just use a clamp to hold the spool from sliding off.

I have three or four bulk loaders. I use the Watson the most. The Lloyds is ok I guess. The Alden freaks me out a little because the door comes off. I always put a thumb on the door anyway to hold it down, even with the Watson. The Watson wastes a bit of film, but it isn't much in the grand scheme of things. I usually load 40/42 frames as well. Much more efficient.

 

[RLangham]

I reused color film cartridges for a while until I bought some cheap generic plastic ones. Never had a problem with either one.

 

[Helinophoto]

I re-use my old 35mm canisters, keeping a small lip when cutting, so that it easy to tape on some bulk film.

 

[Disconnekt]

After many years of bulk loading and doing it just about every way possible, I just use the leftover cassettes from a mini lab and tape the film to the stub. I've found it to be the best, simplest and fastest way. If you don't have a lab near you there are people that sell them in bulk on ebay for cheap. I cover the auto ISO grid with tape.

If you are going to deal with 400' movie spools, then invest in a movie film winder. It makes transferring the film to 100' spools incredibly fast. I can have the whole 400' transferred to 100' spools in a few minutes. You really only need one. Get one for 16mm film if you can't find one for 35mm. You can just use a clamp to hold the spool from sliding off.

I have three or four bulk loaders. I use the Watson the most. The Lloyds is ok I guess. The Alden freaks me out a little because the door comes off. I always put a thumb on the door anyway to hold it down, even with the Watson. The Watson wastes a bit of film, but it isn't much in the grand scheme of things. I usually load 40/42 frames as well. Much more efficient.

Another idea is if the local library has a 3d printer, 3d print a 35mm film core and peel off film from the 400' roll onto the 3d core, while putting the new roll in the bulkloader to make sure you dont roll too much onto it. Thats what I ended up doing (a friend was clearing out his film freezer & I got a 400' of Kodak 50D and bulkloading straight from a 400' roll was a pita), since while a new core is like ~$1.50, shipping was ~$12 so it wasnt worth it buying new, compared to a 3d printed core was $2. Hand rolling a 400' roll to a core will time a bit of time (and guesstimating if you acutally rolled 100 feet of film), but to me its worth it.