Need a good 35mm film picker

[Ballinderry-Michael]

I'm very puzzled by this thread. My Ilford extractor, which I've had for at least 15 years, has never failed me. I probably need to use it five or six times a year. It works on the same principle as the one in foc's video and is still as good as new. It came with spare "blades", which have never been needed. I really don't see how something like that could "just break", though I could see one wearing out in a busy lab.

 

[Adam W]

I have a Matin picker, it laster about 20 rolls. I’m in search of someting better and looking for suggestions? They all seem pretty much the same.

Thanks

I've had a Matin one for several years. It works every time.

 

[mshchem]

Why are you all using extractors? Pulling out a leader is for using with a minilab. I just pop open the cassette, easy. A beer bottle opener will work. Heck I used to just pry it open with my thumb.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Why are you all using extractors? Pulling out a leader is for using with a minilab. I just pop open the cassette, easy. A beer bottle opener will work. Heck I used to just pry it open with my thumb.

You omit an important benefit: an extended leader makes it easier to reload a partially exposed roll of film — certainly common in my case. It's when you accidentally rewind the entire film of a partially exposed cassette that an extractor is a useful fallback.

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

 

[mshchem]

You omit an important benefit: an extended leader makes it easier to reload a partially exposed roll of film — certainly common in my case. It's when you accidentally rewind the entire film of a partially exposed cassette that an extractor is a useful fallback.

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

Sweet opener. I stand corrected

 

[MattKing]

Why are you all using extractors? Pulling out a leader is for using with a minilab. I just pop open the cassette, easy. A beer bottle opener will work. Heck I used to just pry it open with my thumb.

A lot of people are re-using cassettes. And there is a real shortage now of quality re-usable cassettes.

 

[mshchem]

A lot of people are re-using cassettes. And there is a real shortage now of quality re-usable cassettes.

I have dozens of old reloadable cassettes, so I guess I am spoiled. I can see why people want to splice onto the tail of a used cassette for bulk loading. I have a couple different things for retrieving the leader. Like someone mentioned the tiny little 99 cent things.

 

[mshchem]

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[sufnturf]

Pardon Our Interruption...

I have the same one and a "Filmfix" from Hama which was a hand me down.
The "Kaiser" seems similar to the Ilford-type of retrievers. It works nicely if I follow the instructions.
That cannot be said about the "Hama Filmfix". If I follow the given instructions, it takes like forever. If i wind the film the opposite way after the click, chances are high to get it right on the 2nd attempt.

 

[Marco B]

You omit an important benefit: an extended leader makes it easier to reload a partially exposed roll of film — certainly common in my case. It's when you accidentally rewind the entire film of a partially exposed cassette that an extractor is a useful fallback.

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

Honestly, I've used a simple bottle opener on hundreds of rolls, without ever damaging the film or opener...

I usually pop off the bottom of a 35mm film canister, so opposite where the rewind sticks out, then pry open the remaing canister from where the felt opening is, before letting the film slide out.

Never gives me problems with no brand I ever used (Kodak, Ilford, Fuji, Adox).

 

[koraks]

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

Me neither. I use a $5 generic bottle opener. It's lasted about a decade in film-opening service after a commendable lifetime as an actual bottle opener, and doesn't show any signs of wear at present. I'm pretty sure it'll outlive the age of film. How you might manage to damage a sturdy bottle opener on a $0.10 0.5mm plate steel cassette is beyond me; I guess some people are just really, really ingenious like that.

Or was this really about letting us all know you own a genuine Campagnolo opener - the one that shares heritage with famous Italian bicycles and breathes an aura of Italian design and craftsmanship, which surely must carry over in the taste of the wine?

 

[Chan Tran]

Honestly, I've used a simple bottle opener on hundreds of rolls, without ever damaging the film or opener...

I usually pop off the bottom of a 35mm film canister, so opposite where the rewind sticks out, then pry open the remaing canister from where the felt opening is, before letting the film slide out.

Never gives me problems with no brand I ever used (Kodak, Ilford, Fuji, Adox).

I never had damage the film or opener opening the film cassette with the opener but the cassette certainly is damaged. Nowaday, I pull the leader out on a dummy roll of film so I can run it thru the camera again. I need to have film in the camera to test TTL flash.

 

[xkaes]

I have a Matin picker, it laster about 20 rolls. I’m in search of someting better and looking for suggestions? They all seem pretty much the same.

You don't fully explain your situation, and as pointed out by others -- it depends.

It depends on if the film is exposed or unexposed, and it depends on if the cassette is re-loadable or not.

If the cassette is reloadable, just pop it open in the dark.

If the cassette is not reloadable, and the film is exposed, use a beer bottle opener.

If the cassette is not reloadable, and the film is NOT exposed, use a simple retractor. Mine has lasted for over 20 years -- not 20 rolls. Or try some of the other ideas listed above. Another option is to use a beer bottle opener and put the film in a reloadable cassette.

 

[Chan Tran]

You don't fully explain your situation, and as pointed out by others -- it depends.

It depends on if the film is exposed or unexposed, and it depends on if the cassette is re-loadable or not.

If the cassette is reloadable, just pop it open in the dark.

If the cassette is not reloadable, and the film is exposed, use a beer bottle opener.

If the cassette is not reloadable, and the film is NOT exposed, use a simple retractor. Mine has lasted for over 20 years -- not 20 rolls. Or try some of the other ideas listed above. Another option is to use a beer bottle opener and put the film in a reloadable cassette.

View attachment 396966

I have a couple of film puller like yours. They work but I have to do several tries to get it.

 

[pentaxuser]

Or was this really about letting us all know you own a genuine Campagnolo opener - the one that shares heritage with famous Italian bicycles and breathes an aura of Italian design and craftsmanship, which surely must carry over in the taste of the wine?

Well I always carry one when I am climbíng the Alps in "Le Tour". If it got Fausto Coppi two wins in '49 and '52 then it's good enough for me

pentaxuser

 

[pentaxuser]

I'm very puzzled by this thread. My Ilford extractor, which I've had for at least 15 years, has never failed me. I probably need to use it five or six times a year. It works on the same principle as the one in foc's video and is still as good as new. It came with spare "blades", which have never been needed. I really don't see how something like that could "just break", though I could see one wearing out in a busy lab.

That's been my experience with the Ilford extractor as well

pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

You omit an important benefit: an extended leader makes it easier to reload a partially exposed roll of film — certainly common in my case. It's when you accidentally rewind the entire film of a partially exposed cassette that an extractor is a useful fallback.

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

There are a number of inexpensive 35mm cassette openers available.

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=35mm%20cassette%20opener&sts=ma

 

[Pioneer]

You omit an important benefit: an extended leader makes it easier to reload a partially exposed roll of film — certainly common in my case. It's when you accidentally rewind the entire film of a partially exposed cassette that an extractor is a useful fallback.

I would rather not commit my shiny Prodotto Campagnolo bottle opener to such trivial use as cracking open a cassette!

Wow...its the beer I'm after, not the bottle cap. I am now convinced that people will collect anything.

I just rip open the cassette to get to the film using whatever bottle opener is handy. Prodotto or whatever.

If for some reason I am trying to retrieve the film on a roll that was not completed but accidentally rewound into the cassette. I take the end off the old cassette like I would normally if I were getting ready to develop it, pull the spool with the film on it, tighten it up a little, and put that spool back into one of my reusable cassettes in place of the spool that I would use in my reloader. Make sure to leave the end of the film out and be sure it is pointed the right way.

BTW - Open a few of the new Fuji 400 color film cassettes for developing and you will know without a doubt that they are being loaded by Kodak. Those cassettes DO NOT open like the old Fuji Superia cassettes did. You will not pop the ends off the new cassettes with your thumbnail any longer.

 

[xkaes]

I've only had luck with the plain & simple beer bottle openers -- like the one in the photo above. I've tried some fancy ones, and while they work on beer bottles they won't work on film cassettes.

 

[xkaes]

I have a couple of film puller like yours. They work but I have to do several tries to get it.

They do require being used correctly. One major point is that the film's tongue is on one side, and if you try to grab the film in the middle or the wrong side, it won't work.

 

[nbagno]

This sure blew up, lol.

Thanks for all the input. I’ve just order a coupe more of the same one that I have been using.

BTW, I do know how to use a can opener to crack the cannister open, I also had a fancy Noritsu extracter machine, but I like using the hand pickers for my own reasons.

 

[Chan Tran]

They do require being used correctly. One major point is that the film's tongue is on one side, and if you try to grab the film in the middle or the wrong side, it won't work.

In fact I have better luck grabbing it at the center than at the lower side which the film tougue is.

 

[Daybreak135]

one trick, I heard about but never tried because my camera stops rewinding just short of pulling the film into the can was to take a short strip of unexposed film, lick one side of the emulsion side, and feed it into the canister. The moistened emulsion will stick to the film tab inside and one can pull out the film. Again, I've never tried it and don't know how healthy that emulsion lick is over time, but it may work in a pinch.

This is what I do (instead of licking i dip in water) and it works 99% of the time instead of those horrible film pickers.

 

[MCB18]

Half of you are missing the point, if they wanted to pry open the film casette they would have said that. They want to retrieve the leader. There are plenty of reasons to do this, including to reuse the canister for bulk loading since all the new reusable ones absolutely suck.

 

[Pieter12]

Why are you all using extractors? Pulling out a leader is for using with a minilab. I just pop open the cassette, easy. A beer bottle opener will work. Heck I used to just pry it open with my thumb.

Sometimes I want to change film but there are quite a few exposures left in the camera. So I rewind the cassette. Sometimes I rewind it too much and the leader gets swallowed up. An extractor comes in handy.