Plastic or Metal Tanks?

[jmailand]

I have always used stainless steel. I you use steel, get good ones from Hewes or Kiderman. If you are doing 35mm make sure the reel has 2 teeth that fit the sprocket holes and not the ones with a spring clip. Since the first 6 or 7 inches of a 35mm role is not used anyway I start the film in daylight by leaving the film in the cassette and rolling it onto the sprocket maybe a half turn. I put the in film the changing bag and continue rolling it with film still in the cassette. I then cut it off at the end, you can rip it or use scissors that you put in the changing bag when you started. Depending on the camera you have, you may need a film leader retriever to get the film out of the cassette before you start. When I was first shown how load film the method used involved taking the film out of the cassette and fiddling around trying to load it in the dark with the film hanging out collecting dust. I devised this method which is much simpler for me.

James,

 

[Gerald Koch]

Plastic reels are pretty indestructable since the plastic is not brittle but the tanks are not and crack easily. For this reason I use stainless steel. I have used SS for over 40 years and have no problem with film loading either 35mm or 120. It's a matter of training your fingers to "see" in the dark.

 

[PhotoJim]

With both formats the one thing that really bugged me about plastic was when you'd get the film 75% of the way in - you'd get a bind and have to do it ALL OVER again, which is basically impossible with metal.

With 35mm, the secret for me has been to make sure the leading edge of the film is cut between perforations and not through them. (That's why I often don't cut leaders on my bulk film - my autofocus bodies don't need leaders and neither do my rangefinders.) The only jam I've had in the last few years was a roll that I accidentally made too long. It was about 45 exposures and it didn't fit in the reel properly. Oops.

Jim

 

[Saganich]

"I have always used stainless steel. I use steel, get good ones from Hewes or Kiderman." AMEN. I've processed about 4 or 5 hundred rolls in the past 2 years with my four kinderman reels. I've dropped them a few times and was sure that was the end, but alas not a problem. The only trouble I have is when I rip the leader off at a 30 degree angle or so. Never, ever, buy cheep steel reels, it will drive you screaming from the darkroom.
Chris

 

[jim appleyard]

I have several cheap stainless reels that I have used successfully for many years; no troubles in loading them, just don't drop them.

 

[fschifano]

I have several cheap stainless reels that I have used successfully for many years; no troubles in loading them, just don't drop them.

Ahhhh... Jim, I think you got lucky. I once bought 4 cheap new 35mm size SS reels and not one of them would load properly. All of them would bind up in about the same place too. What are the odds that all 4 would be damaged the same way? Not too likely, I'd say. A manufacturing defect that got past poor quality control is a more likely reason. I traded them in on a set of 4 Hewes reels which are a real pleasure to load. But even so, my SS reels and tank don't see a lot of use.

 

[fhovie]

The only time it made any difference to me was when I used DiXactol and learned that if there was any contaminant in the developer, it would streak - Barry recommended that SS be used because plastic could hold some chemical in its surface. SS would not. This may all be a lot of hoowey but I used SS and never had a problem. Outside of that - SS reels can be loaded when wet, plactic reels are usually easier and sometimes faster to load - I use both kinds regularly and have no real preference. Maybe the SS tanks temper easier in a water tray and maybe they use less fluid.