plastic or steel 35mm reels? tank?

mgb74 · Jan 21, 2009

Aprons, 620 film and and a Kodak box camera got me started. The aprons were great for ease of use.

Not too many years ago I spoke to someone who was looking for the apron tanks. It seems that people who had difficulty with keeping their hands steady could still load the aprons but not reels.

Works well for both ends of the age spectrum.

Tim Gray · Jan 21, 2009

Shawn Rahman said:
I am simply amazed that there are so many recommendations to an absolute beginner to use stainless, when sucessfully loading plastic is so much easier for a novice.

I loaded my first ever roll of 35mm film on a Hewes SS reel. My 'teacher' was my ex-girlfriend who was taking photo at the time. She said she could never get the hang of the SS reels and preferred plastic. So my 'teacher' was completely unable to give me any advice on how to do it.

Long story short: It just seemed natural to me on SS. Hook the film on the two sprocket tabs, slightly bow the film, and feed it in. I think it clicks with some people and others it doesn't.

fschifano · Jan 21, 2009

Despite my preference for the plastic reels, I prefer the Hewes SS reels to any other that I've used. The hooks, and the quality of manufacture, make using them very easy.

JRJacobs · Jan 21, 2009

The "Lasagna Noodle" or "apron" type are definitely the easiest to do, and no chance of buckling or creasing your film while learning.

I think plastic are the next easiest, and SS the more difficult.

mgb74 · Jan 21, 2009

fschifano said:
Despite my preference for the plastic reels, I prefer the Hewes SS reels to any other that I've used. The hooks, and the quality of manufacture, make using them very easy.

I occasionally come across used reels with no markings or boxes. How can you identify Hewes reels? I've seen some with "hooks", but not sure that they are the only ones with hooks.

MattKing · Jan 21, 2009

Identifying Hewes Reels

mgb74 said:
I occasionally come across used reels with no markings or boxes. How can you identify Hewes reels? I've seen some with "hooks", but not sure that they are the only ones with hooks.

For 120 reels at least, you need really good eyesight .

I have some Hewes 120 reels. The name "Hewes" is in very tiny letters inscribed on the reels themselves (the supporting struts, IIRC).

I struggle with the 120 reels, because I cannot operate the clip. As a result, I either use AP plastic reels (which work better for me than Patterson) or aprons.

For 35mm, I use SS reels without hooks or clips, and they work well for me.

Matt

P.S. if anyone doesn't know what the aprons or the associated tanks look like, here is a link to a photograph (subscribers only I'm afraid, because it is in my APUG gallery):

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

WGibsonPhotography · Jan 21, 2009

BetterSense said:
I don't develop film yet but I'm thinking about getting into it. I notice that there are plastic and steel tanks as well as plastic and steel reels. Which is better, the plastic or the steel?

I have plastic reels and a tank at my house. that's what I use if I'm developing film at home. If I'm at the darkroom at school, I use the stainless steel ones. I dont really have a preference. I use what I have. I dont use the school's plastic reels because of the fear of contaminated reels.

The head of our photography department is an engineer, and one day in class, he spent most of the class time explaining what happens to plastic reels at a molecular level what happens when a plastic reel is improperly cleaned of after use. After that, I started using the steel reels at school. when i'm at home, I know my plastic reels and tank are properly washed, so I dont worry about contamination.

WGibsonPhotography · Jan 21, 2009

jerk151 said:
Stainless uses less chemicals if you are dumping. Just don't drop them.

I noticed your signature was "Practice makes perfect,
Perfect is a fault, and fault lines change." By any chance, are you an REM fan?

BetterSense · Apr 14, 2009

I then got a Patterson tank and it was much better, but still found the film would want to occasionally jam or lock up before I got it loaded all the way, even when I trimmed the sharp corners off the leading edge of the film. They just seemed to sometimes snag on the reel spokes - not always, just sometimes.

After using a plastic tank for a good while, this what I have found. It happened to me twice now...inexplicably, the film wouldn't go on, and due to the one-way nature of the ball bearings, I couldn't get it out of the reel either except by mangling my film to get the reel apart. For some reason, I've always done 120 on stainless steel reels without a problem so I think it's time to learn to do 35mm on them too. I have a bunch of random stainless steel reels marked "japan" and "taiwan", so I'm not sure if they will make things harder than good Hewes reels or not.

Learning how to load a steel reel without touch marks remains the most difficult part of photography.

What do you mean by touch marks? I've been touching all over my film when I load it, on the base side mostly, and I haven't had any touch marks. I figured any skin oils would just wash off in the developer.

J Rollinger · Apr 14, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Stainless steel.

Now which is better, Canon or Nikon?

Canon!

Uncle Bill · May 16, 2009

I am a longtime plastic reel user and tried stainless steel this past session. The results weren't pretty so I am going back to my trusty AP.

Bill

thisismyname09 · May 17, 2009

I've actually only used plastic, but I'm considering moving to stainless steel after a crack in a plastic tank caused some of my pictures to be ruined, not to mention getting developer all over my hands. Then again, the tank was ancient.

Anscojohn · May 17, 2009

BetterSense said:
I don't develop film yet but I'm thinking about getting into it. I notice that there are plastic and steel tanks as well as plastic and steel reels. Which is better, the plastic or the steel?

******
Yes.

dainmcgowan · May 17, 2009

i had my first go at developing last week and i wasted an hour of my life trying to load a (120) plastic reel in the dark.
i could do it by sight no problem, but not by feel.

within 20 minutes of first touching a SS reel, i had it loaded and in the tank no problem.

Roger Thoms · May 18, 2009

KenS said:
stainless...

Kindermann 500 ml tank with 2 Hewes reels

Ken

Yes, bought a taiwanise tank and reals, the lid cracked so I replaced it with a Kindermann, didn't like the little springs that hold the film on the reels so I bought to Hewes reels. would have been easier to have just bought the Kindermann and Hewes right off the bat.

Roger

Brandon D. · May 19, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Now which is better, Canon or Nikon?

Holga.

Aklens200 · May 19, 2009

Hi,
I use both, they each have good points.
The plastic is easy to use as a beginer, but the SS lasts along time.
I learned to use the SS ones by sitting in my living room with my eyes closed loading and un-loading until it was as easy as taking the photograph.
If you can find someone who has both and try them out might help.
Now just try and deside on an enlarger!
Rich

Aklens200 · May 19, 2009

Brandon D. said:
Holga.

Holga?

Zach in Israel · May 27, 2009

Are there any inexpensive tanks that can do 35mm, 120 and 4x5? I realize I would need several sets of reals, but I have all 3 formats and would love to be able to develop all of the above

Soeren · May 27, 2009

J Rollinger said:
Canon!

I have never succeded in developing my films in a canon. It leaks and you have to turn the lights off when you open it to pour in the chemistry. At least a Nikonos won't leak
Best regards

Soeren · May 27, 2009

Zach in Israel said:
Are there any inexpensive tanks that can do 35mm, 120 and 4x5? I realize I would need several sets of reals, but I have all 3 formats and would love to be able to develop all of the above

I have done 9X12cm in a Paterson universal 4 #2. Its not a great way to do it but its possible. the #2 will take two reels set up for 35mm or one set up for 120 and youll get two reels when you buy it(IIRC). they are adjustable so you can do either one 35mm or two 120 at a time on each reel. JOBO makes special 4X5" reels for their drums. They are a bit more expensive though. Id like to see such reels for Paterson
Best regards

Karencs · Jul 16, 2009

I've been using plastic but want to get SS. So a few questions for the collective wisdom: plastic top or SS top on the tank? does it matter? Or is that another canon/nikon argument? And: I have 4 SS reels (found used). Do I need a center-core-thing (whatever it's called)? I looked online at tanks and couldn't tell whether the core was something that I would have to purchase separately or whether it's typically included.

K.

Valerie · Jul 16, 2009

SS tanks have no spool in the center, like plastic does. And lids for ss tanks are plastic (I think I've seen metal lids, but they are not the norm)

MattKing · Jul 16, 2009

Hi K.

There is no centre core when you use stainless steel reels. For the larger multi-roll tanks there is usually a lifter that sits on the bottom and comes up through the centre of the reels, but that is merely a convenience.

As for the tops, I currently have rubber/plastic tops on all my tanks, although I have had metal tops in the past. There are pros and cons for both, but I think that the rubber/plastic ones are now more common, because they don't dent, and a dent can ruin a metal top. One caution - make sure that the tanks and tops you get are either matched, or compatible.

Really old tops can leak.

Check your reels. If they are bent, they are a pain to load. I would make sure as well that they are identical in type, because different reels load in slightly different ways, and it can be hard to switch back and forth.

Also, give the reels a good scrub to make sure there isn't any chemical or photoflo residue on them.

You'll find the reels slightly harder to load at first, but once you get the hang of it, they work really well.

Matt

Abyss_87 · Jul 16, 2009

Hi everyone,

as I stated on my presentation, I'm about to set up my own darkroom for BW film processing (both developing and printing) I've kind of followed and inversed path, given that I first got an enlarger (Durst M301 with color head an Minolta CE Rokkor 50 f2,8 lens) and am now in the process of buying the rest of the stuff.
I had settled on buying an economic plastic tank, but I made a mistake and read this thread Now I'm somewhat puzzled...I tried loading a film on a Paterson tank and it seemed to me quite easy, given the "click-click" loading system. Can anyone give me an idea (apart from it being more or less difficult) of how film is loaded on a SS reel? I'd very much appreciate it!
Last but not least...am I the only one who noticed that SS tanks are MUCH more common in the US than in EU? I'm doing a couple ebay searches and didn't find much on EU ebay websites...

Thanks in advance!
Abyss(Mauro)

plastic or steel 35mm reels? tank?

mgb74

Tim Gray

fschifano

JRJacobs

mgb74

MattKing

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WGibsonPhotography

WGibsonPhotography

BetterSense

J Rollinger

Uncle Bill

thisismyname09

Anscojohn

dainmcgowan

Roger Thoms

Brandon D.

Aklens200

Aklens200

Zach in Israel

Soeren

Soeren

Karencs

Valerie

MattKing

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Abyss_87

plastic or steel 35mm reels? tank?

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