Apologies if this offends due to its small format nature!!
I've just "inherited" some bulk 35mm film so thought I'd ask which type of reloadable film cassette readers prefer, and why. I might order quite a number so wanted to get it right!!
Thanks for any advice.
Metal cassettes are my choice, because the end caps don't fall off as easy.
?? I have just the opposite experience: the plastic ones have caps with kind of a bayonet to close them; with metal ones, I had the caps pop off on several occassions when pressing a little too hard on the cartridges.Originally Posted by dsphotog
Stefan
+1. I always liked the plastic and had fewer problems with them.
Now I doubt I'll bulk load anymore once my current roll of Freestyle Premium, aka Tri-X, runs out. It just doesn't save enough money to bother with anymore. The only real reason I'd do it would be to custom load shorter lengths. That is nice as I rarely want 36x and the shorter commercial loads, when available, are more expensive per shot. But it's easy enough to change film mid roll, at least with my cameras, and only lose one frame for "insurance."
No matter what cassettes you use, keep them in black plastic film cans to prevent dirt etc out of the felt light traps.
To further prevent scratches, I don't use a bulk loader, I unwind and cut the film, then carefully hand roll it onto the inner spool before sliding it into the cassette.
I agree with keeping them in film cans. But I've loaded many rolls through a Llyod's loader, simple and effective and cheap, which uses a felt light trap, and I have never, ever, got scratched film this way. It's just not that easy to scratch if you keep the felt even reasonably clean.
I have some plastic cassettes that don't have much of a tongue (where the film passes), and they tend to rotate in some of my bulk loaders, causing the film to wrap around the outside of the cassette. Bad ju-ju. I solved the problem by wedging a little piece of rubber in between the cassette and the loader body to prevent rotation. I've had the end caps pop off metal cassettes, too, so neither is perfect, in my experience.
I've been disappointed in some plastic cassettes, and use metal ones.
Can I ask your preferred film emulsion and reason for bulk loading? I ask because about a year ago, I compared the per-roll cost of Tri-X 36-exposure rolls and the cost of Freestyle's "Arista" branded version (same film), and found it about the same price to just buy regular rolls rather than bulk load.
Also, some friends who regularly bulk load get empty cassettes from labs. These have a short leader sticking out that can be used to tape the end of the new film to. Free to you, better build than reusable cassettes, fewer problems with them breaking down from overuse.
Check out this link.
Mainly because I consider 36 exposure loads to almost always be inconveniently long and like to load shorter ones. The price difference goes up a lot when you compare bulk to 24 exposure bulk loads. But it's more hassle to bulk load than to just change film mid roll. I rewind all but the leader and write the next frame # on the leader. Then when I load it again I advance to one past that frame with the lens cap on. Sacrifices one frame but that's less than you lose with the leaders bulk loading anyway.
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