Daylight loading

[grantsmith]

Hi there.

 

Does anyone have an idiots guide to daylight loading spools?

 

How does it actually work?

 

I assumed it would be like a 35mm stills cartridge but the k40 load i've seen seems to be a reel with the film wound on it normally.

 

If this is the case then why dosnt the film get fogged?

 

 

And what about the take-up? Can this be unloaded in daylight?

 

And for sending to the lab. Do I put the reel in a black bag and a 400ft can like I would when unloading a 400ft mag?

 

Many thanks for your help

[Matt Pacini]

If you're using daylight spools, they have black metal covering the sides of the film, so light doesn't hit it.

It does hit anything hanging out while you're loading obviously.

You will need to unload in the dark, unless you put a blank daylight spool for your takeup.

Yes, just put that in the can to send to the lab, but clearly state that you want your spools back if you do.

If they're 400ft or 200ft spools, they're hard to find, so you'll want to hang onto them and reuse them, so remember to put a note in there, or they'll just toss them.

100 footers are common, and of course, if you're ordering daylight spools, your film will come with them, so there's no reason to have but maybe a couple extras for takeup.

 

MP

[grantsmith]

thanks matt

[John Pytlak RIP]

Since there can be a slight "gap" between the film roll and the flange of the spool, some light may "leak" in, and fog the very edge of the film. So best to load in a changing bag or darkroom, but if you load in subdued light try to be fast, to minimize any edgefogging. Mostly an issue with Super-16 or when you must use the KEYKODE edgeprint.

[Charles MacDonald]

Hi there.

 

Does anyone have an idiots guide to daylight loading spools?

 

How does it actually work?

 

I assumed it would be like a 35mm stills cartridge but the k40 load i've seen seems to be a reel with the film wound on it normally.

 

If this is the case then why dosnt the film get fogged?

And what about the take-up? Can this be unloaded in daylight?

 

And for sending to the lab. Do I put the reel in a black bag and a 400ft can like I would when unloading a 400ft mag?

 

Many thanks for your help

The whole system was designed in the 1930's when film speed was about 10 ASA. It will work with colour neg with the black coating. not so hot with B7W reversal. The first few winds of the film do get fogged. The 100 roll in the box has an extra 6 feet to make up for that.

 

SUBDUED light is best, in a dark closit is better. You have to run off 6 feet of film at th eend of the roll after your last shot is you want ot be able to unload in anything other than a darkrrom, and of course use a daylight spool for takeup. The Kodak Black boxes are fairly light tight. The paper band that comes on new rolls can't hurt. you can get rather good results in the 100 ft metal cans without a bag. (only FOMA packs 100 ft daylight spools in a black bag that I have seen.)

 

Sunlight on the roll may gve you interesting streaks all the way thorugh the roll, so for "critical work" you may wish to use a darkroom to laod anyway. As John points out most foogging is on the edge which only becomes critical if you are doing super 16, or need the bar code to edit. you can have a fair amount of edge fog without spoiling the standard 16 frame. (which was the only format at the time the daylight spool was invented.

[Sam Wells]

I've loaded practially every 16mm stock on 100' spools without a changing bag or darkroom.

 

You have to be careful - with S16 especially - but you don't always have to be crazy about it.

 

I will unload a critical end in a changing bag if possible.

 

If you're quick and careful you don't have to sacrifice the last 6 feet. More like one.

 

-Sam