Loading/unloading Kodak film

[Edwin Feliu]

Do I need to load Kodak Vision3 500T 7219 in darkness, or can I get away with subdued light?

[Vince Sweeney]

100% dark. Get a loading tent.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Vince Sweeney

[Tyler Purcell]

or just use a stills changing bag, I use that a lot and it works fine with one magazine at a time.

 

Film has to be loaded in pitch black.

[Edwin Feliu]

I'm confused. I was told that if it's 100 feet, it's a daylight spool, but 400 feet needs to be changed in darkness.

[dan kessler]

Nothing to be confused about. You were told correctly.

100 feet is a daylight spool, 400 and 1000 foot rolls are not.

[Mark Dunn]

The tightly-fitting metal flanges on a 100' spool protect all but the last few feet from the light, but it's still a good idea not to load in direct sunlight. Longer lengths are wound onto a 2" plastic core, bagged and put in a can. Once the can is open the film is at risk of fogging- the black bag isn't enough on its own.

A 100' daylight spool and box look like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16mm-100ft-Daylight-Loading-Spool-And-Light-Tight-Box-/253111382027

and a 2" core looks like this

https://www.cinetools.es/2396-large_default/film-core-bobbin-16mm.jpg

See the difference? Film on a core has to be loaded and unloaded in darkness.

200' and 400' daylight spools used to be available, for high-speed cameras, but they're long gone. A daylight spool will work in some 16mm. magazines, but it will be very noisy, and if you run the film onto a 2" core it won't fit back in a 100' box.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Mark Dunn

[Edwin Feliu]

Thanks, Dan. I look forward to shooting in color.

[Robin Phillips]

try to stay in the darkest room you can even with the 500T daylight spools. If you can do a bag its helpful, cause you never know if the tension on the film might loosen up a tad and you'll have 10 or so ft semi-loose in the camera body, which may get some orange flashing on it. that being said I've done 500T 100' changes mid day in the cab of a truck, no windows blacked out or anything, and was just fine. but you may not want to take that risk

[Tyler Purcell]

I'm confused. I was told that if it's 100 feet, it's a daylight spool, but 400 feet needs to be changed in darkness.

Ahh got ya. Daylight spools are unique in this design. I still try to thread mine in total darkness.

 

To me "load" refers to putting film into a magazine, vs threading it into a camera body.