Last Thursday changed my mind about bulk loading film rolls

I had been buying pre-loaded 36 exposure rolls for years, thinking bulk loading was too much fuss for the savings. Then I spent an afternoon over at a friend's darkroom in Portland and watched him load ten rolls in about 20 minutes. He showed me his receipts: he pays about $3.50 per roll for Ilford HP5 Plus, while I've been paying $8 a roll at the local shop. That math hit me hard. So I grabbed a used bulk loader off Craigslist for $30 and a 100 foot roll from B&H. First time trying it on Saturday and I only wasted about 4 frames worth of film from a loading mistake. Has anyone else made the switch and found it works best with a specific film stock?

3 comments

3 Comments

young.nora21d ago

My buddy Jess tried this with Tri-X and she loved it so much she bulk loaded a whole year's worth of film in one weekend. She said the only downside was her fingers got sore from trimming the leader.

riley4321d ago

Wait, didn't Jess mention any trouble with the film base thickness? Tri-X is kinda stiff compared to some other films, and I've heard bulk loading it can lead to light leaks if you're not careful with the felt traps. Yeah @young.nora I bet your buddy loved the savings but that extra stiffness might make it harder to get a smooth wind in some bulk loaders, especially the plastic ones. Just something to keep in mind if she ever switches films.

clairen8521d ago

Yeah the felt trap thing is real, I had a bulk loader that just could not handle Tri-X without light leaks showing up on the edges. Switched to an all metal loader and never looked back.