Best 35mm Developing Reels

[Flotsam]

All my video tapes come out brown. Is it the dev or the fix that's at fault?

Did you load the camera with Color, or Black and White videotape?

[xyzzy]

I have several Kindermann tanks and 120 SS reels (even some 110 SS reels!) but I cannot find my 35mm reels (my stuff has been in storage for several years...). I can easily get my hands on some Arista SS reels or some Hewes SS reels, but I do not know if they will fit in the Kindermann tanks. Does anyone know off-hand? My son uses Paterson plastic reels and tanks and I know that they do not fit in the Kindermann tanks. Besides, I prefer the SS reels... Thanks.

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, xyzzy,

Kinderman stuff is usually available on E-Bay at rock-bottom prices. Don't forget the odds and ends department at local photo stores.

Konical

[Tom Hoskinson]

I have several Kindermann tanks and 120 SS reels (even some 110 SS reels!) but I cannot find my 35mm reels (my stuff has been in storage for several years...). I can easily get my hands on some Arista SS reels or some Hewes SS reels, but I do not know if they will fit in the Kindermann tanks. Does anyone know off-hand? My son uses Paterson plastic reels and tanks and I know that they do not fit in the Kindermann tanks. Besides, I prefer the SS reels... Thanks.

I have a collection of Kindermann reels and tanks and yes, the 120 Kindermann tanks will accept the Hewes and Arista SS 35mm and 120 reels. I find that I prefer the Hewes SS reels.

[Mark Layne]

Did Hewes ever make a reel for 127.
I use either Patterson or SS at will but it is virtually impossible to get 127 into a Patterson reel. 127 EFKE 100 is curled like a cigarette
Mark

[Saganich]

Hewes or kinderman, I have and use both the same 4 reels, 2 120 and 2 35 for over 2 years without one problem. The cheapo ones I bought first could never spool a roll because they were full of burrs! The plastic reels never worked for me although other people (my wife) swear by them. I found the plastic tank designs to be foolish while their reels to be less foolish but, lord knows why, I could never work one.

[k_jupiter]

Did Hewes ever make a reel for 127.
I use either Patterson or SS at will but it is virtually impossible to get 127 into a Patterson reel. 127 EFKE 100 is curled like a cigarette
Mark

It took years.. but I finally found a Nikor 127 SS reel. Bought it at a photo show here in San Jose. They are rarer than hen's teeth. I saw one a Keeble and Shuate in Palo Alto CA but they wouldn't sell it to me. Part of their awsome vintage equipment display in their store. Keep looking on EBay for them. It's a blue moon thing.

I use Kindermann for my 35mm, usually no-name (omega or some such) for 120. The Patterson System 4 tank is used for 2x3, 3x4 and 4x5 sheet processing with home cut tubes made from flourecesent light protectors.

I do have sheet film spirals from Jobo, just haven't gotten around to figuring out the development times, etc for a rotating system.


tim in san jose

[Monophoto]

I have a pair of Durst reels that are now about 25 years old. They are similar to the ubiquitous stainless steel reels in that they load from the center out (no ratcheting), but they are better in that the cross section of the spiral groove is square. Conventional wire spirals have a cross section that is slightly flared because of the circular cross section of the stainless steel wire. As a result, film tend to want to slip out of the groove and into the adjacent groove - thereby resulting in kinking, binding and other loading problems. But with the square cross section of the grooves in the Durst reels, film tends to remain in the groove. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any new Durst reels in more than 20 years. Tried calling the US distributor for Durst, but there wasn't anyone there who even remembered that they used to carry these things.

Second best is Hewes stainless steel reels from the UK. They are slightly more expensive that other brands, but the clip that attaches the silm to the center of the spiral is superior.

The other end of the spectrum is any stainless steel reel that has been dropped on the floor - cuz dropping causes them to distort, and once distorted, film will not load evenly into the reels.

The walkin-style plastic reels (traditionally called Yankee reels cuz they invented them, but now also offered by Patterson and others) are OK. Only stipulation is that they must be abolutely dry to work. Even the smallest droplet of water is enough to cause film to stick to the reel and not walk in properly.