Question about the Bobinquick film loader

SxDx · 2010-06-12T08:59:25+00:00

Ich möchte demnächst Meterware verwenden, weil mir 36er Filme meist zu lang sind und ich ungerne teilbelichtete Filme "managen" will. Ich habe mir also einen...

SxDx

I’d like to start using roll film soon, as 36-exposure films are usually too long for me and I’d rather not have to ‘manage’ partially exposed films. So I’ve bought a second-hand AP Bobinquick film loader. Now I’m wondering how many spare frames I need to wind onto the film per roll, so that there’s enough leader for loading and enough film at the end to fit into the cassette. I assume the film loader doesn’t automatically take these lengths into account? So let’s say I want 12 usable frames (counting from the counter at zero after two exposures); how many frames should I set the film loader to? Regards, Matthias

cfb_de

So let’s say I want to get 12 usable shots (counting from the counter at zero after two exposures); how many frames should I set the film advance to?

How tightly do you load the film? That’s what it depends on, first and foremost. With pre-loaded film, I actually always get 39 or 40 frames out of it with my Canons, but only 38 or 39 with the Leicas. When loading the film myself, I don’t worry about it too much, as I never set off with just one roll in the camera. For short rolls, I wind in about 12 to 15 frames; for long ones, about 40 (my old Jobo reels can’t hold any more than that). Best regards, Franz

SxDx

With standard film, I usually get 39 exposures with the Leica M4-2, although the first one is occasionally fogged when loading the film, depending on the lighting conditions (and probably also on the base material). But I’ve now done a little test and simply sacrificed a roll of film. I performed the exposure up to frame 12, opened the camera without rewinding, and marked the point where the film emerges from the cassette. Now I know, at least fairly precisely, the length in centimetres that I need. It should then be easy to work out how many frames I need to set the film loader to.

mdeutgen

Matthias, When I look at the Bobinquick on the A-P website, the dial for the exposure counter reminds me very much of the one on my Füllfix. Have a look to see if there’s an ‘A’ or something similar engraved on it; I can’t make it out in the picture, unfortunately. If I remember correctly, my Füllfix has a lead-in of three or four exposures, and that seems about right. Martin

SxDx

Hi Martin, There isn’t an ‘A’ setting; the dial just has a scale from 0 to 40, and the 36 is marked with a triangle (perhaps that’s what you mistook for an ‘A’). I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, as my roll of film hasn’t arrived, but I’ll give it a go in the next few days with an old roll of film that I’ll ‘load’ into the camera as a temporary measure. Best regards, Matthias

VolkerSchulz

I’ve got a roll of film lying about here in the darkroom. The film has been cut around the 19th perforation, plus the leader. The first frame starts at the 26th perforation. There are 8 perforations per frame. So, for a roll of film with 36 usable photos, you’ll need about 4 frames of leader and about 1 frame of tail. It’s easy to work out exactly how this applies to your camera. Take a ready-made roll of film, expose it, snap the cassette open and cut it off right at the cassette core. Then develop it yourself. Take a look at how far the film leader has been cut and how many perforations the film tail has. Happy shooting! Volker