[Leica] The better-than-a-Paterson reel

[clzeni at mindspring.com (Craig Zeni)]

I had read here many times the Gospel of the Hewes Reels.  One day last 
fall in the used darkroom section of a local store I blundered across a 
stainless tank with two 35mm Hewes reels in it for $5...boy do they 
load easier than Paterson plastic.  A month later they had a four roll 
tank with two Hewes 35mm and one Hewes 120 reel for $15...snapped that 
up too.  I find the Paterson plastic loads plenty easy for 120, but for 
35mm the Hewes are super easy.

CZ
NC

On Feb 23, 2006, at 4:31 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote:

> For months, I had fits with Paterson reels because they seemed to bind 
> up
> when I got the film 3/4 of the way onto the reel. I solved that 
> problem (no,
> they weren't wet...the leading edge of the film needed to have a smooth
> taper on its edges, like a tongue). Then problem #2 arose: When I got 
> the
> film 5/7 of the way onto the reel, the tight curl of the film would 
> cause
> the film to pop out from under the ball bearings, and it was 
> impossible to
> get it back in.
>
> Enter the Samigon reel. It looks almost exactly like a Paterson plastic
> reel, but doesn't appear to be able to expand out to 120 size. No big 
> deal.
> The only other way it differs from the Paterson reel is that the 
> plastic
> tabs guiding the film into the reel are ENORMOUS rather than little
> protuberances. I cannot imagine that the film will pop out of the 
> track (but
> give me time to try them). They fit the Paterson tanks perfectly, 
> hugging
> the center tube just like a Paterson reel.
>
> Now maybe I can emerge from the downstairs bathroom with 2 reels of 
> loaded
> film and no sweat pouring off my face.
>
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
> http://www.400tx.com
>
>
>
>
>
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