Someone please help me!!!! I enrolled in a photography course and learned how to do all the cool stuff. We learned how to roll film on stainless steel reels, plastic reels and this other thing. I do not know what it is called, but it is a long strip of transparent plastic with crimped edges on both sides. It unwinds like a roll of film in your hand, and very flimpsy. I am having a hard time putting 120 film on the reels and this worked wonders. I have been ruining film and need to find out what the "cheat reel" is called and where I can get one.

-- Lanie (lalanya10@hotmail.com), June 24, 2001

Answers

You might try ebay . These where popular many years ago, and i don't belive anyone makes them now. If i remember it is called an apon. Have you tried praticing with a trial roll in the light? Plastic tend to load easier for beginniners.

-- Ann C lancy (aclancy@broadband.att.com), June 24, 2001.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1248906921

Check out the above. this item includes two aprons and tanks that you are asking about.

-- Ann C lancy (aclancy@mediaone.com), June 24, 2001.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it. That particular site on e-bay is the type of thing I am looking for, however, I need one for 120 that one is for 35mm. We had one at the school and someone stole it, it has been pure torture without it.

-- Lanie (lalanya10@hotmail.com), June 24, 2001.

Lanie, Give your reels another try! Devoloping 120 films with good uniformity is already a difficult task with them. Using these apron things chances are pretty low. Guess why no serious book or photographer suggest them? Good luck.

Cesar B.

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), June 24, 2001.

This is called an "apron" and was made by Kodak for their developing tanks. Ther is a metal plate with holes that goes over this to hold the film down. The manager of the darkroom deparment at my local store mentioned they were still available (at a ridiculously high price)a few years ago, so you could check at a store that might special order this.

Otherwise, check camera swap meets, ebay, used department at camera stores, garage sales, etc.

If you haven't tried them, though, Patterson makes the easiest loading plastic reels for 120 that I've used. I always seem to kink 120 with SS reels, but not so much on the Patterson reels.

-- Charlie Strack (charlie_strack@sti.com), June 25, 2001.

Thanks to all of you that sent me a response, I have been searching e-bay and I am going to the used camera store this weekend. Again, thanks so much for all of the input!!

-- Lanie (lalanya10@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001.