Processing 35mm &120 B&W Film

While the plastic tanks and reels work fine, some photographers prefer stainless steel reels to load the film into. I find the plastic reels work fine for 35mm film but I prefer the stainless reels for 120 film.

Where as the stainless steel reels are made specifically for either 35mm or 120 film, the plastic reels can be twisted in a manner where they come apart and can be reassembled to take 120 film

A tube on the inside of one spiral fits inside the other and is twisted to lock the two parts together. Depending which of the three slots the second part of the reel twist into determines the width of the reel and the film that is to be processed.

These reels have locating notch that is to be matched up to fit the reels together before they are twisted. If the reels are fitted together without locating these notches correctly the reel can jam and become impossible to twist apart.

Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman