Super 8: loading a cart onto a Lomo developing tank spiral

A short video I made for a friend on how I load Super 8 carts onto the Lomo UPB-1A spiral.
Many people break open the cartridge in complete darkness. I don't use this method, instead I load the spiral by directly pulling the film out of the cartridge.
I cut a small strip of aluminium wire and jam into a tiny recess in the cart to force down the pressure plate, this allows the film to be drawn out of the cart without scratching the emulsion or the base.

[@dalehammond1704]

This is the best video on this loading process I've found online. If one wants to shoot film today and one is not wealthy, this is a must. I go the cheapest way and shoot double 8 and develop with Caffenol.

[@txemanovelo]

Do you have a good recipe for Tri x? I wanna give it a try!

[@sebastianvaccaris2951]

Love this Adrian - this has saved me multiple times, before heading to my lab to process. Every load an absolute bliss... got used to put a washer there in the pressure plate.
Thanks very much - from Melbourne Au

[@Jon_Oates]

Thanks, this is really useful. I might try my first few by sacrificing a foot or so of film to get the loading started in daylight. Thanks also to your cameraman. Would also be interesting to see your reversal developing process too.

[@adycousins]

Good idea - you could add a foot of leader to the end of the film in the cart maybe?

[@chhhhhris]

I remember my first time doing this. I did not know about the first step (turning the cartridge's wheel until it breaks), so my film went back in to the cart. In the darkness, I had to smash open the cartridge with a hammer to retrieve and load the film hahah!

[@natereed3409]

Funny as I just recently have used this method on my last two developments. Saves heaps of time fumbling back and forth onto reels in the dark

[@natereed3409]

I would also like to add for anyone using the LOMO tank and having problems with an even development. When you agitate the film in the tank, do not spin the spiral. There should be freeplay to pull the spiral straight up in the tank about an inch and then you let the assembly fall back into the solution. I will then smack the sides of the tank a few times to free up any bubbles. I do that procedure every minute for all solutions during development.

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

I notice some people also say have the perforations facing up. I feel like it makes more sense to have the perfs down as that’s where the least amount of the images are.

[@adycousins]

If you have the perfs up and load the film tail first then the emulsion is facing in, and that’s certainly incorrect because the emulsion side will be pressed against the groove wall preventing the developer solutions from accessing it

[@pedade02]

thanks for this nice explanations... Question: I received low price on a bunch of old Recordak Fine Grain Film 7456 Kodak Canada 16mm 100ft. Any required particular approach processing this film or I do simply same as other Kodak 16mm films?

[@adycousins]

That’s microfilm isn’t it - no perfs, so won’t work in a movie camera - unless you want to use it in a stills camera? Best bet would be D76, or D23, something not too contrasty

[@RedStarRogue]

I own a Lomo tank and developed some old super 8 ektachrome 160 type G in it. Annoyingly I was only able to find/afford a 30ft tank and it only came with one spindle...

[@lilytiger7015]

hi Adrian! Once the cartridge has been opened are you able to cut off the film strip after loading it onto the reel and then leave the remaining film undeveloped in the cartridge or does opening the cartridge this much leak light? I just wanted to do some tests and so do;t want to sacrifice a whole cartridge!

[@adycousins]

the cartridge isn’t opened at any point, you can remove as much film as you want to test, and as long as you leave a bit hanging out of the cartridge you can then come back and load the remainder onto the spiral. Loading the film needs to be done in complete darkness, so there should be no opportunity for it to become exposed to light

[@adycousins]

This Facebook post I did has some more details on how to do a super 8 test strip: m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0eg171FSxk2y5WMerd4FcDLV5zHnYLWrwAAhbp8DQFMxksdjsBmwNZsVZoXXg4gJzl&id=582718948

[@txemanovelo]

This is going to be a hell of a silly question, but you are suppose to do this in total darkness right?

[@adycousins]

Yes, in total darkness

[@shemgatdula1038]

should you do this in the dark? loading the film to the developer?

[@adycousins]

Yes

[@OskarFilms]

Great video. I'm not sure I understand why you put that small pin inside the cartridge? If you turn the wheel counterclockwise so it breaks, won't that allow you to pull the film out of the canister?

[@adycousins]

Turning the wheel anti-clockwise isn’t enough - the cartridge has a plastic pressure plate that needs to be pressed down in order for the film to be extracted without scratching it, in the camera there’s a small ridge on the film gate that engages this pressure plate and pushes it in allowing the film to move freely when the cartridge is inserted, the small strip of wire I push in to the cartridge does the same job.

[@OskarFilms]

@@adycousins About how long does your small strip of wire have to be to fit inside the Super 8 cartridge?

[@adycousins]

@@OskarFilms I just measure it by inserting one end in the recess and marking where I need to cut, but it’s about 13.5mm

[@RedStarRogue]

I own a Lomo tank and developed some old super 8 ektachrome 160 type G in it. Annoyingly I was only able to find/afford a 30ft tank and it only came with one spindle...

[@RedStarRogue]

I own a Lomo tank and developed some old super 8 ektachrome 160 type G in it. Annoyingly I was only able to find/afford a 30ft tank and it only came with one spindle...