EOS bulk film back (yeah it's not digital)

[Lightstream]

Mods please move if appropriate :)

I've always wondered about how 'old school' EOS film shooters, and I know we have quite a number here, worked in the days of 36 exposures per roll. For example, say, you're shooting a sporting event, or an airshow, and the action is non stop. We all know it's trivial to slap the biggest, fattest CF card into our digitals nowadays and get so many frames your frame counter doesn't even go down.

But how did they do it in years gone by? I was doing some research and discovered that Canon's NEVER had a bulk film back for the EOS series that could enable you to load 250 frames at one go, which would give them a semblance of what we have today. And the limited capacity of a single can of film makes things like the EOS 1V-HS' awesome 10fps drive so much less useful. At least with 6.5fps on my 40D and 2K shots, I can pepper as and when I feel like ;)

You could have two bodies, I understand, but that'd only give you 72 frames and there would be 'downtime' changing the lens over to the second body (I doubt many packed redundant 300/2.8 ISL's).

Oh, and we're not talking about assistants, I'm thinking about unfortunate PJ's who do not happen to have staff assigned to them. If you had someone to reload the second body it would be virtually seamless.

[FlyingPhotog]

Some SLRs could be modded to leave the leader out when you rewind the film. All you had to do was mark the film can with the number you were at before rewinding. When you reloaded the film, you'd click off X+1 or X+2 frames (with the lens cap still on, obvisously) and resume shooting normally.

One of my two T90s works this way.

[cosworth]

You were a lot more careful with firing frames off. That's translated to my digital shooting now. Where others frag away and fill their 8gb cards, I am far more careful.

[CyberDyneSystems]

The pros with multiple bodies at major sporting events only shoot, they often had assistance changing film.

We even had this in my theatre fairly often, the official photographer for fashion shows etc,. always had an assistant swapping film.

[liquefied]

Some SLRs could be modded to leave the leader out when you rewind the film. All you had to do was mark the film can with the number you were at before rewinding. When you reloaded the film, you'd click off X+1 or X+2 frames (with the lens cap still on, obvisously) and resume shooting normally.

One of my two T90s works this way.
I don't understand what this has to do with what the OP is talking about but I believe you can do this with all EOS film bodies, it's a custom function.

[Zilly]

how i shoot now i keep a eye on how many shots i have left and i prep the second roll (take it out the plastic canister) in low points in the action. ill then roll the film into the canister early if i have the opportunity to pause if not ill just swap when it runs out. practicing with empty canisters i can swap a film in and out in just under 15 seconds

[Lightstream]

The pros with multiple bodies at major sporting events only shoot, they often had assistance changing film.

We even had this in my theatre fairly often, the official photographer for fashion shows etc,. always had an assistant swapping film.

Ah, so there is very little getting around the assistant. Oh well.. I'll just take my digital if I need to pepper :D

how i shoot now i keep a eye on how many shots i have left and i prep the second roll (take it out the plastic canister) in low points in the action. ill then roll the film into the canister early if i have the opportunity to pause if not ill just swap when it runs out. practicing with empty canisters i can swap a film in and out in just under 15 seconds

Cool, didn't know you used film :)

[Zilly]

Cool, didn't know you used film :)

yep prefer it to digital have a thing for the tones in film and really enjoy processing it

would love to start shooting slide colour but i carnt justify the cost of having it processed :(

[ssim]

Two excellent points so far that I see. Jason is so correct in that those of us grew up in the film era tend to be more judicious on holding the shutter button down. The spray and pray approach is a game of chance to a large degree. CDS is also correct in that many pros have assistants and multiple bodies.

I used to bulk load my own film into standard cassettes. You could actually load more than 36 exposures in most of these up to around 48-50. Buying 50 or 100 feet of film at a time was a little pricey but it worked well. If I had a job that I knew was going to require fewer exposures then I sometimes loaded a casette with as little as 12 exposures.

My first medium format body was a Pentax 6x7 and it didn't have interchangeable backs. 10 shots on a 120 roll, you got real good at changing film fast.

Most pros, now and then had mulitple bodies and in the grander scheme of things I think that they would tell you that they didn't miss many shots that they wished they had gotten because they were changing film.

[Zilly]

I used to bulk load my own film into standard cassettes. You could actually load more than 36 exposures in most of these up to around 48-50. Buying 50 or 100 feet of film at a time was a little pricey but it worked well. If I had a job that I knew was going to require fewer exposures then I sometimes loaded a casette with as little as 12 exposures.



50 shots on a roll wow i struggle to get 40 in

[Lightstream]

yep prefer it to digital have a thing for the tones in film and really enjoy processing it

would love to start shooting slide colour but i carnt justify the cost of having it processed :(

I'm glad that I have a lab that does slides at a very reasonable cost, the only downside is the long (4-day) turnaround time for them. Love my slides. :)

Two excellent points so far that I see. Jason is so correct in that those of us grew up in the film era tend to be more judicious on holding the shutter button down. The spray and pray approach is a game of chance to a large degree. CDS is also correct in that many pros have assistants and multiple bodies.

I used to bulk load my own film into standard cassettes. You could actually load more than 36 exposures in most of these up to around 48-50. Buying 50 or 100 feet of film at a time was a little pricey but it worked well. If I had a job that I knew was going to require fewer exposures then I sometimes loaded a casette with as little as 12 exposures.

My first medium format body was a Pentax 6x7 and it didn't have interchangeable backs. 10 shots on a 120 roll, you got real good at changing film fast.

Most pros, now and then had mulitple bodies and in the grander scheme of things I think that they would tell you that they didn't miss many shots that they wished they had gotten because they were changing film.


Understood. Also would like to make a general comment (and not aimed at you or anybody in the thread) that not every digital shooter is automatically a spray and pray user. Granted the ease of digital has made more of them spray and pray though. There are still some who stick to the 'decisive moment'. I carry large cards, but never manage to fill them.. :)

I bulk load too and enjoy the flexibility. 12 frames for short 'test' rolls when I'm experimenting or playing, and I've managed to get 48 in before. Amazingly, it actually fit into the development tank during processing! And depending, it can be cheaper than buying film in cans, too.

MF is pretty cool. I have a Pentax 645, the 6x7's smaller cousin, 45mm and 150mm. 15 shots per 120 - not that many either.

[Zilly]

I'm glad that I have a lab that does slides at a very reasonable cost, the only downside is the long (4-day) turnaround time for them. Love my slides. :)

its about £3.80 per roll of film to process from the cheapest place i can find just to have it processed and then put on cd.

[Halliday]

I always liked changing the rolls of film. It was a little break for me.

[Zilly]

last week for the first time i met a professional that has never worked with film, its not going to be long before the front pages of major institutions are covered with work from people who never experience or learnt from the limitations and advantages that film has to offer

[Jon]

Mods please move if appropriate :)

I've always wondered about how 'old school' EOS film shooters, and I know we have quite a number here, worked in the days of 36 exposures per roll. For example, say, you're shooting a sporting event, or an airshow, and the action is non stop. We all know it's trivial to slap the biggest, fattest CF card into our digitals nowadays and get so many frames your frame counter doesn't even go down.

But how did they do it in years gone by? I was doing some research and discovered that Canon's NEVER had a bulk film back for the EOS series that could enable you to load 250 frames at one go, which would give them a semblance of what we have today. And the limited capacity of a single can of film makes things like the EOS 1V-HS' awesome 10fps drive so much less useful. At least with 6.5fps on my 40D and 2K shots, I can pepper as and when I feel like ;)

You could have two bodies, I understand, but that'd only give you 72 frames and there would be 'downtime' changing the lens over to the second body (I doubt many packed redundant 300/2.8 ISL's).

Oh, and we're not talking about assistants, I'm thinking about unfortunate PJ's who do not happen to have staff assigned to them. If you had someone to reload the second body it would be virtually seamless.It's simple - just pretend you're using your Holga . . .

[bieber]

last week for the first time i met a professional that has never worked with film, its not going to be long before the front pages of major institutions are covered with work from people who never experience or learnt from the limitations and advantages that film has to offer

Count me as your second. Strictly speaking, I have worked with film a little, but not extensively, and certainly not in any professional capacity. The only detriment I see this having to my skills is the simple fact that it means I'm younger and less experienced than most photographers, not anything to do with the medium itself...