ok, ok - berate me, verbally abuse me, whatever but I need some very BASIC help.... I'm gonna start developing a couple of films this week. question; 1. What's the easiest way to get the film cannister open? I think there's a special tool for it, but I'm brassic till payday so want the cheats method. Cheers guys! (and gals!) (",)

Thanks Alpha - and yeah, got one...... took some shots on the slr in my dawn outing - not really bothered if I lose them or not and the film was only 1 (yeah you read right) so I don't care..... (",)

Bottle opener...LOL, well, now I've learned something too! See Mike I'm ignorant also! Now to find a darkroom....

DARKROOM? You need a darkroom?? Darn..... WHAT'S A DARKROOM????? (",) tee hee

A dark room is a place with no lights on where interesting things happen %^)

Church key style bottle opener works the best.... ; )

If you are really strong you can slam the cannister down on the top end and the bottom will pop off.....

You scare me Nplus! I agree with Alpha a bottle opener. However it's not the opening of the canister that got me it was winding the film onto the reel! I use a room on dark nights. But I've heard that those camera dark room bags sorta work also. However I've have also heard that they leak light a little. Have fun Jordy. BTW-Alpha exagerates. You only have to take the end off maybe two or three time to get the feel for it. Bsteph

nplus is actually not joking; it can be done by slamming it down, (works for beer too, sort of). They make reusable cannisters for loading your own film. It's really cheap in bulk, and you can load shorter or longer rolls. For reuseable you want to open by slamming; a bottle opener will bend it. I also have seen a special tool; sort of like a pincer with a round cutout. But bottle opener works just as well. Do yourself a favor and buy a metal reel and tank for developing. It looks harder to use than the plastic ones, but is actually easier with practice. Remember to switch off the light. ;-)

'slam down on the top and the bottom falls off'.....hmmm. My camera loads with that narrow plastic bit down. Is it still the top? lol..... ok guys, I get wotcha mean. Cool. Saves me hours of work with the pipe cutting tool.....lol ok, this will be put into practice REAL soon!! Cheers All! p.s. Cal, I thought that was a bedroom? snigger......

If you don't have a darkroom, you can make an "incubator"-type light proof box where you can insert your arms into and roll your film into the reel. That's what we used before in school so we don't have to crowd the darkroom where all the printing gets done.

Aw, Star - you so sweet!!! It's ok, I've got my darkroom (in the loft - computer > barbers chair > table with enlarger etc on. Barbers chair is comfy and makes it easy to spin between the two!) but thanks for the advice anyways!! I'll probly use it in the future..... (",)

I envy you-- I don't have a darkroom. Anyway, find out if your film is sensitive to red light. I use the box most of the time because the film I used back then was sensitive to that red light that you use for darkroooms (Panchromatic, that is).