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Author Topic: What is your Favorite Brand of Reel?
Joe Balitzki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 529
From: Charleston, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2005


 - posted April 28, 2012 03:44 PM      Profile for Joe Balitzki   Email Joe Balitzki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
For 1200', I like the Elmo brand. Gepe seems to have a better case with their smaller reels.

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006


 - posted April 28, 2012 05:24 PM      Profile for Claus Harding   Email Claus Harding   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Super-8:
For both great construction and pure elegance, I think the Elmo aluminum 1200-foot reels win. Light, sturdy and dependable.

For features, my house reel is a metal 2400-foot reel from Beaulieu. Strong and straight, excellent build quality.

For plastic, the Tuscan ones, with their smoked plastic shell and easy auto-take-up are in a heat with the grey-box/white-reel Schneiders for all-around good use and good looks.

The Grasso Cinebooks are nice with their clamshell design holding two plastic reels, but I find they seal quite firmly, necessitating some airing out of prints from time to time. Mind you, this is with my Kodachrome 40 originals in there, so I do tend to worry... [Smile]

I have yet to give in to the siren song from Wittner and try the gorgeous-looking Posso reels with their equally gorgeous price tags.... [Big Grin]

Claus.

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

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From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010


 - posted April 28, 2012 06:20 PM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
1200' elmo

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted April 28, 2012 07:36 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
If everything was as well made as Gepe we wouldn't be considering a new dishwasher right now!

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted April 28, 2012 07:55 PM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes the 1200ft Elmo alumium alloy reels are the best for features. For 800 and 600ft plastic reels I prefer the Bonum and Posso reels and cans which are very well made and true running, and you can clip the cans together for features.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted April 28, 2012 08:37 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Definitely the most beautiful reel I have ever seen is the 1200 ft ELMO.

However, my absolute favorite reel is the 600ft Bonum grey plastic reels, and they are very good with film, never snagging and quite free flowing, as well as easy to loop film on! The 400ft Bonum reel, grey plastic reel (like the 600ft) are also just as good, but are harder to come by for me.

Nice topic! The 1200ft ELMO certainly has the vote!

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Joe Balitzki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 529
From: Charleston, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2005


 - posted April 28, 2012 11:35 PM      Profile for Joe Balitzki   Email Joe Balitzki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wonder if Bonum is still manufacturing their reels. You rarely see them nowadays. Gepe cases are ventilated to prevent Vinegar Syndrome but it looks like the Posso cases are not. I know the Bonum cases are not ventilated. I dislike the Tuscan cases because: they are dust magnets, not ventilated, and color film should be stored in darkness. I wonder if the Wittner cans are prone to rusting. At least they are the right depth for 8mm reels.

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Christian Bjorgen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 996
From: Kvinnherad, Norway
Registered: Oct 2009


 - posted April 29, 2012 02:51 AM      Profile for Christian Bjorgen   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've taken a liking to the ELMO reels aswell. I use several 800' reels from them and they are all of excellent quality. Bonums aren't half-bad either.

I use Grasso Cinebooks too, and also noticed the tight seal, so I drilled some small holes for ventilation in it [Smile]

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012


 - posted April 29, 2012 04:22 AM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
I think the ELMO 1200, is a good spool but the 800' does have a
tendency to break in the same place every time at the base.The
take up room on the 800' is limited by the fact it has a large core
which was there to ensure smooth sound on the ST1200s.
The nicest designed spool/can I feel must go to the NORIS,which
was a very sensible set up with detatchable clear lid which was
perfect for displaying box labels,the boxes also were nicely finished
by having very smooth edges and corners,making them tactile,
the core was slightly less which enabled more film storage.
A spool which was a veritable boon in the UK was the one that
was put out by a very good friend of mine,Mr Tony Churcher
who gave us the SUPERSPOOL which came in 1600' & 2400'
sizes,allowing epics like "EL CID" etc to be joined up and the
intermissions shown correctly.They were very strong and I have
quite a few just for the epics.The 1600 was the same size as the Elmo 1200' in diameter.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted April 29, 2012 08:42 AM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I can't really be sure, but when I have recieved a brand new print from Germany, they have always been on brand new Bunum 600ft or 400ft reels.

Either that German film lab bought up an enormous supply of them, or, they are still making them.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Joe Balitzki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 529
From: Charleston, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2005


 - posted April 29, 2012 09:39 AM      Profile for Joe Balitzki   Email Joe Balitzki   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Are Grasso Cinebooks manufactured anymore?
What size reels do they hold?

Has anyone bought any of the Wittner cans?
How about Plawa reel/can sets; anyone used them?

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