8mm Forum: What is your Favorite Brand of Reel?

This is topic What is your Favorite Brand of Reel? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Joe Balitzki (Member # 438) on April 28, 2012, 03:44 PM:

For 1200', I like the Elmo brand. Gepe seems to have a better case with their smaller reels.

Posted by Claus Harding (Member # 702) on April 28, 2012, 05:24 PM:

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.

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on April 28, 2012, 06:20 PM:

1200' elmo

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on April 28, 2012, 07:36 PM:

If everything was as well made as Gepe we wouldn't be considering a new dishwasher right now!

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on April 28, 2012, 07:55 PM:

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.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 28, 2012, 08:37 PM:

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!

Posted by Joe Balitzki (Member # 438) on April 28, 2012, 11:35 PM:

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.

Posted by Christian Bjorgen (Member # 1780) on April 29, 2012, 02:51 AM:

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]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on April 29, 2012, 04:22 AM:

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.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 29, 2012, 08:42 AM:

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.

Posted by Joe Balitzki (Member # 438) on April 29, 2012, 09:39 AM:

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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