About this Product
My Pa-APS reels let you develop APS (Advanced Photo System) format film in a Paterson processing tank.
They are 3D printed, and have been designed and refined through a lot of user feedback. They are printed in PLA+ material, which has proven to be sturdy and resilient when used with any typical (and some not-so-typical) development process, including B&W, C-41, E-6, ECN-I1, Cafenol, etc.
They have a built in twist-lock system, that separates into two halves for easy film unloading after development is finished.
Your order can also optionally include a set of APS canister tools, which I designed to help with opening the APS film gate, and extracting the film. The APS Canister tools are an optional add-on, so if you want them be sure to select the "One Toolset" option when ordering. I've made a video that shows using the APS Canister Winder tool, so you can see it in action. You can watch the video here:
Things to consider when ordering:
Do you need to also get a set of the (optional) APS canister tools to help with opening the canister's film gate, and retrieving the film?
These reels will hold APS films that are 25 frames in length or shorter. If you have any of the 40 frame cans, then you will likely have to cut the film in half and develop it on two reels.
These reels are printed on-demand, which typically takes a few days (occasionally longer, but not often). I send notice when your order has finish printing and has been hand-tuned, and checked for quality and usability, so you know how things are progressing.
Tips for best use of these reels:
It's suggested that you clip the film's leader corners to help with film loading, which is something that I learned from many older, more experienced, photographers from years of their experience long before I made these reels.
These reels are designed to have the film "push-fed" into them. This is my preferred loading method (in all reels I use), and works amazingly well. (If you want to see a video of what I mean by "push-fed", then go have a look at one of my 110 reel offerings, they show that process, and I use the exact same process for ALL roll film formats, APS included.) Alternatively, some users have reported using the reel's twist-locking system in a similar way to how Paterson and Jobo reels are used, to "walk" the film into the reel, little by little. This isn't my preferred method, though your milage may vary.
Film Stuff Lab
Meet the Maker
I have a strong passion for photography in general, and film/analog photography specifically. I also tend to lean into the more unique film formats, which definitely added challenges to home developing (amongst other things), so I started making my own solutions. Other people saw some of my creative (and money-conscious) solutions and started asking me if I could help them out too, which is why I opened up a shop so that sharing my creations could be easier to do, and so I would be and able to reach more people who were having the same problems I had faced.
I have two main goals with this shop. First is to offer easily usable and affordable solutions to film developing problems that I encountered. Most notably, development reels for formats that aren't readily available. My second goal is to offer affordability. Like for real, not as a sales pitch. I am 100% sure that my offerings fall into at least one of two categories; (1) Unique and usable. Many of my offerings are only available through my efforts, and not anywhere else. (2) Best value for price. A couple of the things I offer might have alternative options out in the world, but those are all so wildly overpriced than I decided to make an affordable one, first for me, then for anyone else who might be interested.
Everything I offer has been created by me, out of my personal need for a high quality, and also affordable, solution. Rest assured that if I am offering it here, it is because I am myself using it and have gotten it to a point of satisfaction in quality and usability that I feel it would benefit others as well.
How it’s Made
My reels are 3D printed, and have been designed and refined through a lot of user feedback. They are printed in PLA+ material, which has proven to be sturdy and resilient when used with any typical (and some not-so-typical) development process, including B&W, C-41, E-6, ECN-I1, Cafenol, etc.
Shop Policies
Buyer can contact seller about any issues with an order.
