Film
wound on daylight spools can be handled in INDIRECT
light. Don't handle a daylight spool in direct
sunlight - find a closet or bathroom to load your
film (and don't drop your magazine lid in the
toilet!). The first five feet or more will be
burned, so once the camera is threaded you must
pass the burned film until you reach fresh, unexposed
film. Learn to thread your camera in total darkness
and save those wasted feet of film if you're short
on film. Daylight spools are black metal reels
with solid, unslotted edges that extend completely
over the edges of the wound film and resembles
an audio tape reel (without the slots on the sides).
Daylight spools generally fit internal camera
magazines that have spindles approximately the
same diameter as a pencil and are square in shape.
If only spools fit your camera, buy your film
on daylight spools. Don't try to wind your own
spools from cores as you could easily scratch
it by cinching it too tight or wind it in one
of four different ways in the dark that will cause
problems. 100 foot daylight spools are packaged
in a plastic box with a clear, plastic spool retainer
inside and a paper strip around the film. Only
open these daylight spools in indirect light and
keep all of the packaging material so you can
send your film to the lab. Look at the take-up
and supply spindles of your camera and figure
out if you need cores or spools. If the spindles
are square and the diameter of a pencil, it takes
spools. If the spindles are round and the diameter
of a quarter ($0.25US), it takes cores.
