A film picker, also known as a film leader retriever, is often overlooked when purchasing supplies for home development. Nonetheless, it's a crucial tool for saving both time and money, while also reducing frustration. In this guide, I will explain the reasons for using a film picker and provide alternative methods for retrieving your film without one.
**TL;DR:** The quickest, easiest, and most dependable tool for pulling out a 35mm film leader is the HCL Film Picker 4.
**In this guide:** Retrieving a lost leader, Pre-loading 135 film onto development reels, Opening a cartridge, Using a film strip to retrieve the leader, Utilizing a film picker to obtain the leader. Support this blog & access premium features with GOLD memberships!
**Retrieving the Lost Leader:**
It's common to misplace the film leader in a 35mm cartridge. If you twist the core incorrectly, it can disappear. A decent film picker is necessary for retrieval, although there are other methods as well.
**Pre-loading 135 Film onto Development Reels:**
For those who develop film at home, extracting film from cartridges is part of the procedure. Loading film onto a Paterson-type reel in total darkness can be tricky, especially if there's any dampness or if the film base is thin. This process relies on touch and can still lead to issues, even for experienced individuals.
The advantage of the 135 film format is that the rolls come in sealed metal cartridges with a slit. This allows you to grab one end of the film, trim it straight, and round the corners in daylight, making it easier to feed into a reel. Doing this before placing the reels into a dark bag can prevent a lot of complications. The only task left is to wind the film onto the reels in the dark, which is simpler than also having to shape the leaders with scissors and thread them through tiny openings.
This technique helps preserve the film cartridges for bulk loading or resale (there's always someone looking for extras). However, there is a downside; most point-and-shoot cameras wind the film completely into the cartridge, leaving no leader exposed. Even with manual cameras, it can be easy to forget to keep the leader outside.
**Opening the Cartridge:**
If the film leader is trapped inside the cartridge, you can use a basic opener tool (some bottle openers might work). This method destroys the film cartridge, making the process messier since you'll have to manage a full length of about 5 feet or 1.5 meters of film all at once rather than retrieving it bit by bit from a cartridge. Opening plastic cartridges can be particularly frustrating and needs to be done in complete darkness, meaning you won’t be able to pre-load your film onto the reel for easier handling. Nonetheless, it can be a last resort when other options fail.
**Using a Strip of Film to Retrieve the Leader:**
Photographic film can become very sticky when wet. As a last-ditch effort, you can exploit this with a 25mm (10-inch) long strip of 35mm film and a few drops of water. Lightly wet the strip (it shouldn’t be drenched) and carefully insert it into the slit of the cartridge. Push it in with the emulsion side facing down towards the core, then twist the core counterclockwise to pull the strip in. When the strip is about 10-15cm (4-6 inches) inside, pull it out swiftly yet gently. This method doesn't always succeed and typically requires multiple attempts.
**Horiuchi Color Ltd. (HCL) Film Picker 4:**
A film picker or film leader retriever is a compact tool with three flexible plastic blades. While there are several varieties, they all operate in a similar way: With the blades fully pushed into the tool, insert the stack of plastic blades into the film cartridge. Turn the core counterclockwise until you hear and feel a light click. Insert the first extendable blade, then repeat the core rotation. Push the last extendable blade in, pull the tool out of the cartridge, and it should have your film.
Unfortunately, many film leader retriever tools are poorly constructed, leading to multiple attempts required for retrieving each leader, regardless of one's experience. This has caused me to abandon the tool and resort to opening cartridges inside the dark bag. Some tools perform worse than using a wet film strip.
The issue lies not in the operation of these tools, but in their quality.
The Horiuchi Color Ltd. (HCL) Film Picker 4 is the only version I have used that works nearly every time. Manufactured by a Japanese printing company, it is a small plastic tool whose blades have the perfect texture and flexibility, making it very reliable. While other tools often fail sporadically, the HCL Film Picker 4 only struggles when the leader inside the cartridge is split or not shaped like a standard curved cutout. In
A film picker, also known as a film leader retriever, is often neglected when purchasing supplies for home development. Yet, it is a crucial tool for conserving time and money, as well as preventing frustration. In this guide, I will detail the reasons for using a film picker and demonstrate a few alternative methods for retrieving your film without it.