The "New" Shanghai GP3 in 35mm... What the ??

Hello all. I am always looking at the new emulsions that come out. The Internet has been "abuzz" about the "New" 35mm Shanghai film for the last 6 months or so...so I purchased 3 rolls for testing.

I did note that there is no longer a metal cassette, that being replaced by some weird black plastic. My old brain said my selection of church keys should get it open zippy fast.

NOT !!! After chewing at it inside a change bag for over 30 minutes, I returned it to a black film can.

CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO BUST THIS THING OPEN ?

Here is another roll, with the label off. Next to the two red Xs are some type of latching tabs. These do not detent, nor will they brake off. The other side also has them.

Haven't even heard of the film till now. I'm pretty sure you would have tried it, but did you slam the long end of the spindle on a hard object?

Hmm... I had to use an ax.

Never again. Now I have

35mm half frame film...

http://bayouline.com/o2.gif

I wish I could offer some advice, other than saying this might be time for a leader pick and unloading through the light trap. With the cassette emptied that way, perhaps you can be a bit more "aggressive" with getting it open.

 

(this is also why I rewind leader out, although I know it's too late for that).

Those 2 indents (under the label) almost look like places to fit a spanner wrench and screw off the cap.

One of those gadgets for retrieving film leaders from cassettes would be a possibility.

Looks like it's made in two halves and clipped together, releasing it should be a matter of depressing the latches and splitting the case. I suspect, based on experience with similar assemblies, that it'll be a right pig to do in the dark, at least without some kind of special tool, so I'd go with the leader retriever.

 

As an aside, I wonder how light tight that cartridge is, with a seam running down the middle? I fear that the label may be an essential part...

Take a pair of scissors with you into the changing bag, and snip the film off after pulling it back out of the cassette light-trap.

 

Then when you have the spent cassette, you can experiment with how to open it. In the light.

 

But honestly, the very name and look of the packaging doesn't hold high expectations for the quality of the film.

According to this, there's no Chinese capacity to make old school metal film cans:

 

UPDATE: New film from Shanghai: GP3 100 now in 35mm format...plus 120 format updates | EMULSIVE

 

Might try the 120. Like others, I suffered recurrent problems with this brand and Lucky roll film: print-through and tar paper-like backing paper that jammed in every film back I own. Still, if you want quality and consistency, buying this stuff does nothing to keep Kodak and Ilford products on the shelf. Cheap isn't everything--obviously.

The new GP3 in 120 that I find isn't so cheap. Maybe USD 6.00 per roll.

 

I can get Fomapan and Ilford films in 120 for less than that.

(Though there will be sales tax on them.)

 

I believe I got five rolls of the old GP3 in 120, some years ago, close to $3/roll.

 

As for plastic, I believe I had plastic cassettes from Ilford, maybe about 1975, with

twist-open lids. I might even still have one around.

I use a batch of reloadable cassettes that have the twist off tops. . very light tight. This "new" GP3 cassettes is insane. My "finest" church keys only chew at the buggers... next I am going to put a set of Channel Lock plyers in the changing bag. The remaining 2 rolls I will shoot but not rewind the entire roll so I can at least develop the film and see what the emulsion does. Above 5 years ago I used the 120 material and liked the emulsion in my various pyro staining mixes as well as Caffenol. The horrid emulsion defects and backing paper bleed thru, turned me off from further use, so this is the reason for "test driving" the "new" emulsion. I will not continue any further with the GP3 for this stupid cassette they put the film in. I can not believe that China lacks the capacity to manufacture metal cassettes.

Kodak used to spool 120 on metal spools, but now plastic. I presume it is cheaper.

 

Looking at the pictures, I don't see that they wouldn't be light tight.

I suspect that they are easy to open with the right tool.

We just don't have that tool.

The remaining 2 rolls I will shoot but not rewind the entire roll

Ahh! Now I see why not being able to open the cassette was a problem. I habitually used to listen and feel for the film to come free from the take-up spool during rewind, and promptly stopped rewinding.

 

Always wise to leave the leader hanging out of the cassette, and if you're worried about accidentally re-using an exposed film; just tear a bit off the leader.

This film is a new learning experience Joe. . .Hopefully the emulsion will be worth the 3 rolls in hand. With a 10x loupe, I am already seeing "pin holes". . .same as the "Old Shanghai". The V800 will tell the tale.

OK, here is the "end" of the story.

Yes, I can be a brutal guy. . .this film brought it all out in the open ! I selected a Channel Lock plyer vrs the Vice Grip set. . can't be to brutal...

In the changing bag, the cassette was "crimped" around the seal ends. Several "gentle" applications of force produced an audible "snap" and I was able to pull the halves apart. . . be careful if you repeat this. . .the plastic is sharp.

Once the film was out, loading the reel & development went smoothly. My process: 3ml of Hypercat, 5.25g sodium carbonate in a 450ml Nikor tank for 15m.

Scanning showed the GP3 neg's to be some what "soft" in the sharpness I have come to expect with the UFX100 / Kentmere 100 materials I have been using, both 35mm & 120 format. Plus the grain is "excessive" for a 100asa material.

Emulsion defects up the wazu !!! Just like the "Old" GP3 material !! Missing emulsion in the various "lines" & "dots". All three rolls show these defects.

Without doing any developer / time work, the film is much more contrasty than the above mentioned emulsions. Remember, I am the Zone System Deadhead from ages ago !

I do not plan on trying this emulsion again. The hype on the net about GP3 to me is just hype! The cassette. . .that is the killer for me ! Cheers, Bill

Here is what the "defects" look like.

Several decent prints were arrived at after a lot of "creative" application / work with the editor.

The tool for this cassette !!

Just for comparison, here is a late USSR metal film cassette for Tasma ЦО-100M film:

the ring at the top simply unscrewed.

 

Tasma is still making B&W film, anyhow

 

35mm BW Film - Tasma NK-2 100 (1 Roll)

Edited September 29, 2019 by JDMvW

Thanks Bill Bowes. I think I'll stick to FP4 (though there's no other option in rural Oz). And, whatever alchemy, incantations, magic, whatever, you did, that print is good. And JDW, nice touch.