70mm questions

hi, i'm new to the world of 70mm films...

 

first, are any B+W emulsions still available other than the perforated Plus-X

150 ft' Aero and the UNperforated Tri-X 100 ft'?

 

and is there any way to buy less than 18 or 36 rolls (at $100+ a roll) a time?!?

that's what B+H demands...

 

what is the practical difference between perforated and unperforated? the

Hasselblad back says that it uses perforated but can you use unperforated in it?

 

i plan to shoot it in a 70 back for Hasselblad and also in a friend's Combat

Graphic!

 

are the cassettes interchangeable from different makers? they all seem to hold

15 feet, and different companies made them --- just got some Linhof cassettes

for $7 each -- these will work in the Hasselblad back? or not?

 

what about bulk loaders? previous posts mention them but they're nowhere to be

found on the internet now....

 

what about 70mm movie film? will that work?

 

thank you in advance!

Alan,<br><br>I think you summed up the situation quite nivcely: very, very little choice in 70 mm film still available. And only in bulk.<br>It's not a good time (nor idea) to step into the world of 70 mm films. Too late.<br><br>Too late too to find bulk loaders. They are still around, but you already know how difficult they are to find.<br><br>Hasselblad 70 mm backs use a sprocket wheel, and you muust use perforated film. Some people have converted a 70 mm back, replacing the sprocket with a smooth rubber wheel. But i don't know how well (or not) that works.<br><br>The cassettes are interchangeable. The 'Linhof' cassettes (probably from Kodak) work in Hasselblad backs.<br><br>Movie film emulsions are different (aerial film emulsions are too, by the way). You may not like them.<br>The perforation of movie film may not be the one needed too.<br>And don't think they are easier to find and buy.

The only 70mm perf film that is readily available is C41 Portra.

 

You can get Plus-X, Tri-X, or T-Max BUT you have to order 36 100 foot rools! At around $200 per roll that's a good chunk of change for film.

 

I will join in on a purchase but can only use 3 100 foot rolls. So we need another 15 willing buyers for 3 rolls each!

the Kodak #2402 70mm 150' Roll Plus-X Aerographic Film (ISO-A-200) 494 Type II Perforation S-241 Spool is $ 163.50 per roll, 18 minimum, or $2943.00

 

the Kodak TX 70mm 100' Roll Tri-X Pan Black & White Print Film (ISO-400) TX473 Unperporated 1.25 Plastic "J" Core is $ 142.50 per roll, 36 minimum, or $5130.00

 

I would buy three rolls of either, also, could we get enough people together to fill an order?

anthony,

 

you mentioned in an old post that you have the wheel to convert a Hasselblad 70 back to use unperforated film.

 

could you tell me who you bought it from?

 

thank you very much!

First of all: please don't cross-post in two different sections of the forum. It has the effect of giving you the same set of information twice from different people who've only read one of the two.

 

Here's what you can get (that I know of) in 70mm: Agfa, Ilford, Fuji, Konica do not make any 70mm anymore. Kodak makes Portra 400NC in two different unperforated formats. Kodak makes Portra 160NC in two different unperforated formats and one that IS perforated (the only one I know of still made with perfs). You can get Tri-X in 70mm, but it might currently entail a large minimum order and I don't know if they offer it perfed anymore. IIRC I saw a listing that would indicate they used to. You can get either Kodak's Ektachrome 64 or another of Kodak's E6 films, again it might entail a special order now.

 

I've never shot any 70mm. My interest stems from my desire to do large school event photography with some split-70mm cameras that I got for pennies on eBay, and the desire to shoot weddings with Mamiya's 70mm backs instead of 220, which would allow for me to load at least 10 feet (40 frames of 6x7), or more if I get thin polyester-/aka estar-based film, which could allow up to double that. Mamiya's portable 70mm backs (Beatie makes a large 100-foot model that takes unperfed that'll fit on the back of an RB) are also troubled by only taking perforated film, although this helps film flatness as opposed to 1- or 220 by allowing the film to be sprocket-advanced, and having the added bonus of having a vacuum suctiom pumps to ensure the ultimate in negative flatness when you're taking pictures with one of these backs.

 

You might still be able to find Fuji and Konica 70mm out there, but it's probably all old and outdated. According to the lab I've elected to do all of my 70mm film (I can only do up to 5 feet at a time with my machines and not 70mm) they've lost roughly 90% of their business since the beginnings of profesional digital photography, so you're looking at a niche market that might not be around too much longer if Kodak decides it isn't worth it to make the stuff anymore.

 

70mm represents a significant cost savings over 220. UPI offers processing for 60c/foot currently, and you can get 70mm for around $106/100ft. This gives you about $1.60 per foot of cost, as opposed to the cost of 220, which is around $8 for a roll of Portra 400, and about $4-6 to process. In terms of chemistry, I think it costs me $1.40 worth of chemistry to do 220, so the actual cost per foot that most labs assume is ~$0.28, so charging twice that is very reasonable in my honest opinion. You're paying $8 for the equivalent ammount of film in 220, which would cost $14+ to purchase and process, so you're saving ~40% by buying film in bulk. Hope this helps.

 

~Karl

Alan, I'd be interested in picking up three rolls of the Tri-X. I'd settle for the 400 speed version, but am hoping it's the 320 due to that films special retouching base.

 

Regards,

 

~Karl Borowski

I might get 1 or 2 rolls of a B&W film perforated for Linhof

Technika. I think it is type II.

This is an old post but as I just read it there is a chance I may be of some help. I have a surplus of 100' rolls of both 160 and 400 perforated Kodak porta film. I will be going digital in the spring and am willing to sell individual boxes if there is an interest out there. Today is my first day on this forum so if this is out of line let me know. Thanks,

 

Leon

Leon, I am interested in your 400 perforated Portra. Today is my first day on the forum as well so pls forgive. eMail me eric dot armstrong at Stanford dot ed you. thanks!