126 film questions

[harold_motte]

Hello, I need some info on 126 film.

i.e...does it come in a cartridge?

Is it available? How much does it cost?

Where to get it developed?

Do you think it is worth it?

Need for a Zeiss Icomatic F camera.

Thanks,

Harold

[david_starr3]

126 is a cartridge type film, the original "Instamatic". It's listed as available at http://www.frugalphotographer.com/cat126.htm They show prices and processing.

[craig_shearman1]

Yes you can still buy 126 and get it processed, as noted by David. You can still find just about any size film and get it processed if you're willing to pay the price. But is it worth it? If you have a camera you love and still want to use, or one you've obtained and would like to play with, sure. But would it make sense to purposely go out and look for 126 and go down that path otherwise? Probably not. It's more expensive to shoot than 35mm, poorer quality because of the smaller negative (all else being equal) and hard to find film and processing. It was introduced at a time when standard consumer film was 120/620 or 127 roll film, so cartridge loading was a big convenience at the time. But its day has come and gone other than nostalgia and fun.

[ted_marcus1]

The negative is actually 28x28mm, which isn't significantly smaller than a 35mm frame. The real problem with 126 is that the majority of cameras that used it were cheap "Instamatic" types with single-element fixed-focus lenses and fixed shutter speeds. The resulting negatives are very unsharp and improperly exposed. The few high-quality 126 cameras were capable of very good results.

 

According to the Frugal Photographer site Ferrania, the last manufacturer of 126 film, ceased production of it in April of this year. Frugal Photographer bought the last of the stock and has stockpiled it in frozen storage, so it will be available for a while. But once that's gone, there will be no more.

 

Any lab that processes 35mm color negative film should be able to process it, at least in theory. The film is 35mm wide, so a C-41 machine should be able to accommodate it. However, the semi-skilled "technician" at the local mini-lab probably has no idea how to extract the film from the cartridge (you have to break the cartridge, remove the spool of paper-backed film, and then separate the film from the paper backing to which it's taped at either end). And the typical mini-lab printing machine probably doesn't have a mask for the square negatives. A large wholesale lab probably should have the right equipment and expertise.

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

I think Ferrania still makes ISO100 film in 126 cartridges. Anyhow, it might be difficult to find a lab to process the film (it has 35mm width as usual but only one sprocket hole per frame).

[nano_burger]

If you are really in love with the camera, it is possible to reload a 126 cartridge with 35mm film. The problem is with the odd perforation system the 126 camera uses. You will have to take several blank shots between the exposure to advance the film properly. I've worked out a system that perforates unperferated microfilm to work as intended in the camera, but it is a lot of work. However, if you want to do it for the fun of it...