70mm

[roger_urban5]

Fellas, what difference does it make if you shoot 70mm perforated or non-perforated film? Is there a problem shooting one or the other using Rollei or Pentax 645N? From reading some posts, I'm beginning to suspect that is the case, but I haven't come across someone actually spelling it out yet.

 

Also, do you need special negative holders to handle 70mm film in an enlarger?

 

70mm is attactive to me, and I'm weighing the pros and cons.

 

I tire of running out of pictures on a roll during a critical moment, like a wedding, or a fireworks show, or during spots action and having to reload on the spot and missing shots. I know I know, I could have an assistant or multiple cameras. There's always options and ways to work around problems, like buying more 220 spools for the Rollei 6006 (which is not such a bad solution either).

 

However, if you know you've got 70 or 95 shots available and you can shoot at roughly 2 frames per second, then during the action you can take long sequences of shots without fear of running out of film.

 

Also, every now and then I seem to come across a great deal in 70mm film. Outdated refrigerated 100 foot rolls of VPS for $8, for example, which could be shot regardless of color shift and used to print black and white. Very tempting. Lot cheaper than buying 220 or 120 equivalent lengths.

 

 

To start shooting 70mm, I envision this equipment as more or less necessary:

 

1) 70mm film back. My personal equipment choices are for the Pentax 645N (a new back) or Rollei 6006 (used back) Preference is for the Pentax as with 645 vs 6x6, it will hold something like 90+ pictures.

 

2) 70mm cassettes/cartridges (through B&H probably)

 

3) Some kind of device to load the film from the roll onto the cassette spool. Linhof has such a device and there may be others. Saw one for sale on Ebay recently that was being bid on at $345 last time I checked. However, if might be possible to construct such a device yourself, if you're handy at all with tools, for considerably less cost.

 

4) If I do my own B&W processing, then I need 70mm tanks, and film holders. B&H sells them. If I shoot only color, I pay by the foot to have it done professionally.

 

 

Am I missing anything terribly in my analysis of 70mm?

[john lehman, college alask]

Some backs require perf film; some don't. I don't know about

the Rollei or Pentax 645N; I use a graflex RH-50 and a Beattie.

 

You can get by without the loader and load the cassettes in a

darkroom. Note also that B&H sells Tri-X in cassettes for less

than they charge for an empty cassette.

 

You do need a 70mm carrier for your enlarger (I use a 6x9 carrier

with the pins removed, or a 4x5 glass carrier).

[brian_c._miller]

For Pentax 645, prices from B&H:

 

<p>220 insert, 30 exp., $170<br>

70mm insert, 90 exp., $840

 

<p>Three 220 inserts for $510 gives the same number of exposures as one 70mm insert. One 70mm insert costs about 5 times one 220 insert.

 

<p>I have a Pentax 645 with both 120 and 220 inserts. It doesn't take that long to pop out one back and pop in another. How much action do you miss in 5-10 seconds? And then you have another 30 (or 33) shots before you need to change again.

 

<p>Get more information on the Pentax insert. I can't imagine that Pentax would sell an insert without also having some kind of film loader. I bet that it comes with some kind of device to help loading film.

 

<p>Overall, I say that if you can afford it, and it represents that much of an improvement of convenience, then go for it.

[urs_bernhard]

I use 70mm with a Linhof Cine-Rollex back on an ALPA 12 WA camera( a superb camera!). The 70mm film is just great.You have no problems with filmflatness as you might have with the paperprotected 120; or the lighttightness of exposed 220's; and you have a big bunch of pictures, what I like with my reportage/streetphotography work. I buy it at B+H readyload in cartridges (Kodak TX 15ft,perf); developing is in a stainless steel reel from HEWES/England (see the website of HEWES) in a custommade tank( one can do it in salad bowl,too). If you have to modify your carriers depends on your enlarger model, but will surely not be a great deal. Hewes offers a loader as well, but you can find a much less costy one at B+H with the brandname ALDEN Bulk filmloader. 70mm could be the ultimate medium format filmsize, if the industry would not be too lazy and finally replace the oldfashioned 120/220 films