Kodak Bantam film type 828 : is there any left at all in the UK ?

[smiffy_smiffy]

Needed to go in a 1937 Coronet "Vogue" : yes a rare Bakelite Folding camera but this long since 'departed' film only seems to appear in the US at ultra crazy prices 😖

[hunter_compton]

No major manufacturer currently makes this film. Either you are looking at buying old stock film and hoping for the best, or you are buying boutique confectioned film from larger master rolls or 120. 

You can also use normal 35mm film if you have existing spools and backing paper, but the sprockets on one side will intrude into the 828 frame. 

[smiffy_smiffy]

Cheers for that reply H-C, not au-fait with boutique confectioned film , where do I find that in UK ?

Edited October 12, 2023 by smiffy_smiffy

[Rick_van_Nooij]

9 hours ago, hunter_compton said:

You can also use normal 35mm film if you have existing spools and backing paper, but the sprockets on one side will intrude into the 828 frame. 

You also can't rely the auto-stop on the film advance as it will catch on all the sprockets of the 35mm, but need to keep track of the frame numbers on the backing paper through the red of green window.

Edited October 12, 2023 by Rick_van_Nooij

[smiffy_smiffy]

Thanks RvN, much appreciated, but have given up idea of trying 35mm, although its the right width, everything else is far too problematic.

Edited October 12, 2023 by smiffy_smiffy

[hunter_compton]

17 hours ago, smiffy_smiffy said:

Cheers for that reply H-C, not au-fait with boutique confectioned film , where do I find that in UK ?

Not sure in the UK. Here in the USA B&H Photo carries it, the brand is film for classics. 

Also, Rick, while you are correct about the automatic stop on most of the Kodak Bantams, the Bantam RF has a roller that doesn't require a perforation for frame spacing, so works fine with 35mm perforated. 

I don't believe the Coronet Vogue uses any kind of frame spacing mechanism, and relies only on the window and backing paper numbers. 

[smiffy_smiffy]

Many thanks again h_c, just looked at B&H, this film priced at app $21 plus $10 for UK shipping, for 8 exposures = £25 GBP,  thanks but no thanks, cannot justify that..

You are right about my "Vogue" camera spacing mechanism, there isn't any!  So if I can't get an old 828 film in the UK, I've no chance of using it which is a great shame.

[Rick_van_Nooij]

You might still get lucky, and find some (heavily) expired 828 film from a 'local' auction site.

I was given 3 rolls of re-spooled 828 over a decade ago and I shot them a two years ago in a Bantam.....cross developed in BW chemicals, the results were only "meh".
But it gave me the spools and backing paper to roll my own, should I ever feel so inclined.

 

[smiffy_smiffy]

Fair comments RvN all much appreciated :0)

[smiffy_smiffy]

I now have two emty spools of the correct Bantam 828 film size and one roll of unused 127 B/W film. In order to use this film, and the attached backing paper if possible,  I need to reduce it's width from just 4.5cm to 3.5 cm. . How do i do that in total darkness ? I do have a decent changing bag...                                                      Anybody who can tell me is going to be my friend for life !!! Honest.

[John Seaman]

It seems a shame to try to cut down 127 film, which is itself rare enough, in a procedure which may be risky, and probably will not result in correct framing even if you can see the numbers on the film through the red window. Someone mentioned that 828 has the same width as 35mm - I would have thought a better plan would be to use 35mm , covering the red window (and any other possible source of light leaks) and guesstimating the number of turns on the winder to get reasonable frame spacing. Of course some film will be wasted by winding too far, but so what? I must admit I've never done this with an 828 camera, but I did use 35mm in a big Kodak folder once, getting several panoramic images. I don't know if a 35mm cassette will fit in your camera - it did in my old folder, wedged in with a lump of Blue-Tac. If not you will have to re-spool it on to one of your 828 spools.

Some people like the look of sprocket holes in pictures.

Edited October 15, 2023 by John Seaman

[Sandy Vongries]

I knew I had seen an article on the conversion - No, I have not tried it only have 35 mm and digital. http://www.artdecocameras.com/film/35mmwith828/

[AJG]

If that were my camera I would bite the bullet and spend the money for one roll of expensive film to try it and then relegate it to shelf queen status.  Sandy's link looks pretty daunting to me, and you still need the backing paper from a roll of 828 to pull it off.

[smiffy_smiffy]

Very many thanks John, Sandy and AJG.  I have read through all your responses, which are genuinely and greatly appreciated.

Conclusion : weighing everything up and to put it bluntly, life is too short to worry about trying to do 'conversions' etc. which knowing my luck would fail anyway..   So I will just have to wait till an 828 film shows up in the UK :  if one does ~ yippee !  If not, I will keep my little "Vogue" to remind me of the "Good Old Days"

TaTa for now, it's a wrap 🎬

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by smiffy_smiffy

[Rick_van_Nooij]

A roll of 120 film, a cigar cutter, a change bag and you're halfway there.  😉

 

[smiffy_smiffy]

RvN cheers 🤭

PS: My last word on the Coronet "Vogue" : An example, described as 'the last one',  is, as this is written, on sale for $200 USD on a certain well known web site, and it's got a major part missing ! ...... Yup, seriously !

Final conclusion : I'm quite happy to sell mine at that price, and the only thing missing is .........the film 🤑 

[glen_h]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:05 AM, smiffy_smiffy said:

I now have two emty spools of the correct Bantam 828 film size and one roll of unused 127 B/W film. In order to use this film, and the attached backing paper if possible,  I need to reduce it's width from just 4.5cm to 3.5 cm. . How do i do that in total darkness ? I do have a decent changing bag...                                                      Anybody who can tell me is going to be my friend for life !!! Honest.

Mostly to see that I could do it (well, not actually "see") I once cut down 70mm film to 120 width with a paper cutter in the dark.

I put electrical tape on the bed at the right width, and then push the film up to the edge.

You do need a darkroom that is actually dark, though.

 

Since I can buy 35mm film that says "perforated" on the can, I presume there is some that isn't.

A 100 foot roll would last a long time at 8 shots each roll.

 

Finding VP828 on eBay isn't so hard, though I haven't looked so hard.

Should be easier to find than VP122, which I have a few rolls of.