126 Film availablility (+ processing)

[r s]

Got a couple of question:

Bought an Olympus QuickMatic EEM camera which takes 126 film.

 

I've found that this film is available on some sites.

1) Is this film still being produced or is what is being sold old

batches?

 

2) Does anyone know if this film can be purchased in San Francisco?

 

3) I assume that this film can be developed by any C-41 lab as it

seems to be just a 'square image on a 35mm roll'. So, can any place

that normally develops C-41 and make prints - also do it for 126 film?

 

(If it requires special labs - does anyone know of any in San

Francisco)?

Thanks in advance!

[john_shaeffer]

You can still buy the film--you may have to call around in SF to find out if anyone will still process the film. More details on buying and processing 126 film at:

http://www.frugalphotographer.com/

[photojim]

you can always process it yourself. 126 film is the same width as 35mm film. C-41 kits are around. (Can you still get 126 B&W film?)

 

Once you have negs, almost any lab should be able to print them, although you might have to trim the 4x6" prints to 4"x4".

[furcafe]

http://www.filmforclassics.com/

[chris_eve]

Ferrania in Italy still produce "Solaris" 126 colour film, but distribution is patchy.

 

As has been pointed out, developing the film isn't the problem, but printing can be. The neg's are 28mm square ... a 35mm neg carrier has only a 24mm high aperture, so unless you can find a lab with a proper 126 film-carrier, be prepared to lose the top and bottom of the image. To make things worse, the cropping is assymetric, you lose more at the top of the picture than the bottom.

[robbie_augspurger]

Processing is easy the part! Printing is hard. I love the soft, nostalgic, square look of 126 film and I work at a professional photo lab (www.eastsideimages.com), so I've tried to figure out a way to make it work with our equipment.

 

Since it's c-41 the plastic cartridge is just cracked open (like what they do with 110) and we re-spool it into a cannister so it can be fed into a regular c-41 film processor. Most modern printing machines at labs do not allow 126 film to be fed into their carriers, even though 135 film and 126 film are the same overall width. Machines like the Noritsu mini-labs have sensors that detect what is being inserted, and sound off alarms and reject the film if you try to insert anything beside 135 (no way to disable them either). Wolfe's (www.wolfes.com) in Topeka, KS does 126 printing, but I've found them to be very hit-and-miss.

[judy_maddams]

I love my old camera, and here in Australia recently discovered that 126 film was no longer available, so was pleased to find i can buy the solaris film to fit. I note from this site that processing is more of a problem than suply. Processing is no problem here in Western Asutralia; my mail order developer will still process the film into lovely 15 cm square photos. They are: Photoland, Locked Bag 16, Reply Paid 60160, Bentley DC, Western Australia 6983.

[chris_dack]

we can develop and print 126 etc and all glass negatives using a unique method. We can colour correct via a digital printer.

John, Isle of Wight, England.

 

www.jcbimaging.com