Re: 70mm things

[David Josephson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some comments on the various 70mm issues discussed in the last
digest. Glad to see some MF talk!

First, 120/220 film is 60-61 mm wide. There are slitters made to cut
35 mm film down to Minox (9.5) or 16mm size; they seem to be just 
a plastic block with a slot for the film to pass through, and two 
blades set in it so the film is slit down to the proper width. It
should be no problem (for short lengths) just to pull some film
through such a block made to take 4.5 mm off each edge of 70 mm.
There is plenty of unperforated area in 70 mm perf stock to make 
60 or 61 mm without any of the perforations remaining.

I had an Alden 70 mm loader and sold it back to the fellow I got
it from. No matter how carefully it was used, I always got a 
few scratches on the film. I now use a Linhof loader which is 
not a daylght-loading device, just a crank for the cassette spool
and a spindle for the film. But since a lot of surplus film
comes in large spools that wouldn't fit in the Alden loader,
the Linhof loader works for this too.

I can't imagine how Kodak can use the same 2443 number for a
new IR film with different processing! Aerochrome Infrared is
intended to be processed in EA-5, which is a variant of E-4. I
have tried all of the various methods described for prehardening
this film before processing in E-6 (at various temperatures)
with no usable result. 

The Kodak web site mentions three variants of Aerochrome IR:
2443, SO-134 and SO-060. All are processed in EA-5. 

Willem asks

> PS: is any of you familiar with an US-military 70mm panorama camera 
> (180 degree view on a 10" wide frame), using an UV-corrected Zeiss 
> Planar 75mm? I might have a chance buying such a new/surplus camera, 

Do it (or pass the opportunity on to me!) ... it will be a 28 volt 
beast probably intended for use in one of the recon variants of the 
F-4. I have a reference book on most of these things and will look it 
up if you can find the type number. They typically are fixed-focused 
at infinity. 

> > The new stuff is still called Aerochrome IR 2443 but it is now processed in 
> > a totally new chemistry.  Kodak made us wait an extra month before sending 
> > us the film until they had their labs set up with the new chemicals.  The 
> > film, according to Kodak, is much better than the old stuff.  Again, I 
> > haven't yet tried it so can't comment on it's final results.  I don't have 
> > the new data sheet either.  Big help, right?
> > 
> More than you think!
> This might explain the fuzz about a new E6 compatible Ektachrome 
> IR several months ago....8-))

Let's hope so! But note, there is also talk on their site about another
whole aerial processor and process introduced in some show in Vienna in
August, but the process is not E-6.

> Can't remember having noticed any 70mm film on the Kodak site....I 

Use 'find' and 'aerochrome' and you'll see all the pages I mention.

Cheers

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Topic No. 4