Complete Guide to 70mm Film

[Romanko]

There was a seller that sold a couple hundred feet a couple months back

Fresh?

 

[OrientPoint]

Fresh?

All 70mm Portra is pre 2012 expiration - at least all that I've seen.

 

[Romanko]

a full tin of Aviphot Color 400

Anyone tried it for pictorial use? The specs look all right. How does it compare to Aerocolor? Is it still produced? Maybe something for @rhizomeblur to consider as a source of 70mm colour material?

 

[Alex Varas]

Nice! Where did you get Portra 160 in 70 mm unperforated?

Mercury Camera

Mercury: The World's First Universal Camera

www.mercurycamera.com

 

[srtviper15]

I've published a new website devoted to 70mm film: www.shoot70mm.com

It's been a massive undertaking, but a real labor of love, and includes a history of the format, information on all cameras/backs that take 70mm, information on most common 70mm film stocks, instructions for loading, developing, and modifying backs, and information on new products from Mercury Works to make shooting, developing, and scanning 70mm much easier and more accessible.

With the huge surge in the popularity of analog photography, an entire generation (plus many in previous generations) are missing out on this format because information about it is so scarce. No central source of information for folks wanting to start shooting 70mm has existed until now (though there are some very helpful 70mm shooters in these forums). If you are curious about or have been wanting to start shooting 70mm, but haven't known where to start, this site is for you. If you are just interested in the history of the format, this site is for you. If you are a 70mm shooter looking to optimize or upgrade your workflow, this site is for you.

Also, I'd appreciate any feedback, including corrections, comments, and suggested additions! This is basically the "official" thread for the site, and I welcome all feedback! I don't generally post much to forums, but will be watching and replying to this thread.

This is a fantastic website with great resources! Great job! I will be bookmarking this for when I eventually try it out.

 

[MCB18]

Anyone tried it for pictorial use? The specs look all right. How does it compare to Aerocolor? Is it still produced? Maybe something for @rhizomeblur to consider as a source of 70mm colour material?

It is no longer made, and as far as I can tell, there are no examples of it online. I’m a bit hesitant to crack it open just because it is so unusual, and I’m pretty sure the 100 ft I own is a not insignificant percentage of what is still left.

 

[rhizomeblur]

This is a fantastic website with great resources! Great job! I will be bookmarking this for when I eventually try it out.

Thanks so much! I'm glad you find it useful. My goal is to make 70mm shooting (and now 65mm) much more accessible and easy than it was previously.

 

[rhizomeblur]

Anyone tried it for pictorial use? The specs look all right. How does it compare to Aerocolor? Is it still produced? Maybe something for @rhizomeblur to consider as a source of 70mm colour material?

As MCB18 notes, this film was discontinued quite some time ago, and is rare to find today. It's properties should be quite similar to Kodak Aerocolor, but faster and a bit grainier. Unfortunately, some of the speed advantage has been lost over time since all of this film has been expired for a long time; only testing can tell the condition of a given can. We have a small quantity of this, but have never tested it. I'll bump it up the testing priority list!

 

[Sonynolta User]

For a unique form of torture, I have built a slitter to cut about 2mm of each edge of 65mm Vision3 250D.
This involved using a contraption with 2 razor blades in total darkness. Totally safe.
There were processed Kodak Flexicolor C41 using Kodak's remjet remover with lye.
I've somewhat built my own little pressure jet washer to spray off the remjet.

I do need to be careful to avoid scratching, when pulling film through the slitter. You also need a 'good pull' to avoid getting into the sprockets, and turning them into pointy little teeth.

While you do shoot into the perfs on both sides, this seems to be bit better than using a sprocket drive 70mm back, where on set of perf is black, and the other is image.

These pics are either from a Bronica s2a w/ 75mm or Lomo LC-A 120

 

[Cholentpot]

Portra 160NC slit down from 70mm to 120. Run through a Mamiya M645. Worth the effort I think.

 

[blee1996]

For a unique form of torture, I have built a slitter to cut about 2mm of each edge of 65mm Vision3 250D.
This involved using a contraption with 2 razor blades in total darkness. Totally safe.

Haha, "totally safe"!

I was trying to avoid this slicing in the dark business. I develop 70mm perforated in special Ansco tank and reel, and then slice them down to 120 in daylight after development. So I can use regular scanning negative carrier and archive sleeves.

 

[Romanko]

and archive sleeves

What are the options for storing 70 mm negatives? I have some historic type 116/616 negatives (6.5 x 11 cm) that I store in 4x5 inch PrintFile storage pages, four per page. This would be wasteful if you shoot smaller formats.

While you do shoot into the perfs on both sides

So you slit the film through the perforations, right? Do you have any issues with loading the film onto reels for processing and into negative carriers for printing (or scanning)? Also, I am not sure if slitting the film affects its archival storage, but I suspect it does.

I wish Vision3 was available in 120 format (with remjet of course) for ECN2 processing.

 

[MCB18]

What are the options for storing 70 mm negatives? I have some historic type 116/616 negatives (6.5 x 11 cm) that I store in 4x5 inch PrintFile storage pages, four per page. This would be wasteful if you shoot smaller formats.




So you slit the film through the perforations, right? Do you have any issues with loading the film onto reels for processing and into negative carriers for printing (or scanning)? Also, I am not sure if slitting the film affects its archival storage, but I suspect it does.

I wish Vision3 was available in 120 format (with remjet of course) for ECN2 processing.

No, the perforations are left intact when you convert 65mm to 120, however the perfs will be visible in the image. And you can get vision3 in 120 from Asia, however you will have to deal with international shipping.

 

[Sonynolta User]

What are the options for storing 70 mm negatives? I have some historic type 116/616 negatives (6.5 x 11 cm) that I store in 4x5 inch PrintFile storage pages, four per page. This would be wasteful if you shoot smaller formats.




So you slit the film through the perforations, right? Do you have any issues with loading the film onto reels for processing and into negative carriers for printing (or scanning)? Also, I am not sure if slitting the film affects its archival storage, but I suspect it does.

I wish Vision3 was available in 120 format (with remjet of course) for ECN2 processing.

Perfs are intact. If you're careful. If you slice into the perfs, they turn into little razor blades themselves. Pushes just fine into Jobo reels, and should be sized correctly for most 6xX carriers. Light bleeding through the perfs could be a problem for darkroom prints. But leaving the perfs, or cropping them out, is up to one's creative decision.

 

[OrientPoint]

Regarding storing 70mm negatives, see https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/70mm-or-616-negative-sleeves-from-kenro.171739/

You can still find them on Ebay from British sellers mostly. I use them, and while they do accommodate 70mm film, it's a bit of a tight fit. I find I have to nip the corners of the film to avoid the film catching on the edge of the glassine sleeves.

 

[Romanko]

Apparently, these pages can fit 70 mm film.

ULT 120-3HB Negative Pages (package of 25) • Print File Archival Storage

ULT 120-3HB Negative Pages are archival quality clear plastic storage pages that hold 3 strips of 120 film or 70mm film. Hole punched to be used in binders

www.printfile.com

 

[MattKing]

Apparently, these pages can fit 70 mm film.

ULT 120-3HB Negative Pages (package of 25) • Print File Archival Storage

ULT 120-3HB Negative Pages are archival quality clear plastic storage pages that hold 3 strips of 120 film or 70mm film. Hole punched to be used in binders

www.printfile.com

They are designed to hold sleeved 120 film, so they work with un-sleeved 70mm or 116/616 film - I use them for sleeved transparency and colour negative 120 film, because that is how uncut rolls of that film are returned to me by my lab(s).

 

[Romanko]

And you can get vision3 in 120 from Asia, however you will have to deal with international shipping.

Is it sliced from 65 mm Vision3? It used to be available from Melbourne Film Supply but is no longer listed on their website. It would be nice to have proper type 120 without perforations.

I use them for sleeved transparency and colour negative 120 film, because that is how uncut rolls of that film are returned to me by my lab(s).

Rewind Photo Lab that I use also sends uncut rolls in sleeves. I ordered the ULT 120-3HB pages and might use them for 120 transparencies as well. What are the benefits of storing your film this way? Are the sleeves archival or only intended for temporary storage?

 

[Sonynolta User]

Is it sliced from 65 mm Vision3? It used to be available from Melbourne Film Supply but is no longer listed on their website. It would be nice to have proper type 120 without perforations.

I think it's all sliced from 65mm.
Unless you go down the Cinestill rabbit hole. They likely contract with EK for the properly sized film, but without remjet.

 

[MattKing]

Rewind Photo Lab that I use also sends uncut rolls in sleeves. I ordered the ULT 120-3HB pages and might use them for 120 transparencies as well. What are the benefits of storing your film this way? Are the sleeves archival or only intended for temporary storage?

The benefits are that you are able to avoid all direct handling of the film - it remains protected from dirt and fingerprints and damage up until the moment you take them out to print or scan them.
I have no reason to doubt the safety of the sleeves.

 

[Romanko]

Thank you, Matt. I'll give it a go.

 

[Romanko]

I think it's all sliced from 65mm.

Which brings us back to the topic of this thread. If you want the original Vision3 in medium format 70 mm could be your only option.

 

[bartha]

Hi @rhizomeblur. Thanks a ton for the website and this post. I have been looking for years to shoot 70mm and the resources have been limited. Looking at your website I did order the wheel replacement for Hassy which would enable me to use 65mm and unperforated film. I did have a question about the 70mm canisters. Is it possible to mix and match those containers from different manufactures? I have one from Kodak, another from Linhof and finally another one from Hassy. A few tries with the Linhof and Kodak did not go well, so kept everything as it is up until someone more knowledgeable came by. Thanks again for your contribution!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hi @rhizomeblur. Thanks a ton for the website and this post. I have been looking for years to shoot 70mm and the resources have been limited. Looking at your website I did order the wheel replacement for Hassy which would enable me to use 65mm and unperforated film. I did have a question about the 70mm canisters. Is it possible to mix and match those containers from different manufactures? I have one from Kodak, another from Linhof and finally another one from Hassy. A few tries with the Linhof and Kodak did not go well, so kept everything as it is up until someone more knowledgeable came by. Thanks again for your contribution!

Welcome to Photrio. We can tell that you are wise, since you photograph with Hasselblads.

 

[eli griggs]

Welcome to Photrio. We can tell that you are wise, since you photograph with Hasselblads.

There's a secret club too!