Jittering Super-8 cartridges question

[MusicAlly]

Hi All,

I just purchased some Kodak Black and White, 200 ASA (yes, that fast) Super 8mm cartridges to film a very important occasion, and I've just seen the item on your website regarding the jittering images. I have looked at the box, but I can't find any expiry date. How can I know whether the cartridges I've purchased are OK? Obviously if I telephone the company from whom they were bought, they will tell me that they're going to be OK, but I really need some hard evidence before I speak to them.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Alastair.

[S8 Booster]

I know nothing about serial numbers etc for good or bad cartridges on this film type but it seems that some others succeeded in verifying the good or bad cartridges by the following method: The "rub" metod.

You need a good K40 cartridge for reference. Check serial numbers.

If you rub the outer surface (edge side) of a proven "good" K40 by your thumb you will feel a sticky silicone feeling from the lubrication.

A bad cartridge will or may have a much more "dry" feel if you compare the two directly. It worked for me and I think "tfunc" too.

So compare a confirmed good K40 with your other cartriges and you should be able to decide wheter it is "good" or not.

Not foolproof but worth a try.

Another detail:
The bad K40s made an expressed mechanical noise while the "new" ones ran exceptionally smooth in the camera. Well, my camera anyway.

R

[tfunch24 being lazy]

A bad cartridge will or may have a much more "dry" feel if you compare the two directly. It worked for me and I think "tfunc[h24]" too.

Yes, that test works if you have a "good" cart to which you can refer.

Tom

[Lucas Lightfeat]

The problem was with the manufacture of a disc within the cartridge which had been contracted to a new company, creating substandard discs. I have this on good authority: Kodak. Why then rubbing? Silicone? Lubricant?

Surely your suggestion that your method has worked for you is purely coincidental.

Lucas

[tfunch24 being lazy]

S8 Booster did say that the method wasn't foolproof. But people have pointed out that there is a difference in the texture of the "good" carts--the new carts have a rougher feel to them. I don't know if Kodak changed how they produce the cart housings or what. If one feels that concerned about it, an email to Kodak might yield some answers.

Bottom line: any carts purchased DIRECTLY from Kodak now SHOULD be okay. Use older carts at your own risk or unless you want to film a scene that depicts an earthquake.

Kodak reimbursed several posters on this board (and on Hostboard) for jittery carts.

Tom

[S8 Booster]

The problem was with the manufacture of a disc within the cartridge which had been contracted to a new company, creating substandard discs. I have this on good authority: Kodak. Why then rubbing? Silicone? Lubricant?

Surely your suggestion that your method has worked for you is purely coincidental.

Lucas

Apparently the disc and lubrication problem (there were apparently 2 problems parallelling) were recognized and corrected at the same time by Kodak but the only one to identify this way is the "lube" thing. So if the lube thing is improved the disc is also. There was a big difference in the rub "feel" between the good (new discs) and the bad K40 carts.

According to some info on the net earlier Kodak had switched to a different kind of lube at the same time they mounted the "bad discs" which seemed to make the disc problem even worse, (continous jitter) that is more jitter while the disc could cause the complete blocking of cartridges as well.

The new cartridges seems to be lubed on the outer surface as well as on the film and inside.

R