Film Length in a Cartridge

[Pj]

I was wondering about the length in a Super 8 cartridge, whether it is exactly 50 feet , or does it vary and is sometimes just over 50 feet and sometimes less. Does anyone know?

P

[monobath]

Kodak is the only major producer of Super 8 film in cartridges. I doubt there would be much variation from one cart to another, as I expect the process is entirely automated. But I don't know for sure.

Pro-8mm and Andec and maybe others slit, perf, and load various films into Super 8 cartridges. Their level of production is not on the scale of Kodak, but I'm sure they strive for accuracy and precision.

Svema cartridges can be loaded by anyone, so you could easily have variations in length, probably intentional, as you would be the one loading it.

I'm curious why you ask? Have you bought carts that seemed to have odd lengths of film in them?

[Scotness]

Here's some background reading that might be of interest:

Various Film Stock Thickness Measured
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5061&hilit=thickness%2C+cartridge

How much is the thickness of the Kodak's reversal stocks?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2206&hilit=thickness%2C+cartridge

Fuji film in a Kodak cart = Longer load?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1587&hilit=thickness%2C+cartridge

Scot

[jpolzfuss]

Hi,

http://wittner-cinetec.com/neu/news2009.php -> scroll down to "18.01.2009 - Filmlänge in Super 8 Kassetten auf dem Prüfstand". Short summary:

• Kodak Ektachrome 64T: 15.25m
• Wittner Chrome 100D: 15.20m, later increased to 15.25m
• Wittner Chrome V50D: 15.10m, later increased to 15.15m
• Wittner Chrome 40T: 15.60m, later increased to 15.70m, 15.80m and finally 16.00m

On http://wittner-cinetec.com/katalog/04_f ... _filmm.php you can find the current length for various film-stocks as "Rohfilm-Füllmenge derzeit".

BTW: When using polyester-based filmstocks, you might even be able to fill 30.5m (100ft) of film into a 50ft-super8-cart:
http://www.super8data.com/database/film ... ak_mfx.htm

Jörg

[Will2]

From a post a year ago...

I believe that 4-x stock may have been on a thinner base and was 125 feet in one standard 8 cartridge. These were meant to be looked at once or never even developed unless there was a robbery or something.

[Pj]

So when we receive back processed film from a lab do we get everything that was in the cart? Or is it usual for labs take off the first and last foot?

The real reason I am asking is because I am building a rack to process Super 8 film in
my Jobo ATL1500. Because the Atl 1500 is so small I need to be sure that my rack can fit the ATL and can take everything in the cartidge.

P

[woods01]

In 16/35 processing a lab takes a snip off the tail to protect themselves if the film comes out scratched, they can then examine this snip and check that the scratch existed before processing or after processing. If you mark the roll as "roll out save tail" they will still snip the tail but just not as much!

I'm not 100% sure if they do this for 'amateur' film like S8 but from experience I've lost a second or two at the end of a roll that I just knew I had shot the moment before the cartridge rolled out. I think that this may be part of the film at the tail that has a hole punch in it (any hand processors out there know what I mean).

Might be worth cracking a cart for your purposes to check the exact length. Or at least getting some old expired film of eBay cheaply. Raw stock can be useful for scratch testing your machine and projector.

[slashmaster]

So when we receive back processed film from a lab do we get everything that was in the cart? Or is it usual for labs take off the first and last foot?

The real reason I am asking is because I am building a rack to process Super 8 film in
my Jobo ATL1500. Because the Atl 1500 is so small I need to be sure that my rack can fit the ATL and can take everything in the cartidge.

P

Yes, the end of a cartridge (at least the ones from kodak) have a notch on the sprocket side of the film so that the camera claw doesn't continue moving the film. They also have a notch on the other side so that on some cameras a red flag pops up at the end of a cartridge. There is also a hole in the film so that a point at the end of the film can be stuck into that hole, therefore making it's own core without a core. Next time you run a cartridge you can pull the end right out and see for yourself how it goes together. The front end of the cartridge has a tang that goes into the take up core, at least this gets cut off when they add a leader. All of these things I have never seen on a roll I got back from processing.

[woods01]

some cameras a red flag pops up at the end of a cartridge. There is also a hole in the film so that a point at the end of the film can be stuck into that hole, therefore making it's own core without a core.

Ah, thank you! I've always wondered what that hole was for!

[slashmaster]

some cameras a red flag pops up at the end of a cartridge. There is also a hole in the film so that a point at the end of the film can be stuck into that hole, therefore making it's own core without a core.

Ah, thank you! I've always wondered what that hole was for!

You're welcome, the way I figured this out was I made a kodachrome cartridge into what I call a "Test Cartridge" to make sure a camera runs with a load ok. I cut the edges apart in a manner so I can take it apart, rewind the cartridge and put it back together. If you don't put that tang in that hole the film core will tighten up on it's axle and stall.

[jpolzfuss]

Or is it usual for labs take off the first and last foot?

Yes. When you enter/remove the film, you'll "ruin" a few cm of the film by exposing it to full sun-light. These parts will be removed. This way the lab will also remove the section with the "exposed"-mark.