Latest announcement from Wittner

[bolextech]

See:

http://wittner-cinetec.de/neu/news2013.php

"Newly manufactured punching for double 8 film arrived"

Jean-Louis

[marc]

Somebody care to translate it since I don't speak Deutsch!

[BAC]

That's great news!!!!

This is the Google translation:

Newly manufactured pouncing for double 8 film arrived

Update to the post of 10/15/2012:
American shopping the other way round

The future of substandard formats secure, that's our goal. An essential step is to purchase newly manufactured tools for existing Punchers. Not refurbished mind you. Newly manufactured on the latest technology from the manufacturer, which also provides the major film pavers in the world. This was not so easy. Not everyone can be there just order Sun But our persistence has paid off. The first of the four designated tools is now arrived. It is for double 8 film. It may be assumed, it is the most advanced and latest tools for that format.
The figure below shows the structure of a classic perforating for double 8 film. Die, punch and pilot pins are separate components and are only together in the tool holder of the perforator. "Old European style" it is called affectionately elsewhere. Our new tool all the components are in one unit, and firmly adjusted, led by special precision bearings, so that neither the skills of the surgeon nor the state of leadership in the perforating tool can have influence on the quality of the perforation. This is equivalent to (even with Kodak) typical effort, the ANSI / ISO standards to achieve not only for the film holes, but even that outperform. For the current tools there is also a wide range of advanced materials. We opted for tungsten-carbide steel for the stamps and a special steel alloy for die. This in powder metallurgy produced high-quality steel has exceptionally good wear resistance, toughness, hardness and cutting edge strength. Important if one wants to edit not only acetate but also polyester material.
This year, more tools for other major substandard formats will follow. In this context, another very big thank you to our loyal customers, without whose fixed-us-to hold such investment would not be possible. Every job at Wittner Cinetec helps to realize these arrangements for the future and the preservation of substandard formats. Not least because of "bored" we here sometimes with almost too many details. But it is our aim to offer you, our valued customers, also wishes to do what we do. A "buy nice with us, we strive to ensure the future" is quickly told to go. We would like to be happy as much as possible provide some insight. If you invest in this company with contracts has-we-see also the right to know what this company is doing in this area in detail. Effort is not enough. Only actions count.

[Nicholas Kovats]

This is awesome news, Jean-Louis! Vision 3 50D in Regular 8 stock here we come. They mentioned that this perforator is "The first of the four designated tools is now arrived." Could a machine dedicated to reperforating Double Super 8 be next? i.e.

1. S8
2. R8
3. DS8
4. R16

I suspect that the 9.5mm market is quite small relatively speaking. It goes without saying that 2013 is shaping up quite nicely with more good news to come including my own.

[bolextech]

I'm pretty sure a DS8 perforator is in the works too.

JL

[aj]

It is executing the strategy they already promissed to do.

The essence of the Wittner machine is that the punching module is one closed unit. It needs no adjusting and cannot be frustrated by a operator. It appears that this is new property today.

To manufacter S8 they would need to have a DS8 puncher. Now and in the future S8 is made out of raw rolls of DS8. It is split and fit into cartrdiges. This is how Kodak does it today.

This leaves only the question why the Wittner DS8 assortment was thinned out so much.
One promise was to always have DS8 of tyeps they have in S8.

The only worry is of course the price per meter and the resulting price per cartridge.
All these current Wittner specialties are way too expensive for amateur use.

[richard p. t.]

Wittner really is commited to small gauge film!
The issue of course is obtaining unperforated 16mm stock to start from. That is very difficult. I doubt, for instance, whether it is possible for Wittner or anyone else to secure unperforated 16mm Vision 50d ...
We have to be modest about what we can expect from even an excellent investment like this. It has to be limited to stocks that don't have to come from Kodak at the very least

[Tofek]

To manufacter S8 they would need to have a DS8 puncher. Now and in the future S8 is made out of raw rolls of DS8. It is split and fit into cartrdiges. This is how Kodak does it today.

If you look at the pictures from their News from the 14.09.2012 (cf. Picture), it doesn't seem that they manufacture S8 from DS8, but rather from unperforated 35mm film.

[aj]

They, Wittner, have stated themselves to do so.
And it is obvious to work that way. Kodak delivers their raw cores with DS8 internally and to Wittner for further cutting up.

[aj]

Wittner really is commited to small gauge film!
The issue of course is obtaining unperforated 16mm stock to start from. That is very difficult. I doubt, for instance, whether it is possible for Wittner or anyone else to secure unperforated 16mm Vision 50d ...
We have to be modest about what we can expect from even an excellent investment like this. It has to be limited to stocks that don't have to come from Kodak at the very least

Somewhere on their site they stated that they expect there will 'always' emulsion manufacturers.
Who will supply unperforated 35 or even wider rolls.

Things from Kodak will indeed likely always be perforated. Like their DS8 rolls.
Unless you buy unperforated Portra in 35mm surveillance or 70mm schoolfilm

[marc]

Someone on this site mentioned that the polyester stocks don't run very well through R8 cameras.

[Tofek]

Things from Kodak will indeed likely always be perforated. Like their DS8 rolls.
Unless you buy unperforated Portra in 35mm surveillance or 70mm schoolfilm

Ok, stock that came from Kodak reformated in S8 by Wittner (Chrome 100D ) is DS8, but this is history today. The rest of the stocks (Orwo/Filmotec, Agfa) which make Wittner interesting, do come in the unperforated 35mm format as the picture shows. I mean, that's the fact that makes Witner interesting for the future : it gives a chance to get S8 film no matter what the original format is thanks to that machine.

[richard p. t.]

Things from Kodak will indeed likely always be perforated. Like their DS8 rolls.
Unless you buy unperforated Portra in 35mm surveillance or 70mm schoolfilm

Ok, stock that came from Kodak reformated in S8 by Wittner (Chrome 100D ) is DS8, but this is history today. The rest of the stocks (Orwo/Filmotec, Agfa) which make Wittner interesting, do come in the unperforated 35mm format as the picture shows. I mean, that's the fact that makes Witner interesting for the future : it gives a chance to get S8 film no matter what the original format is thanks to that machine.

I was discussing a possible 'Wittner Konfekt' proposal with Daniel Wittner last year. The challenge was sourcing the stock in unperforated 35. If they attempt to put perforated 35 into their perforator, they only get 2 x super 8, and the 35mm perforations also cause problems.

As for unperforated Portra, I see that on ebay every so often, however I don't believe Kodak still offer this. Would be nice if they did.