16mm Bulk Film

I made a classic boo-boo last week, at a flea market. I found a great bargain, a 400-ft bulk can of Plus-X 7231 film for $25.
I don't know if it was the dimensions of the large can that threw me off, but as soon as I took it out of the trunk this morning,
I noticed that it's 16mm, not the 35mm that I thought was a bargain.

I do not have a 16mm camera of any description.

Is there any way that this format, loaded into a normal 35mm cartridge, would be useable in a 35mm camera?
Silly idea, probably, but what other use can I come up with?

Sub minature cameras are cheap...

NO, an attempt to use it in a 35mm camera might result in damage to the camera. Pick up a Minolta 16 camera there are several models available. Some models are simple and others have adjustment for shitter speed. They are fun to use and produce very useable negatives. Also pick up a couple of 16 mm cassettes for the camera. This might be hard to do but well worth the effort.

I'd definitely try a Minolta 16 (though you might have to search around a bit for empty cassettes/cartridges). I had a simple one for a while in my early days in picture taking, and it was a great little camera. (Sadly, I gave it away during a misguided fit of "house-tidying" instigated by my (now ex-) wife.)

I will take it off your hands for $25.00, since I have several 16mm cameras. Thanks ---john

For future reference Eastman films are coded as follows. Those numbers beginning with 72XX are 16 mm films while those 52XX are 35 mm films, where XX stands for any two digit number. Thus Eastman 7222 is 16 mm Double X.

barzune said:

Is there any way that this format, loaded into a normal 35mm cartridge, would be useable in a 35mm camera?

Click to expand...

Cine 16mm Perforation is not compatible with 35mm Perforation.
You can try to wind your 16mm cine film central into a 35mm Cassette.


These issus will occur:

-) fastening the film rectangular onto the cassette spool, as you lack assisting flanges of the spool

-) fastening the film to the take up spool, dependind on design of that spool


-) the take up spool is clutch-dfriven, it may not have enough torque to transdport the film

-) maybe "wandering" of the film during transport

-) scratching of the film in the film chamber


and most important !

-) film will be out of focus due to not running over the film rails
(You could make a 16mm insert though.)

The consensus seems to be looking toward a mini-camera. Thank you all for the advice.
I'll be looking for a Minolta 16, or a reasonable alternative.

barzune said:

The consensus seems to be looking toward a mini-camera. Thank you all for the advice.
I'll be looking for a Minolta 16, or a reasonable alternative.

Click to expand...

The FSU KIEVs are enhanced Minolta 'spy cameras' and there is a submin group.

AgX said:

-) the take up spool is clutch-dfriven, it may not have enough torque to transdport the film

Click to expand...

There are cameras that transport the film actually by the take-up spool, not the/a sprocket-wheel.
But these take-up spools typically need the perforations to hook-up. A non 35mm perforation might not hold thr film on these spools.

You could reload the 16mm film into 110 cassettes and use that in a camera that does not require the specific 110 perforations for cocking the shutter.

The Rollei A110 is one such model.