35mm Ektachrome 100 bulk availability

[Joel_L]

I have a Tron X5SA Pro that I have modified a bit over the years. 330x330 build surface.

 

[Donald Qualls]

330x330 build surface.

Ah, that's 50% bigger each way than my Ender 3.

 

[Joel_L]

I'm almost done with my version of a 400ft film loader. I made it a bit smaller than what's out there and squared it up so it fits in my fridge better. I still need to print the hatch and the lid screw.

I'm printing these out of PETG-G. A little clean up when done but I think will be better than PLA or ABS.

What I'm finding I like it is I can shoot to the last frame and still get a full image. The Watsons and Aldens seem to waste about two frames.

Sorry Donald, it's still 220x234mm

 

[Joel_L]

a couple more pics, looks like it will work well.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I wonder if that could be shrunk a little more? I don't think the bulk chamber needs to be bigger than about 6 1/2 inches (plus a little clearance) inside diameter; it certainly seems like I ought to be able to make a whole unit that will fit my build volume even with pretty thick walls (for light tightness). I might have to learn a different CAD package -- FreeCAD has some issues that make it tricky to manage any sort of faintly complex shapes (like the curved film channel that acts as the light trap between the cassette space and the bulk roll chamber).

 

[Joel_L]

I made it just slightly larger than the can, not sure how much smaller the roll was.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I made it just slightly larger than the can, not sure how much smaller the roll was.

The B&W bulk rolls I've opened in the past couple years are significantly smaller than the standard 100' can -- though 100 ' bulk loaders typically have a chamber close to the can in size.

 

[Joel_L]

The can is 7 inches and I didn't make it much bigger than the can. I think trying to make it smaller would be problematic.

Freecad I never got along with. Good cad tools make this kind of thing much easier.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

Kodak doesn't want to sell Ektachrome to bulk loading re-sellers. A friend who sells a lot of Super-XX had his order canceled on him. With E100 selling for $20/ 36exp roll yeah the Cine length buys are a huge discount.

Kodak should be selling bulk color film honestly. It's a shame they don't.

 

[pbromaghin]

Kodak doesn't want to sell Ektachrome to bulk loading re-sellers. A friend who sells a lot of Super-XX had his order canceled on him. With E100 selling for $20/ 36exp roll yeah the Cine length buys are a huge discount.

Kodak should be selling bulk color film honestly. It's a shame they don't.

So they wholesale it only to B&H?

 

[Donald Qualls]

So they wholesale it only to B&H?

B&H sells to cine users as well, I think. Quite likely enough of them that the few bulk rolls of 5222 or Ektachrome they sell to folks like us aren't an issue. Either that, or they're sourcing it from a cine short end and restock reseller -- and again, the small quantity involved makes it unnoticeable.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

So they wholesale it only to B&H?

His plan was to order through B&H instead. I didn't follow up on it at the time. I'd like to get one of those big 400' bulk loaders but they're pricey!

 

[Minolta93]

His plan was to order through B&H instead. I didn't follow up on it at the time. I'd like to get one of those big 400' bulk loaders but they're pricey!

Isn't the price at B&H almost double the catalog price?

 

[Donald Qualls]

I'd like to get one of those big 400' bulk loaders but they're pricey!

I haven't even seen those for sale. Who offers them? B&H?

 

[pbromaghin]

Isn't the price at B&H almost double the catalog price?

Vision3 400 ft 35mm
Kodak catalog - $316.56 (free shipping over $20,000)
B&H - $363.95 (free shipping over $50)

Ektachrome
Kodak catalog - $520.00 (same shipping)
B&H - $649.95 (same shipping)

 

[Joel_L]

I did one more version, really just the lid. Instead of using the printed "screw" to hold the lid on, I put a flat head screw in each corner. This makes the loader fit in my fridge better. I left the cover open and set it under a bright light for over an hour with some test BW film inside. No light leaks. I have now moved my Vision three into this one and am printing another for the E100D.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I have now moved my Vision three into this one and am printing another for the E100D.

Yep. I think I can accommodate a 7 inch film chamber and still fit my 8" build plate, if I draw my own.

Can you recommend a "good CAD tool" that's free (at least for my non-commercial use) and reasonably possible to self-learn? I'm very willing to give up FreeCAD (too many odd ways to handle things or plain ol' downright bugs).

 

[Joel_L]

I use Bricscad Pro and TurboCad Platinum, neither are free. You could try Bricscad Shape, it does have a lot of features, a lot are hidden in the ribbon. Sketchup might be another choice.

 

[Joel_L]

I finally put my 400' roll of E100D in a loader and shot a test roll around my house. Is was fairly dark and gray out when I shot the roll but things still turned out well. Processed in Tetenal 3 bath E6 chems, normal times and temp.

I notice the images are upside down vs the film edge markings, my Vision 3 is the same way. I wonder if Kodak marks movie film different than still film. I could modify the bulk loader to fix that, but then, it probably doesn't matter.

 

[MattKing]

Movie film would be exposed with the film at the outside of the roll going through the camera first.
Bulk loaded cassettes end up with the outside of the roll going to the core of the cassette, and therefore being the last exposed frame on the role (in most cameras).
So it would make sense that the edge marking would be different.

 

[Joel_L]

I guess another thought is, in a 35mm still camera the image is inline with the film. In a movie camera the image goes across the film. So the edge markings are what they are when in a still camera.

I will stop wasting cycles thinking about it and just be happy I now have a bunch of slide film.

 

[Donald Qualls]

just be happy I now have a bunch of slide film.

And, not counting time and filament to make the bulk loader, you only paid roughly $6 a roll...

 

[quiver]

I did one more version, really just the lid. Instead of using the printed "screw" to hold the lid on, I put a flat head screw in each corner. This makes the loader fit in my fridge better. I left the cover open and set it under a bright light for over an hour with some test BW film inside. No light leaks. I have now moved my Vision three into this one and am printing another for the E100D.

View attachment 317193 View attachment 317194

You wouldn't happen to have a place we're I could get the stl files for this loader?

 

[Joel_L]

I just put it on thingiverse.

400 ft Bulk loader by heliflier

I printed mine with a .5 nozzle and .2mm layer height. Bed 85C and nozzle 240C.The cover can be printed on its back with no supports but looks better printed on its side with supports. If printing on its side, pay attention to the direction of the supports vs the first layer. On simplify3D I...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[Donald Qualls]

You could try Bricscad Shape, it does have a lot of features, a lot are hidden in the ribbon. Sketchup might be another choice.

Unfortunately, short of registering and trying to download, I don't see any evidence Bricscad Shape is available for Linux. Large complex programs often don't work well in Wine.