Complete Guide to 70mm Film

[MCB18]

And correct me if I'm wrong, but as 220 film will fit in a Paterson tank, would not 220 length 70mm film also fit - assuming that a reel is similar to a Paterson reel?

Just double checked the listing, it only fits 53” of film, so 12” short of 220. Not as bad as if it only fit 120 but not great either.

 

[film4eva]

For what it's worth, I understand the need for forums like this one to ask for sellers to pay for advertising, but I have purchased a different of thinbegin's products, and corresponded with them about the possibility of a 65mm reel. No complaints from me. For 70mm (or 65mm, even) it would be really short strips, and I figured it would suck to lose frames blindly. Still might do it, though, just to get feet wet, so to speak.

 

[MCB18]

Speaking of developing reels, I am currently in the process of buying a 100 ft 70mm spool with the loader and tanks from another member of the forum. Why? Very good question, I don’t know! But, at any rate, if any of you guys have the very odd and specific need to develop long roll 70mm, hit me up, I will probably be able to soon.

 

[WD4AON]

I'm following this list because I have some 70mm film and an old camera that takes 116 film, which is 70mm wide. I suggested Jim (ThinBegin) post a reference to his 70mm reel. I've used many of Jim's reel and accessory designs - some of which are publicly shared - for a couple of years now and am quite happily pleased. I wasn't really thinking about lengths longer than about two feet because that's about what I want to experiment with in my old Kodak. Still, though most posters here are into long lengths, surely there are a few for whom Jim's reels would be the perfect -- and inexpensive, readily available -- answer to a problem. 73, Terry W4AON

 

[thinbegin]

I designed my 70mm reel for the way I personally shoot 70mm (and have for about a decade now). I don't shoot an entire 15ft (or larger) roll ever. I shoot the number of frames I feel like (usually anywhere from 6-20) and then develop that length by cutting off the exposed strip and putting it on my reel. For me (and others who are also using it), this method seems to work super well.
@MattKing, my "someone" comment was only meant to say that I don't know specifically who, I did realize my mistake with the offline note that was provided. Sorry for that misstep. I saw other links in the thread and thought mine would be pertinent to the discussion is all. I genuinely wasn't a marketing effort.
Responding to your question about film strip length, my current reel accepts ~53" (132-135cm), which suits my above described shooting style perfectly. I designed it for personal use, but I got so many people asking for it that I decided to add it to my repertoire in my shop so it can be easily found and used by those interested. I fully accept that it may not be for everyone, but I'm really not aiming for a massive audience. It's a very niche interest. I niche within a niche, and I figure the convenience of being able to use Paterson tanks makes it very approachable for most home developers, without having to buy any entirely specific system to develop 70mm film.
I do periodically make further enhancements to my designs though, and increasing the strip length is something I have absolutely considered.

 

[MattKing]

@thinbegin ,
You aren't in trouble with us .
Feel free to share a photo of your reel - just not the link itself.
Of course, if you become a paid subscriber, you could then start a whole Classifieds thread offering it for sale, and you would be welcome to share the link there as well.
hint, hint

 

[thinbegin]

Thanks @MattKing, your comment is appreciated. Since you suggested it, here are a pic of the Patterson compatible (I've named the "Pa-70") reel I designed

 

[MCB18]

Two goodies arrived today, a 15’ 70mm spool, and the RH-50 -> RB67 adapter!

Spool needed some “gentle persuasion” to get back in true, but now that’s done, it loads film great!

The adapter seems light tight, but I haven’t fully tested that yet. There is a place To put a strip of light seal foam on the adapter where it attaches to the camera, but idk if that is actually needed. i’ll run a roll of 120 through it just to test. Film plane is bang on the money though, which makes me very happy! Was a bit worried about that.

All I need is a suitable bucket and I’m good to go for shooting 70mm!

 

[MCB18]

The giant developing spirals and tanks are here! Very interesting and unique bit of kit!

 

[Sonynolta User]

They're huge.
Very big.
They tell me they are very large ... the heaviest reels.

Good to see UPS didn't run over them with a forklift.

Those had to be big money in the day, and I'm sure they're hard to find anymore.
Have fun with them...

I shoot 70mm & 65mm, but I don't think I want to shoot THAT much film.

 

[film4eva]

Whoa. That's a big reel, alright.

 

[blee1996]

Wow, you will probably need a bathtub to process that big reel...

 

[fdonadio]

The giant developing spirals and tanks are here! Very interesting and unique bit of kit!

Where did you get this huge reel?

 

[MCB18]

Where did you get this huge reel?

From @Sonynolta User in the forums here!

 

[fdonadio]

From @Sonynolta User in the forums here!

I have just re-read the last three pages of the thread and found the relevant posts. Thanks!

I was very excited at the prospect of buying one for myself, but based on some other posts, I decided to keep my GAS in check: I won’t ever shoot so much 70mm, to justify having a way to process such lengths of film at once!

But I am very inclined to start making stainless tanks in sizes that match these big/rare spools. Wooden molds and a spinning lathe are all I supposedly would need.

What about making lids out of PU (polyurethane) rubber?

 

[rhizomeblur]

ULF last call for 70mm HP5+! Just a few more days remain of the annual ULF window. You can get your 70mm HP5+, perforated or unperforated, from us here. As in the past, we can get it to you in Ilford's inadequate cardboard packaging, or in a professional metal tin, in our bulk roll, which is directly compatible with all 70mm bulk loaders, including the Mercury Works Bulk Loader. The metal can is really important for shipping purposes, as it is X-Ray proof.

 

[rhizomeblur]

I love the various ideas for developing here! For anyone new to this thread or the world of 65/70mm, Mercury Works has complete 65/70mm developing solutions for Patterson tanks, Jobo tanks (our most popular, and my recommended choice for anyone developing 65/70mm), and our long roll system, which is a daylight tank for NPT 70mm reels. Those hold 13' of film. Yes, it's a tiny bit short of 15', but processing is 10X better than trying to use metal reels in a pot or bucket. Everything can be done in the light, with far less chemistry, and your processing will be much more even as a result of being able to do the pours and empties quickly. This has been a popular system for folks who want to develop long rolls. And our Bulk Loader can be used to load exactly 13' of film in each cassette. We have reels available for both 70mm and 65mm film.

(Note that our Paterson reel is for 65mm. You don't need a special reel for 70mm; you just need two standard Paterson reels. Our Jobo reel has settings for 65mm and 70mm on the same reel. Our long roll system has two different reels for the same tank.)

Most of this is fully covered in the site that is the subject of this thread, but everything can be found at www.mercuryworks.store

 

[mshchem]

What's everyone going to do with this New equipment once Eastman Kodak cine film supplies dry up? No more 65mm camera film is being sold except to qualified cinema folks. Does Cinestill sell 65mm film?

I have a bunch of Plus-X aerial film (very outdated) in 70mm perforated, fun to play with but kinda a waste of time (MHOFWIW)

 

[rhizomeblur]

I shoot 70mm & 65mm, but I don't think I want to shoot THAT much film.

Ha ha, indeed! If anyone needs to shoot 100ft at a time these days, you wouldn't do it in 70mm, you'd use 65mm and send it to a cine lab. If it had to be 70mm you would use a rewind tank or continuous roll processor. That's if you care about the results, but for sheer ridiculous fun, I love that huge reel! I can't imagine there would be any way to develop with that and get even and consistent negatives, due to the chemical changeover time. I wonder what the original/intended method was... Maybe a conveyor system over dip-and-dunk vats? Or did this have an associated tank?

MCB18, I hope you find a way to give this a whirl! Would definitely be fun! Would a really big stainless steel sink work?

 

[rhizomeblur]

I'm following this list because I have some 70mm film and an old camera that takes 116 film, which is 70mm wide.

Welcome to the thread! 116 is a great format, and some of those cameras are real gems! To develop short lengths of 70mm, you don't need to purchase anything special. Ordinary Paterson reels work fine. Just pull one apart, and insert the smaller side in the larger side, from the bottom (so the two spirals are touching). Then take the larger side from a second reel and use it "complete" the reel. The result is an instant 70mm reel! (Personally I greatly prefer Jobo equipment, but you can't beat this Paterson trick--free if you already have a System 4 tank and reels.)

 

[thinbegin]

As an update to my posts earlier about my 70mm reel, I thought I'd share that I've made a new reel that now supports both 65mm and 70mm in a single reel. A multi-format reel for Paterson System 4 tanks! Can't get into the 65mm and/or 70mm development realm any more conveniently! All you need is a Paterson tank and my one reel for both formats and you are good to go! (Yeah, I'm pretty excited!) Here's a pic...

 

[abruzzi]

What's everyone going to do with this New equipment once Eastman Kodak cine film supplies dry up? No more 65mm camera film is being sold except to qualified cinema folks. Does Cinestill sell 65mm film?

I go through this thing where I see a good price on some 70mm film (most recently the TechPan @OrientPoint was selling) then I try to figure out how I'd deal with it. I look online for the parts I'd need (70mm back, canisters, then how to develop it, etc.) once I figure all that out I get a bit excited that I could make it work, but then, at some point before I start buying, I deflate because I'd be spending ~$400 to deal with mostly expired film, and when I finish that 150ft roll, will there be something else to use all that on? I get it, and I wish everyone's the best with this stuff.

After my experience with 6.5x9 sheet film, I told my self that I'll only use formats that are easily supported and will continue to be for the forseeable future. I kind of made an exception for 5x7 (a lot of 5x7 support seems to be drying up, but for B&W there are still enough options that I don't have to worry for some time.)

 

[blee1996]

My 70mm journey started when I accidentally bought a few Hasselblad 70mm cassettes with NASA labels on them. I thought I might discover lost photos of aliens, but unfortunately/fortunately no. The film inside were blanks.

One thing lead to another, and now I have the large Kindermann 70mm SS reel and an even larger Ikea stock pot.

But there is a certain satisfaction of shooting a long roll of 70mm with the motorized Hasselblad 553ELX while pretending to be an astronaut.

 

[MCB18]

I wonder what the original/intended method was... Maybe a conveyor system over dip-and-dunk vats? Or did this have an associated tank?

Oh I have the tanks too, they’re just massive metal tubs you put the reel in. My small dog could comfortably sleep in them. Basically it’s like a manual dip and dunk. You agitate by lifting the reel up and dow .

Technically you can develop it in daylight, as there is a lid, but unfortunately I can’t use that yet. The bolt you use to lift and lower the reel is missing, and someone seems to have tried to crimp the pipe that forms part of the light trap with that bolt in the top closed. I would need to get an angle grinder and cut off the deformed part and find a suitable bolt to use it in daylight.

I do plan at some point to get a 100 ft back for the RB67 and shoot a full 100 ft roll of FN-64 or Foto-100 through it. Ridiculous? Yes, absolutely. But it would be extremely fun.

 

[film4eva]

Well, I finally tried my Pentax 645 with the 70mm back modified for 65mm according to the instructions on @rhizomeblur Zach's excellent site. I did something wrong a number of times, and decided to cut my losses on the 50-ish inches of 65mm 250D. I think the cartridges I'm using may be a bit off, as it was really hard to pull the film out of the source cartridge, and it tore the perfs out. I eventually got it to work enough to get one shot before it ran empty. I reversed the film and ran it back the other way with the same result.

Anyway, today I used the new 65/70mm reel from thinbegin. It worked real well, and I was easily able to get the one picture (well, two, overlapped, due to the transport issues I faced).

I need to troubleshoot the transport thing, but I have a good handle on developing a length of film, at least.