COPYING NEGATIVES; 46mm 70mm

[FilmIs4Ever]

Hello everyone. I'm not sure this is in exactly the right place, but it was the closest subforum I could find. Anyway, I just won 1000 feet of 70mm CDU II in an online auction and I was wondering how I could best go about copying pictures with 70mm. Is a standard medium format camera suited to the job or is the only reliable option a medium format copying stand with built-in camera body. Are there any cheap 70mm copiers out there? Also, what the hell is 46mm film? I've asked this question many times before and haven't gotten a straight answer. I've never seen a 46mm camera either, hence my confusion. Thanks for your help.

Regards.
~Karl Borowski

 

[Donald Miller]

When I used my Omega C760XL enlarger it had the provision of removing the light head and in it's place omega had a device that allowed a camera to be mounted. I would think that medium format camera would mount to this and then one could copy using this arrangement. The only problem that I see is that you will need to cut down the 1000 ft length into something more manageable or find a 70 mm ong roll back for your camera.

I am not sure what you are wanting to accomplish but this might work for you.

I am not sure of 46 mm film, having not encountered it before myself.

 

[127]

46mm is bulk 127.

Ian

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

46mm is bulk 127.

Ian

Yep!

I have several bulk rolls of unperforated 46mm Agfa Color neg in my freezer. I respool it onto 127 spools and shoot it in my Baby Rollei.

This film is used in long roll 46mm cameras that are/were used primarily by school and department store photographers.

 

[Flotsam]

46mm was used to shoot "superslides", large square transparecies that fit into a 2" x 2" slide mount.

For a while IBM standardized it for their slide and multi-image use. I used to free-lance as a multi-image cameraman and because of IBM every place that I worked had the 46mm machinery for their Forox and virtually never used it.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

46mm is also a high-volume portrait format, for things like school portraits. Here are some cameras that shoot 46mm and 70mm:

http://www.photo-control.com/camerz/index.htm

 

[FilmIs4Ever]

Does anyone shoot film for school pictures anymore? I offered to buy both film and processing for my senior picture and Ripcho photography still wouldn't give me the picture on film .

Regards.
~Karl

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think it's pretty much gone digital, but there's a lot of infrastructure around for film portraits. Full time hand retouchers who have been doing that work for years, I've heard, say that they can retouch a film neg faster with traditional methods than can be done in Photoshop. There's some learning curve in reaching that level of skill, but if you've been smoothing out teenage faces for years, it can be done.

 

[Flotsam]

But you have to pay a skilled professional to do film and you can hire a high school kid at min. wage to do photoshop.

 

[FilmIs4Ever]

But you have to pay a skilled professional to do film and you can hire a high school kid at min. wage to do photoshop.

From the guys working for Ripcho that I've talked to lately (most not much older than myself) this is essentially true. Of course, this school kid isn't going to be getting a job at that shithole because he wants to take artistic pictures. The results I've seen indicate that most pictures aren't even run through photoshop. I guess most people like palid skin tones though. Go figure.

Regards.
~Karl Borowski

 

[Woolliscroft]

I was wondering how I could best go about copying pictures with 70mm. Is a standard medium format camera suited to the job.

~Karl Borowski

70mm backs have been made for a number of medium format cameras. The one for my own Mamyia RB67 is long discontinued, but they turn up 2nd hand once in a while and others might still be made. If you have the right close up kit you should be able to copy the negs off a light box on a copying stand. CDU II is tungston balanced but it might be worth processing a test shot to check the light box suits the film without filtration.

David.

 

[k_jupiter]

Hello everyone. Also, what the hell is 46mm film? I've asked this question many times before and haven't gotten a straight answer. I've never seen a 46mm camera either, hence my confusion. Thanks for your help.

Regards.
~Karl Borowski

Wouldja like a roll of 46mm Kodalith? I have a few, well, more that a few sitting around. Single perf, on a spool.

As for the color film, I shoot Agfa 160 color and Konica 160 color on used Efke100 spools in my Yashica 44. Nice.

Let me know.

tim in san jose

 

[FilmIs4Ever]

Would you happen to know where I could get a camera for 46mm? I'd definitely like either a 70mm or 46mm camera for copy work.

Regards.
~Karl Borowski

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Well, the Camerz cameras can take 46mm backs, and there was a similar camera called the Keith camera that probably did 46mm, but how are you planning to process it?

70mm and 70mm equipment is much more common. Hewes makes reels for 70mm, and there are backs for a number of cameras that take 70mm.

 

[FilmIs4Ever]

. . . but how are you planning to process it?

Don't labs process it? It was used not that long ago almost exclusively. I feel stupid not looking at my grade school proofs. Now that I know what 46mm is, I realize that is what they used for school portrature instead of 6x4.5 or 6.6 or 70mm. Surely if this was being used as little as 3 years ago, processing services can still be had somewhere. The film is still being made after all, right?

Regards.
~Karl Borowski

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

There are labs that process it, if you plan to send it out, but I'm guessing that processing is not as widespread for 46mm as for 70mm.

 

[k_jupiter]

There are labs that process it, if you plan to send it out, but I'm guessing that processing is not as widespread for 46mm as for 70mm.

Not a problem here in San Jose. Place down in Willow Glen will process 127 C41 for me. The B&W and Kodalith stuff of course gets souped at home.


tim in san jose

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

Ah, someone with answers. I have been diggin' & scratchin' for 46 mm answers and I just found them.

I just bought a lens (en route) that was used in a similar camera with 46x? format. from the referenced link I got two different 46 mm formats. I had wanted to pre-envision how much coverage this lens might have. I wanted to put it on a 4x5 Speed Graphic, expecting too-small a circle of coverage...I want to experiment with that look. Then I wondered if it would cover more up close, analogous to the infinity vs process distance conundrum, but I then realized it's a portrait lens, so it's basically already being used at process distances. (Helical focus, marked 3.5-18 feet), f 4.5-32.

Anyway, it should keep me off the street for a bit. I thought it would be fun to try a helical focus zoom lens with bellows too...maybe I can macro-fy it after all with bellows extension.

Why? Don't know, just the way I am.

Murray

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

From the format info at Camerz plus the info I was given that the user used unsprocketed 46mm, I come up with a range of roughly 71-75 mm diagonal.

The lens is 50-150 mm with a 100 mm flange-to-film distance. I guess only time will tell how big an image it will produce. Kind of makes me wonder why it's so big.


Murray

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

For the guy who wanted a 46mm camera, see the references for Camerz above, then look on the web for a guy who posts as scungili@aol - he appears to buy & sell those used, apparently at more affordable (amateur/semi) prices. 46 or split 70 seems to be where the activity is.

Also see www.jukkavatanen.com - he uses 70 mm aerial b/w film (when he can get it)in a rollfilm back I think with a Graflex of some sort.

Murray

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

To answer the question directly;

Where to get a 46mm camera...

There have been Camerz ones on eBay with no bids in the $100 range + $35 shipping.

I think Camerz Z1 (early) had a Schneider lens. Later ones had something Japanese.

These cameras came with I think 4 different film mag options (2 @ 35 mm, 2 @ 46 mm) so make sure it's what you want.

Murray