Film with no sprocket holes... what to do?

One_DaveT

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I was feeling pretty good this afternoon. After a pleasant conversation with the owner of a small local photo store, he gave me an unused 100' roll of 35mm Kodak Portra 400NC. It was only 5 months expired, though stored in the refrigerator the whole time. This evening I went to load it up in my bulk loader. As I started rolling it on to a cassette in the dark, I noticed that my bulk loader wasn't ticking off the length. Feeling around.... I discovered there are no sprocket holes! bummer.... April fools was two days ago ;-)

What do I do with this? I don't think my Nikon F2 is going to be happy with it. What is this type of film intended for? Any suggestion on how to best use it? Anyone make a sprocket puncher attachment for a Watson 100 bulk loader? ;-)

Thanks,
Dave
 

David A. Goldfarb

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One_DaveT

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David William White said:
Or: Re-roll it into used 120 rolls. Get a Holga and have fun.
Click to expand...

The Holga idea did cross my mind....

While I do do my own B&W development, I've been taking C-41 in to get negatives developed (hybrid user). I suspect the average drop off lab won't like the unperferated stuff. I suppose I could use this as an excuse to get a 120 camera (holga), and pick up a C-41 development kit.... shoe box pin hole is interesting too.

Thanks,
Dave
 

David A. Goldfarb

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I like the pinhole idea, because there's a use that could really benefit from the lack of sprocket holes. I'd go for a big circular panoramic pinhole camera.
 

David William White

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Outside of Walmart, most local labs won't mind. I've submitted 127 film (46mm, UP) re-rolled onto 120 with just a look of amusement from the tech, but they were game. Photo store owner who sold it to you might suggest a lab that is service-friendly. Keep us in the unperforated loop, and post your results!
 

David A. Goldfarb

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A pro lab should be able to handle it. If they have a dip and dunk, it's just a strip of film hanging on the rack like any other strip of 35mm, and if they use reels, then it should fit a 35mm reel.
 

Ole

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Get an old unmodified Voigtländer Vito I. Those were made for unperforated 35mm film.
 

AgX

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If you are a DIY guy and have a mechanical workshop at home, you can make a punching device yourself. The workload needed for that depends on your ingenuity. However for a roll of Portra it would be far from economical...
 

AgX

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You could also diassemble your camera. Machine off the sprockets of the sprocket wheel, fix everything again, load the camera with film, attach the leader firmly to the uptake spindle, and... be uncertain about the friction clutch of the spindle to bear the load…
 

AgX

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Why not buy a Seitz rotational panoramic camera? It does not employ a sprocket wheel either.
 

bob100684

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any lab with fuji equipment should be able to process and print it. Including walmart.
 

AgX

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Bob,

does that mean that there are some roller film processors which use sprocket wheels?
 
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One_DaveT

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So the story gets weirder....

I took a closer look at the box the film canister came in. The box was sealed, btw). It says "perforated" and "frame numbered". Just checking to see if I'm losing my mind, I checked another Kodak bulk roll box I had around of 125PX. It also says "perforated" and "frame numbered" on the box, and I know for sure that it actually was perforated and frame numbered.

In the bizarre chance the perforation was only missing from the beginning, I went back in my film closet and rolled out 5 feet....still no perforation.

The box and canister both have a manufacturer expiration date printed on it, and what looks like a batch number. Those both match. So unless Kodak screwed up, I'm at a loss. It seems very odd to me that Kodak could screw up such a thing.

I called up the owner of the photo store. He's at a loss, as the customer he originally ordered it for, way back whenever, apparently uses perforated.

So, What do you think? Kodak mispackaged? Not sure I can do much about it.... as it's expired, and I didn't pay anything for it. Inquiring minds want to know. Time to make some lemonade!
 

srs5694

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In addition to the other suggestions, you could buy a subminiature (16mm) camera, buy or build a film slitter, and cut the film into the 16mm format. In fact, if the film isn't numbered, I'd expect you could get two widths of 16mm out of an unperforated 35mm roll, thus improving efficiency.
 

AgX

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One_DaveT,

Processing will tell: If there is brand/batch signing the box was mislabelled or the film wrongly boxed. If there will show up standard signing with frame numbers, the film was either wrongly signed or the perforation omitted.

Then we all can sit together and discuss what would have been worse...
 

e-person

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I use 35mm unperforated films in medium format cameras. You have to carefully compose your photos, other than that, it's fine.
 
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