Found: Seattle FilmWorks Film?

[McFortner]

Isn't Seattle Film Works film is for movie cameras?

Originally, it was, but towards then end they switched to C-41. I had some from the switchover period that while the cassette said SFW-XL it was actually C-41 inside.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

I have seen a motion picture camera use a 1000 ft (~300m) roll of movie film in under one minute. I have seen a roll of estar based MP film jam under such conditions and the camera literally exploded with parts scattering over a wide area with great force.

It makes a difference!

PE

I'm not even going to try to figure out the frames per second! Was that something like the bullet flying by in slo-mo that I kinda recall seeing decades ago?

No wonder we got OSHA!

 

[btaylor]

24 frames per second is 90 ft/minute. So a 1000ft roll in a minute would be about 300 FPS. I seem to recall the really fast cameras ran at about 1000 FPS, they used a rotating prism instead of a shutter. Anyway, perf shapes are not a problem for MP to still. The other way around can be problematic for a mopic camera with a registration pin if the perfs, Kodak or Bell&Howell, don’t match the pin. Film thickness between mopic and still film feels about the same to me for an acetate base.

 

[AgX]

MP and still film use different pitch perfs and different shapes. IDK what kind of problem this might cause for either camera, but I am quite certain that still -> MP is worse than MP -> still.

What do you mean by that latter comparison? Am slow on the uptake.

 

[Photo Engineer]

See the "Journal of High Speed Photography". Great stuff. We were photographing missile explosions for analysis. A Centaur (Liquid H + O) went so fast that this speed could barely capture it.

As for the comparison, try reading Still used in an MP camera and MP used in a Still camera. Yes, slow on the uptake I guess. I tried to save photons and electrons.

PE

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

My cousin worked with a high speed film crew for a tv commercial. The crew flew into Chicago to shoot a slow motion shot of an ice cube dropping in a glass of water. On set, the glass of water is a plexiglass water tank and the cube of ice was a piece of acrylic size of a human head. The camera took a lot of film to get up to speed. I saw the footage. It starts out over exposed then darkens for the final shot that lasted for a few seconds.the camera required specialized operators. It's a dangerous piece of gear. I think the camera is a Hulcher.

 

[Photo Engineer]

IIRC, the Hulchers that we worked with were MF cameras using a 120 type film.

PE

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

IIRC, the Hulchers that we worked with were MF cameras using a 120 type film.

PE

Was the Hulcher a high speed IMAX type camera?

 

[MattKing]

IIRC, the Hulchers that we worked with were MF cameras using a 120 type film.

PE

I'm guessing that some of the 65mm film that forms the backbone to the new Apollo 11 documentary movie ran through those Hulchers.
Here is a link about that movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8760684/
If you haven't seen it, you should do so - particularly on an IMAX screne.
It will almost certainly be digitally projected , but it is still amazing.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The Hulchers back then used an MF film in large rolls. It took 2.25" square photos much like today's MF cameras. We used a mix of films in them.

As an anecdote, one news company placed one illegally in the Mercury elevator to film Glenn going up to the capsule. When informed, I had several choices such as destroy it, confiscate it and etc. I chose to put gaffers tape over the lens. It was made narrow enough so that you got a tiny view around the edges, but nothing useful.

I had lists of all approved camera bodies and lenses by serial number all over the total Cape for each day, and diagrams of each pad with every camera position marked. This included arc lights and other lights for night shots. Rummaging through some very old stuff, I found one of the camera and lens lists. I also found my desk calendar for that year.

PE

 

[Wallendo]

The polyester based film bases are harder on winding mechanisms - they don't stretch or tear like acetate will - and customers have an infuriating habit of trying to stretch a 36 exposure roll into 37 or 38 shots.

In the mid 90's, I had a camera that routinely would get 24 or 38 exposures off of a roll. I sent one of these rolls to Signature Color and they returned it with a stern note that I should never shoot more than 24 or 36 exposures. I never used their services again.
A lot of consumer cameras of the era would advance the film on oading only as far as needed and as a result routinely got an extra frame of two without stressing the film.

 

[MattKing]

In the mid 90's, I had a camera that routinely would get 24 or 38 exposures off of a roll. I sent one of these rolls to Signature Color and they returned it with a stern note that I should never shoot more than 24 or 36 exposures. I never used their services again.
A lot of consumer cameras of the era would advance the film on oading only as far as needed and as a result routinely got an extra frame of two without stressing the film.

I used to work in camera stores. The reference to "infuriating" is a reference to people who insisted on getting 38 frames when the winder stopped at 37 1/2, and then came to us with a complaint about the film or the jammed camera.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

The Hulchers back then used an MF film in large rolls. It took 2.25" square photos much like today's MF cameras. We used a mix of films in them.

As an anecdote, one news company placed one illegally in the Mercury elevator to film Glenn going up to the capsule. When informed, I had several choices such as destroy it, confiscate it and etc. I chose to put gaffers tape over the lens. It was made narrow enough so that you got a tiny view around the edges, but nothing useful.

I had lists of all approved camera bodies and lenses by serial number all over the total Cape for each day, and diagrams of each pad with every camera position marked. This included arc lights and other lights for night shots. Rummaging through some very old stuff, I found one of the camera and lens lists. I also found my desk calendar for that year.

PE

PE, amazing stories.

As I've gotten old(er) I've come to understand and appreciate there have always been huge what we now call backstories on what seemed simple. And they involve humans, like you. And economics and politics.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Paul, every one of us has a back story that is huge, complex, and interesting. We are all human beings.

PE

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Paul, every one of us has a back story that is huge, complex, and interesting. We are all human beings.

PE

I agree, we are of somewhat the same age, I"m sure. I'm just shy of 73.

The older I get, the more I'm amazed at all the "back stories." I'm in contact with friends from HS, my "brother" suffered from Viet Nam PTSD and chose to smoke himself to death, I'm in daily contact with a lover from 40 years ago, I'm swamped with love from family and women, it just goes on and on.

I really try to listen to those younger. I'm the oldest member of a small, kinda weird church. I cherish watching and hearing all those half my age. And then using them as a mirror for my own journey.

 

[mshchem]

Wow I'm glad I read this the movie is still in town. At one of the special film scene theatres. I was 11 years old in July of 69. So amazing.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Paul, sadly (for me), I'm a lot older than you are!

And I saw the first Saturn lift off from CCMTA from about 5 miles away or less. Kinda loud! It knocked my hat off, rattled the keys in my pocket and you could see the compression waves as spheres in the air caused by the sound. It was about 100 DB over 20 miles away and was quite painful.

PE

 

[MattKing]

Ron,
Have you seen the new Apollo 13 movie?

 

[Photo Engineer]

No. I guess I will sometime Matt. I was behind Herb Kaplow as he did his broadcast for Glenn as he got out of the van and went up in the elevator, and I was in one of the Mercury Capsules. I left just as Gemini was starting, and lucky I did. I got orders sending me to Viet Nam, but instead I went to grad school. My former boss went to Viet Nam and the last I heard he was in the recovery Hospital at Travis AFB.

BTDT. Kind of ennui for this stuff. Now the sequel to Avatar? I'll be all over that, if I live long enough.

PE

 

[MattKing]

You should see it Ron.
While we know the ending , it is extra-ordinary in how it depicts all the people involved and observing.
The portions that probably originated from 65mm film are great to see, and the sound is spectacular too.
There is even a Canadian connection - the archived sound recordings were on 32 track recordings that had to be separated from each other. The work on that was done by Ben Feist, who might be better known as Leslie Feist's brother .
This article is quite informative: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/movies/apollo11-documentary.html

 

[Photo Engineer]

I held Glenn's camera. It was heavily modified for use due to weight restrictions. I have a photo of me and the engineer who modified it here somewhere on this computer, but I can't locate it right now. I do know that I have a few spare parts from the camera (rejects) and a screw from the camera that went into orbit.

Look up Dee O'Hara. She was a dear friend for my 18 months at CCMTA. But, like all military things, they change and we move on.

PE

 

[FilmCurlCom]

Oh boy, two of my biggest interests, film and the space program combined... SO amazing!
PE, I know you did show some pictures and told some stories in some threads earlier, but did you ever present a big gallery of pictures from that time?
You must have amazing stories to tell and I am sure many would love to hear them, I for sure would!
You left before Gemini, so your main connection with the space program was with Mercury?
Could you please (in another thread I guess) maybe share some more details on those times? I would love to hear that.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I left just as Gemini was starting. I have posted quite a few space pix in my gallery. Please look there.

Thanks.

PE

 

[JimEG]

Hello. I just picked up a Canaon FTb QL, plus a few lenses and other bits at an estate sale. Included in the collection is a brand new roll of Seattle Film Works film. There is also film in the camera, which appears to be jammed - I can't get the the camera to rewind the film and there is an audible film crunching sound when I try to wind it.

Can the Seattle Film Works film be used and devoloped? Use by 06/2001 dated.
Can I get the film develpoed, in the camera. believe the film in the camera is a Photoworks color print film - based on the empty canister included in the sale. Use by 10/2002 date.

Thanks!

 

[MattKing]

Welcome to Photrio.
With respect to the film, I wouldn't bother trying to get the Seattle Film works film developed. The "proper" process for that film isn't easily accessible for single rolls, and if you try to process it in more easily accessed services, it can end up messing up their machine.
The Photoworks film is a current process C41 film, but it won't be appreciated by any labs if the sprockets in the film are damaged.
With respect to rewinding the film, did you first push the rewind release button on the bottom of the camera?
You can obtain a copy of the instruction manual from Mike Butkus' site here: https://www.butkus.org/chinon/canon/canon_ftb/canon_ftb.htm - I'd suggest sending Mr. Butkus his requested donation, because the service he supplies is very valuable.