Going to resurrect a couple dead film formats. Need advice and encouragement

eharriett · Mar 20, 2017

I am crazy, I know. But I need a hobby.

I have a Kodak Instamatic 500 and a couple cartridges I've been able to open without damaging. I also just yesterday got a Minolta 16 eeii for almost nothing (on lookout for a cartridge there that I can open as well). I don't expect much from that camera but it looks like a lot of fun. I've got a room in my house that, with a little modding, is a darkroom.

On the Instamatic, after a bit of digging, I attempted and succeeded, in fitting some 35mm film into it with the backing paper on. But I'm not crazy about the sprocket holes going through my photos (camera works great, though -- if 126 film ever comes back I'd bet that camera will be a whole lot more expensive than I paid for it).

So I just ordered a film slitter and it is going to take a 120 roll of film and cut it into an unperforated 35mm strip and a 16mm strip simultaneously for use in getting these babies working again. However, I have a problem with the 126: it still will need a single hole for each frame at the top for the camera to work right. I need some advice for the best way to accomplish this in the dark without damaging the film. Thanks.

Kino · Mar 20, 2017

Go here: https://www.allthingsid.com/id-prin...d-custom-ticket-hole-punch-mticket-p-115.html

choose a shape nearest a 126 perforation. Make a jig with a registration pin in a flat, smooth plank of wood or PVC with side-guides as wide as the film strip. Cut a slot for the punch to sit flush with the surface of the plank, downstream of the registration pin. Punch the first hole, slide the film along the guide and register on the pin on the new perforation and continue until the roll is done.

Now, you'll have to determine how far apart the punches have to be and how they will be located on the film and attach guides alongside the plank, but if you're truly crazy and bored enough, this shouldn't be a problem!

TheToadMen · Mar 20, 2017

I can only say "Wow", "Nice project" and "Welcome to APUG!".

Truzi · Mar 20, 2017

Here is an old discussion you may find useful, especially the images on the second page:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I wedged a piece of wood in the jaw of a hole punch, and put a screw in at the right distance from the punch-hole (I measured by eye - using an old scrap of film). In a dark bag I punched a hole in the film, pulled the film until the hole fit over the screw, punched another hole, etc.

In the future I hope to make something a bit easier to actually use.

ic-racer · Mar 20, 2017

You can also try the following 16mm Negative B&W film which will work in the Minolta 16 without needing the film splitter. The 18 exposure loads are about 2 feet. So, for $37 you get 50 rolls.

ORWO N74 PLUS (400 ASA) 16MM, SINGLE PERF, NEGATIVE B&W FILM, 100FT, ON DAYLIGHT SPOOL $37!

eharriett · Mar 20, 2017

Thanks. I saw that Orwo film available for sale earlier.

I got the film splitter ordered. I looked at Truzi's link and it gave me some ideas I might try to go do. One other thing I forgot to mention I did: I took the 120 backing paper for some rolls I already made attempts on and traced out the stubs in that and recreated backup-backing paper for the cartridges (might be a little obsessed?). Of course, I did that in perfect light, so it came out well. It is the film itself I can't figure out. Another alternative I was thinking of is just punching a thin but wide slit with a razor blade the length of the backing paper stub through the film so the lever can catch where it needs to and hopefully it will be so thin it wouldn't affect the scanner picture quality. It certainly seems to be the simplest, if not messiest solution.

ac12 · Mar 20, 2017

Be VERY careful of a razor blade in the dark.
And most definitely NOT in a changing bag.

summicron1 · Mar 20, 2017

Minolta 16mm cassettes are readily available on the big auction site -- sometimes you end up buying a camera to go with but what the heck, the 16-II is the best for a manual no-focus camera. The cassettes are easily reloaded, in fact are made to be. Very similar to Minox, in fact.

GregW · Mar 21, 2017

I hope you have success. Perhaps a slitter to cut down 5" stock from the Ilford ULF is another route. That is if it is on thin enough stock. I used my little contraption the other day to shoot some Agfa Copex Pan non perf in my Kodak 500. worked great I love that little camera. I think for production of reloads for pried open cassettes one would need 2 jigs set up. Maybe three. The first would be a simple jig to cut the already slit film to the proper length. The second jig or device to punch the perfs and the final jig to tape the film to the backing paper and then roll up. Another possible configuration is to combine the last two procedures and punch the film and paper at the same time. Keeping the holes aligned while rolling would be another difficult matter to overcome. Home 3D printing has come a long way since I tried to do this. I would think a clever cad person could come up with a 126 case that could be repeatedly reloaded and somewhat light tight with the addition of tape or felt?

darkroommike · Mar 23, 2017

Someone is now selling a 3D printed replacement 126 cartridge without the window specifically for 35mm film https://all3dp.com/upgrade-instamatic-camera-to-use-35mm-film-with-3d-printing/ (I forget where I saw it but Google comes through). And the Minolta 16 cartridges are getting much harder to find, I spent ten USD to get one! So treat them like gold.

eharriett · Mar 23, 2017

darkroommike said:
Someone is now selling a 3D printed replacement 126 cartridge without the window specifically for 35mm film https://all3dp.com/upgrade-instamatic-camera-to-use-35mm-film-with-3d-printing/ (I forget where I saw it but Google comes through). And the Minolta 16 cartridges are getting much harder to find, I spent ten USD to get one! So treat them like gold.

Yes. I saw the Fakmatic. Found them, of all places, through Youtube. I've got a couple of carts that I can use now (at least I think so, we'll see once I get this test roll developed). Biggest thing with that is it doesn't come with backing paper, so I still need that. I took some 120 backing paper and cut it to size and traced and cut out the notches at the top. So at least now I have replacement backing paper. The darn film will remain the problem, however. My slitter is supposed to arrive today. But it is going to be a few days before I get to try and use it (don't want to cut up my remaining rolls of Ektar 100 -- my favorite currently available color film).

As for Minolta, I found a solution: This ebay listing. The guy is selling USSR knockoffs of the Minolta 16 for really cheap prices. I had to look that one up and it appears to be the right size for the camera I have. No film in it, so I need to find out how long to measure the film to cut (anyone know this?) but 2 empty cassettes for less than $4 is far and away the best price I've seen.

railwayman3 · Mar 23, 2017

@summicron1 and @eharriett1 - Thanks for than info and links re.the Minolta/Kiev cassettes. I might give that a go....I had a Minolta 16 when I was fairly new to photography and later sold it....I thought since that I could make much more of the system, now that I know a bit more about processing, etc. Looking now at some of my old negs and prints, I can also see that some of the commercial D&P at that time didn't do justice to the small format.

I had a "Minox sub-miniature craze" about 10 years ago, but never got on comfortably with the very tiny format. Although that's probably down to my clumsy fingers rather than any fault of the Minox system.

TheToadMen · Mar 23, 2017

eharriett said:
As for Minolta, I found a solution: This ebay listing. The guy is selling USSR knockoffs of the Minolta 16 for really cheap prices. I had to look that one up and it appears to be the right size for the camera I have. No film in it, so I need to find out how long to measure the film to cut (anyone know this?) but 2 empty cassettes for less than $4 is far and away the best price I've seen.

Thanks for the tip!

darkroommike · Mar 24, 2017

eharriett said:
Yes. I saw the Fakmatic. Found them, of all places, through Youtube. I've got a couple of carts that I can use now (at least I think so, we'll see once I get this test roll developed). Biggest thing with that is it doesn't come with backing paper, so I still need that. I took some 120 backing paper and cut it to size and traced and cut out the notches at the top. So at least now I have replacement backing paper. The darn film will remain the problem, however. My slitter is supposed to arrive today. But it is going to be a few days before I get to try and use it (don't want to cut up my remaining rolls of Ektar 100 -- my favorite currently available color film).

As for Minolta, I found a solution: This ebay listing. The guy is selling USSR knockoffs of the Minolta 16 for really cheap prices. I had to look that one up and it appears to be the right size for the camera I have. No film in it, so I need to find out how long to measure the film to cut (anyone know this?) but 2 empty cassettes for less than $4 is far and away the best price I've seen.

The fakmatic does not need paper. Most folks loading into old 126 cartridges save their old papers.
The Minolta 16MG manual (available from Butkus.org) says to use 18.5 inches 47 cm of film. See the instruction book. Link http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta/minolta_16mg/minolta_16mg.htm

eharriett · Mar 24, 2017

Ah. Thank you.

Going to resurrect a couple dead film formats. Need advice and encouragement

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