How to open Ultrafine Max 400 film cassette

Paul Howell

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I bought a few rolls of Ultrafine Max 400 T grain film. It comes in a plastic cassette, a type that I have never seen. To open it looks like you a 2 prong tool of some sort, or do not rewind the film all the way back in. I paid little attention until I was in the darkroom with HC 110 already to go. I used a pair of pliers and burt force to open it. Called Ultrafine and left a message no return call.
 

MattKing

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Is it the same as the Flic Film cassettes?
 

Sanug

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Or Foma. German customers are complaining the same issue with plastc cassettes.
 
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Paul Howell

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I bet Foma, I think Tgrain 400 is rebanded Foma Tgrain 800. I did get a call, the photographic division has moved to New York but someone will be in tomorrow in California. The person I talked with mention that they have been sending a tool to schools who make large orders. So I guess I will just use burt force.
 

Sanug

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Fomapan Special T800 has been my favourite film for years. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued since a long time. I don't believe there will be any old stock available and still in good condition.
 
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Paul Howell

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Ultrafine might have had a roll run, seems to be big seller with schools. Foma will custom make emulsion is the order is large enough. But, it will be available in the E.U or U.K as Ultrafine only sells in the U.S. I liked Foma 800, generally shot iat 400. Tgain Max 500 is listed as ISO from 50 to 800.
 

pentaxuser

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In terms of extraction of fílm you might consider an extractor. Í have an Ilford one and it has worked every time One of the benefits is that you can use the extractor in room light as you can ensure that it only exposes a small part of the leader and feed that into a reel again in room light or daylight before extinguishing the light ín the darkroom

pentaxuser
 
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Paul Howell

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That's it, I buy Foma from Foma so I have not run into it, but as the T 400 is must be rebranded Foma 800. case cassettes.
 

koraks

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Paul Howell said:
the T 400 is must be rebranded Foma 800
Click to expand...

Exceedingly unlikely. Just Foma 400 with optimistic rounding (or worse - F200, which indeed is a mixed high-aspect/cubic grain emulsion).
As pointed out earlier, they stopped making an 800 emulsion...oh...20 years ago or so? If they would have revived it, they surely wouldn't have manufactured it exclusively for a relatively small 3rd party. We would see it in Foma branded products just the same.

If it's actual Foma 800, it'll be well aged by now.
Edit: could also be an old Agfa emulsion they dug up somewhere and get spooled into modern plastic cassettes.
 
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Paul Howell

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It is marketed as a t grain film, has a different base than Foma Action 400, there are no dege markings. Not sure what it is.
 

koraks

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The different base is a give-away. Bulk 35mm foma also has no edge markings, so that in itself doesn't say much.
I expect it's some old stock Agfa film, possibly something originally intended for traffic reinforcement. I have a vague recollection of a faster film having been available for this from Agfa.
 

cmacd123

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Paul Howell said:
That's it, I buy Foma from Foma so I have not run into it, but as the T 400 is must be rebranded Foma 800. case cassettes.
Click to expand...
actually , I got some Foma Branded film earlyer this year in the snap together cassettes. I did hear that they are NOW back to metal.
 
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