Instamatic 126 Cartridges

I don't have RA-4 chemicals yet so I'm not doing proper home prints yet. I have a 126 negative carrier for my enlarger so I'm looking forward to getting some paper chems to go with the film chems.

I don't have a negative mask for 126 for my scanner so I'm fighting with some effects of light around the negatives. If I put them in the 35mm holder then the light is good but it chops the top off so I'm using the medium format holder but some light leaks around the top of the negatives and the sprocket holes which makes it look like there are yellow casts when that is NOT the case. The negatives are actually fine.

You can follow my scanning struggles on my flickr page:

Sleigh ride 1 by Harry Pulley, on Flickr

Sleigh ride 2 by Harry Pulley, on Flickr

The yellow rectangles to lower left are the sprocket hole light leaks. The yellow borders are light leaks through the frame markers of the 126 film since I don't have a mask for it. This leaves yellow in the image which I'm trying to fix but a proper print in the 126 neg carrier is the real answer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hpulley/sets/72157625692782433/with/5352961715/

Those pics look great. I love the look of Ferrania. I've got about 80 ft left of a 100ft roll of Portra but I might pop for a few rolls of Ferrania before they join Kodachrome in the sky.

I made a 126 mask from folded cardstock. It fits into my old slide scanner but it still chops about 4 mm off the frame.

I recently got a couple of enlargers and a 126 mask for the Omega D5. I haven't set up a printing room yet.

Thanks! I'm pleased with how they came out. Even at $11.99/roll I think I'm going to get some more, silly me complaining about the Ilford price increases elsewhere but then paying that much for expired film!!! I know I'm not rational with these thoughts but photography for me is a gut thing, a feeling thing and I love these little cartridge formats.

Here's another one. I love the look of the Solaris 200 and I love the look still of 126. I can shoot 6x7 as well but depending on the feeling I want, completely different looks. Here is another one:

IMG_0040 by Harry Pulley, on Flickr

I'm printing B&W already with the OEM mask and negative carrier for my old Durst enlarger but I still don't have a color chem setup for RA-4. Next though I think I want a color enlarger too, mine is old filter drawer style which will not be as simple as a color mixing box.

It isn't here yet but I just won 100' of Kodak Portra 160NC (expired 2009) unperforated film for $23.95! The ad says they have 500 rolls so hopefully this will mean stock for a while. That's about 35 rolls worth for the price of two rolls of Solaris 200. I'll see how many rolls I can bulk load on paper and spools before I have to buy more cartidges. The seller is ultrafineonline and they have perforated 35mm too, 70mm, other stuff in bulk. I'll let you know how it works when it gets here.

Congratulations Harry.

I haven't reloaded a 126 cart for a while but I think I'll do about 6 of them this week just to have them up and ready! (I can do some 127 rolls too)

The "fun" part is getting that punch in the dark bag. I started to make a jig one time but it wouldn't fit into the bag and things got all messed up. I need a real dark room so I can spread out.

It is very satisfying though, to make your own 126 loads and shoot with the old cameras. I also have to do my own c-41 because getting these things economically developed and making sure the vendor returns the pieces is nigh impossible.

Yeah, I'm going to look for a rectangular punch at the art store, a little hand held model. Then I figure I'll tape the film to the backing paper and use the notches in the backing paper as a guide; those notches are too wide so I just have to see, does the film hole go in the left or right edge of the slot or the middle or is it that critical? I think as long as the spacing is right it should be fine. Will be a fun experiment anyways, much nice than chopping the 'finger' off the camera's advance mechanism.

hpulley said:

Yeah, I'm going to look for a rectangular punch at the art store, a little hand held model.

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It doesn't have to be square. I use a 1/8" round punch and it works fine. I had to put a cardboard 'stopper' in the jaws of the punch to keep it from going too deep into the frame.

I make the roll first by taping that leading edge to the paper and rolling it up onto the spool. I have put a thin slice of tape at the tail so I know where to snip off the film. Then loosely roll it back up to the non-spool side and go through it a second time to make the punches (feeling the paper slits for a guide).

Then for the final time, I roll it up to the non-spool side and place it into the cartridge. If you have a 24 exposure roll you have to roll it up very tight to fit. A 20 exposure roll is a bit easier and a 12 exposure roll is real easy.

Once it's all together, I tape up the edges of the cartridge and can take it out of the bag.

Before putting it into the camera, I sometimes have to roll the film forward a bit by hand if the whole thing is too tight. Once I reach position 1 in the camera I've never had anymore trouble getting it to advance.

Also... I found that I need to advance the film softly and slowly. If I go too fast or rough, it can pass right by the sprocket hole and waste a frame.

I have been tempted to grind off the sprocket finger and use a length of fishing line to trip the lever. That way I could eliminate the need to punch holes.

love reading this thread...this topic fascinates me.... wonder if I can play with a hawkeye we have that was hubby's mom's...that aqua one that was a "giveaway" not sold in stores, the Kodak Instamatic F...it has been sitting here tempting me.

You can buy expired stuff on eBay or Solaris 200 (well, also expired) from frugalphotographer though it costs $12/roll there, hence why I'm buying expired unperforated rolls to hand load cheaply, $24 gets me 100' or around 35 rolls worth of film since the 24 rolls of 126 are quite short.

An Instamatic X-15F was one of the main cameras I used for years. I hadn't touched it in 25 years probably when I started using it again last year, quite nostalgic and I still like the pictures it takes.

So my 100' roll of June 2010 expired Kodak Gen 2 (supposedly Pro version of Portra 160NC) arrived today. I loaded a roll in a used Solaris cartridge in the dark bag, got fed up with trying to punch holes so I just black electrical taped the cartridge together and tried it. It wouldn't advance with the finger on my junker Instamatic 500 so I snipped the finger off. Two advance/firings is slightly farther than needed but one gives overlapped frames. Still it is fairly easy to do the two firings. I could go less than two full advances but there doesn't seem to be much point when I have 100' to use up (and there are lots more 100' rolls where this came from). I shot with a flash f/5.6 1/60th and already souped it in my old 1L Tetenal kit, drying now...

I'm pleased as the "Kodak Gen 2" markings are only on one edge! I swear this film is meant for 126. Taping from the end of the roll puts the markings on the unused portion of the frame so I get a full 28x28mm frame picture. Great stuff!

I'll be able to load the unperforated B&W when it arrives from Europe too, which should be fun indeed. I haven't had B&W film for this camera since the early '80s.

Okay guys, for you aficionados, here's a cherry 126 SLR, yes SLR with removable lenses Ricoh 126c TLR. Local to me. I thought about buying it but it really deserves to be in the hands of someone who will shoot it. http://slo.craigslist.org/pho/2212623439.html Dirt cheap too! Only $20. I bet if you email them straight away and promise fast payment they might ship it. Just guessing though.

Kodak Gen 2:

Kodak Gen 2 Unperforated 35mm film by Harry Pulley, on Flickr

100' bulk reel, only markings on one edge, unperforated, perfect for 126 reloads! Developed with Tetenal Press Kit 1L, already over capacity but still working well.

The Kodak Instamatic 500 gives 32x30mm images on this film, actually more area than 135 format (36x24mm). With the Schneider Kruzenach Xenar 38mm f/2.8 lens (made in Germany) the pictures are quite good.

For the available light shots here I should have used f/2.8 but the bright window fooled me and the old Gossen Selenium light meter (and the film cartridge originally had 200 speed film in it so the body is metering 1/3 stop under, and the film is a bit expired). As you can can see in the third shot with flash the exposure is fine. The darker shots actually scan OK but look a bit too thin for traditional printing.

I snipped the sprocket hole sensing 'finger' off since punching holes was near impossible. This means I need to take two shots per shot as one crank of the winder lever doesn't go far enough. I hold the camera against my sleeve for the extra shots. As you can see this seems to be a bit prone to light leaks however... if I had a proper lens cap it would work but it is a 32mm size, difficult to find today and since it is not an SLR I'd be worried about forgetting to take the cap off afterward.

Is a bit odd that it says "K'ODAK" though, makes me wonder if it is Kodak film at all but I don't really care, it works and the price was right!

hpulley said:

Is a bit odd that it says "K'ODAK" though, makes me wonder if it is Kodak film at all but I don't really care, it works and the price was right!

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There is a fair bit of internet discussion about the various ways "KODAK" is edge printed on film, including some here on APUG. IIRC, some think it may indicate which factory was used to produce or package the film (from the days when there were a lot of choices).

Very interesting! I didn't know that. Anyone know which plant this was?

And why the name Gen 2 rather than Portra 160NC? Since Portra is already the Pro name it is odd that this is apparently some other pro line of it.

Hi, gang!

I'm new here, and this is the thread that sucked me in. Can I live on your tiny island, too?

I also have been playing with old 126 technology lately. Starting with the $3 Kodaks from the thrift store, but now including a Minolta Autopak, a Kodak 500 and a Kodak instamatic Reflex with wide, normal and tele lenses. I sprung a few months ago for a sealed brick of Konica SR 200 126 film (dated 1994!) on eBay with an eye toward reloading them with Tri-x or something. I have shot 5 rolls of it so far. One was too thin after processing to be of much use, but the other 4 have been surprisingly good. MASSIVE color shift, obviously, but the techs at my local Sam's Club are wonderful, and corrected it in the printing and scanning process.

One of the reasons I joined the forum was so I could share this tidbit of info: Sam's Club (and therefore, I assume, any other one-hour machine) can do 126 film (C41) with no trouble. It feeds right into the 35mm machine and even gets detected by the machine as 126! Not to discourage you from processing yourself at home, but this is much easier, and pretty cheap besides. The only downside is that the film scanner doesn't have a carrier for 126 negatives, so they run it through the 35mm carrier, which obviously chops off some of the image in the scans and prints, but I can always rescan at home if I ever get a shot important enough to merit that extra step.

The only thing I do that might be a bit of work for a newbie is to take the film out of the cartridge at home in my darkroom, and roll it into a re-useable 35mm cannister. It's easier for the ladies at Sam's to deal with, and it keeps my precious cartridges safely in my possession!

I have put one roll of Tri-X through my 500. There was some overlap, but it encouraged me to keep experimenting. here is a shot of my daughter from that roll:

Prudence by the Window

I have since acquired the 100' roll of Portra 160 you guys have mentioned upthread, and have tried the hand-punch using the backing paper as a guide method for one roll. Out of a 24 exposure roll, there were maybe 6 pictures that worked. My Instamatic Reflex was not as forgiving as the 500 regarding the perforations! A few places it wound blissfully past 5 or 6 frames before stopping. I didn't mind, though. I just wanted to see how much better fresh film would look, and if the 160 film in a 200 cartridge would be a major issue. The few frames I got tell me that it should work fine, if I can conquer the perfing issue.

I am grateful to Bill and Harry for the ideas of the cardborad stopper in the hand punch, and the yardstick ideas. Since I have a darkroom at home, I am anxious to try the yardstick idea. It occurs to me that the way to go may be two yardstick. See what you think:

Take two yardsticks with felt on one side, the entire length of the stick. Lay them together with the felt sides touching. Take that first roll of Konica film that failed (but hasn't been cut yet!) as a template and drill 24 holes through the yardsticks. Then, in the dark, put a strip of the imperf Portra between the yardsticks. Using an appropriate sized hole punch from Sears, work your way down the yardsticks, punching your holes the length of the film. Then attach it to the backing paper, roll it into the cartridge, and away you go!

I think it'll work. I can't wait to get home and try it! I'll let you know my results....

I haven't been successful with making my own perforations yet. My 500 is a beater so I cut off the finger. Now I can wind it 2 times per shot for sure single shots or if I want to chance it, 1.5 windings to get more shots per roll. This works perfectly for the roll of 100' Portra and the Rollei Retro 400S (both unperforated) so I have both C41 and B&W to bulk load. I develop both in my basement.

I'm also buying old Verichrome Pan which works great too and then I have more backing paper to use which seems like the most vulnerable part, the cartridge and spool are tough but the backing paper starts to get crinkled after a while and I suspect it is only a matter of time until it rips. I still have several backups to use, then I'll have to buy more expired film for the paper if nothing else!

Your yardstick idea sounds interesting. I'm doing my loading in a changing bag so far which is probably why the punching hasn't worked out, just too cramped.

hpulley said:

I haven't been successful with making my own perforations yet. My 500 is a beater so I cut off the finger. Now I can wind it 2 times per shot for sure single shots or if I want to chance it, 1.5 windings to get more shots per roll. This works perfectly for the roll of 100' Portra and the Rollei Retro 400S (both unperforated) so I have both C41 and B&W to bulk load. I develop both in my basement.

I'm also buying old Verichrome Pan which works great too and then I have more backing paper to use which seems like the most vulnerable part, the cartridge and spool are tough but the backing paper starts to get crinkled after a while and I suspect it is only a matter of time until it rips. I still have several backups to use, then I'll have to buy more expired film for the paper if nothing else!

Your yardstick idea sounds interesting. I'm doing my loading in a changing bag so far which is probably why the punching hasn't worked out, just too cramped.

Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty much what Harry said...

wblynch said:

I thought of using a section of backing paper behind the film but wondered if it would scratch the film during transport? I guess it will be easy enough to try it and see...

I want to try cutting the ends off a 126 cartridge, feeding the film through the center section with 35mm cans as feeder and take up reels. Thinking that the focal plane will be more stable. I don't know if there's room on the feeder side for a 35mm canister. Will try tonight.

My newly arrived Kodak 104 Instamatic does not accept the trick of holding down the shutter while advancing the film. I think perforated 35mm film is out for that particular camera. Non-perf wouldn't work either because something will have to trigger the shutter lock.

Click to expand...

did you try this yet?

wblynch said:

One thing I did yesterday was tape over 2/3 of the paper slot on my 126 backing paper. Then I taped 35mm Plus-X film to the paper and rerolled it into the cartridge. My theory was that only 1 or 2 sprocket holes would be open to catch the pin.

I put this cartridge in an old Instamatic 104 (very simple-minded camera) and so far it seems to work. I will use it this week and see what happens.

On another track....

I have a thought about a fun way to make 126 film. Using a bulk spool of unperforated 35mm film, create a roller device with a measured punch that will place a sprocket hole at the appropriate position. Roll the film through, punching holes and then load segments into 126 cartridges or modified 35mm spools.

Probably way more hassle than it's worth though, given the toy camera nature of Instamatics.

Click to expand...

did you try this yet? I have thought of this as well.

wblynch said:

It doesn't have to be square. I use a 1/8" round punch and it works fine. I had to put a cardboard 'stopper' in the jaws of the punch to keep it from going too deep into the frame.

I make the roll first by taping that leading edge to the paper and rolling it up onto the spool. I have put a thin slice of tape at the tail so I know where to snip off the film. Then loosely roll it back up to the non-spool side and go through it a second time to make the punches (feeling the paper slits for a guide).

Then for the final time, I roll it up to the non-spool side and place it into the cartridge. If you have a 24 exposure roll you have to roll it up very tight to fit. A 20 exposure roll is a bit easier and a 12 exposure roll is real easy.

Once it's all together, I tape up the edges of the cartridge and can take it out of the bag.

Before putting it into the camera, I sometimes have to roll the film forward a bit by hand if the whole thing is too tight. Once I reach position 1 in the camera I've never had anymore trouble getting it to advance.

Also... I found that I need to advance the film softly and slowly. If I go too fast or rough, it can pass right by the sprocket hole and waste a frame.

I have been tempted to grind off the sprocket finger and use a length of fishing line to trip the lever. That way I could eliminate the need to punch holes.

Click to expand...

could you grind the finger off and then just advance until you see the frame number in the window?

I haven't played with the 126 for awhile. But I just rerolling the backing paper with non-perforated 35mm film and punch locating holes by feel against the original backing paper inside the dark bag.

I got a50ft roll of ILFORD Hp5 a little while back I still haven't tried yet. Time to break it out.

wblynch said:

I haven't played with the 126 for awhile. But I just rerolling the backing paper with non-perforated 35mm film and punch locating holes by feel against the original backing paper inside the dark bag.

I got a50ft roll of ILFORD Hp5 a little while back I still haven't tried yet. Time to break it out.

Click to expand...

Im looking forward to your report. I have an Instamatic 500 I would like to try out. Are there any issues with film flatness? I thought the ruler idea was a good one.

Instamatic 500 is a good one. Whatever film method you choose, you will have fun using it.

One thing I'll mention is the Film Ferrania guys confirmed that the equipment to make 126 was included in their factory acquisition so maybe one day it will be available again