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Kodak Ektar 120 Exp. 09/2026 Estar Base CURLS MISERABLY

Does curl of 120 film bother you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 35.3%

  • No

    Votes: 5 29.4%

  • Of course that's a silly question

    Votes: 6 35.3%
  • Total voters
    17

mshchem

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I've been developing film for over 50 years. I've never seen Kodak film curl like this. Reminds me of some old Ansco negatives of my Dad's. Apparently robot printing machines have no trouble digesting this stuff, and I'm sure when I slap these in a negative carrier I can get by. I processed myself and these hung to dry no heat.

Kodak must have received permission to relax the standards for curl. I'm sure it's all part of getting away from acetate base.

Trying to make contact sheets will require leaving in a Print File. Annoying as hell and impossible to load into my silly Canon scanner holder. I ended up taping the negative to the scanner glass.
 
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mshchem

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I am not giving up on EK. I have some Ektar in the fridge I'm going to be shooting up. It appears to me that everything has shifted to Estar, not sure what to think. I'm going to try and remember to drop a note to Kodak. Probably not normal. I like to make the occasional proof sheet, Print Files work well but still not as nicely as direct contact. Trying to cope with the curl in TD would seem impossible.
 

gbroadbridge

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I've shot a lot of Kodak 120 (at least 20 rolls in the last month) home processed and no curl.
Flat as a pancake. Humidity problem? I do dry in a heated tube.

 
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DREW WILEY

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I shoot a fair amount of Ektar 120 (including fresh stock) and haven't noticed anything of the kind. Stubborn curl is generally related to low humidity during storage or travel, regardless of the film type.

You can always roll it up into a reverse curve for a week or so, than press it flat under a weight prior to scanning or enlarging. I use glass carriers in my enlarger - tight glass sandwich both sides. I have more problems combing my hair flat.
 
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mshchem

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Like I've said, I've been developing film for decades and even though the curl is manageable it's still annoying. This is the latest stuff from B&H, FedEx to my door a couple weeks back, never been refrigerated, I opened the package, loaded up my Fuji 6x9 shot it, developed a couple days later.
The polyester film is super easy to load onto Jobo reels. I noticed the feel.
I'm chalking this up to either an outlier, or just a change.

It's not a big deal, unless you are trying to make contact prints in the dark or load a flimsy scanner carrier. I dug out at least 40 rolls of Ektar out of my dedicated film fridge, going to be shooting some more.

If using a proper negative carrier for an enlarger this would not be a factor.
 

F4U

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Does anybody remember the 35mm HIE? Talk about curly... I doubt anything could be as curly as that. And NOTHING could be done to tame it.
 
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mshchem

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F4U said:
Does anybody remember the 35mm HIE? Talk about curly... I doubt anything could be as curly as that. And NOTHING could be done to tame it.
Click to expand...

Polyester base. Not sure if that's got anything to do with the curling. All the critical info on the planet is stored on PET base film, stored in some sort of secret subterranean salt mine.
 

F4U

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I found an instruction sheet on it. The called it an Estar AH base, whatever that is. But I do remember it having a different feel about it.. It was clear and had no anti-light piping dye in it.,like regular Kodak film. Seems like it might have been a bit thinner too, but I can't be sure of that. Not sure if it pertains to the OP's question, other than he said 120 film, which is thinner than 35mm, as far as I ever knew. All film is made in rolls. The people whose film came from the outer layers of the master roll naturally go flatter film than the ones who got the inner layers. Maybe he was just unlucky and got a roll cut from the first layer.
 

DREW WILEY

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Yes, they switched over to polyester base rather than acetate. PET (Estar) base is more dimensionally stable; and they make it themselves. Those master rolls have pretty big core diameters. But the change per se would not likely have anything to do with the alleged issue. And since all the cut lengths are spooled in the same manner afterwards, that would pretty much determine any set curl in the film rather than the master roll. But one could always ask Kodak. "AH" refers to anti-halation, which does prevent light piping.
 
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mshchem

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I remember the mid-1970's Kodak Infrared films that warned on the box to only load and unload the camera in a darkroom to prevent light piping. I really didn't quite understand why at the time, but it impressed me, must be some serious sh*t!
 

F4U

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mshchem said:
I remember the mid-1970's Kodak Infrared films that warned on the box to only load and unload the camera in a darkroom to prevent light piping. I really didn't quite understand why at the time, but it impressed me, must be some serious sh*t!
Click to expand...

Yes it was some serious stuff. Kodak had it going on, for sure. What we have now called infrared film can't touch what Kodak had 70 years ago, or even get close.
 

DREW WILEY

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Konica 750 could be loaded in the field, which was nice. And a 29 red filter was adequate for an infrared effect. No sheets available.

A late great roll film which one really had to be careful to unwrap and load in the shade was Efke R25. It could easily edge fog.
 

LomoSnap

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I think PET bases their shape better at higher temperatures. I hang them in a drying cabinet at 60°C for 10-15 minutes with heavy clips in film end.
The amount of curling after drying doesn't bother me.
 
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mshchem

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LomoSnap said:
I think PET bases their shape better at higher temperatures. I hang them in a drying cabinet at 60°C for 10-15 minutes with heavy clips in film end.
The amount of curling after drying doesn't bother me.
Click to expand...

I've only noticed the curl on this one date code. No other Kodak (or Harman) films have curled like these.

Maybe time to nip this in the bud. The PET base is not the issue.
 

F4U

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Bad curling just happens from time to time. Part of this craft.
 

blee1996

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I had a bad curl with fresh Kodak Gold 200 film a couple of day ago, which is unusual for fresh Kodak film. I bought them overseas this summer and the expiration date is 2027/06. I have not changed my processing chemicals or process, but that day was very hot. I will keep monitoring the issue, and report back if the bad curling happens again with fresh Kodak film.
 
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mshchem

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I have some older Ektar I've been meaning to try and compare. It's not a problem with my Beseler negative carriers. It's when I try to use the dopey carriers for my scanners that I have issues. The scanner carriers are a pain.
 

roundcloud

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I develop 10 to 15 rolls of film every day. This type of film base has been in use since the beginning of this year, and it’s the same every single day. The feel of this film base is quite poor and not user-friendly at all. It generates a lot of static electricity, attracts more dust than before, and is very unpleasant to work with. However, Kodak 5207 and similar films don’t use this kind of film base. Kodak is simply cutting costs without considering the user experience, as they now face no competition. Every change they make is driven by capital.

 

djdister

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When I dry film I always place weights on the bottom of the roll, and once dry I sleeve them and place some weight over the entire roll. Not so curly anymore...
 

Kino

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If you have curling issues on 35mm, try locating a 3 inch diameter movie film core (or simply a similar diameter tube) and counter-wind the dried film onto the core for a few days in a warm place.

"Core set", the tendency of Estar motion picture film to "set" to the diameter of the roll upon which it is wound when warm, is a real problem on small diameter film cores. Counter-winding and gentle warmth does help, just don't "cinch" the film and scratch it by pulling the loose end to make it tight. Wind it smoothly and with good pressure before taping down the end.

Since you will be winding "EO" (emulsion out), place a strip of something smooth over the band to tape-down the loose end.
 
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tcolgate

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I've found all the Kodak films curl annoyingly (I do add weight when I dry negs too). Fortunately, in the UK the prices make it relatively easy to just skip them (the B&W anyway, if I want colour I stick to Gold and grudgingly accept the curls).
 
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