Miserly Film Cameras

[MattKing]

And less than half the resolution.

Actually, if you print to an 8x10 aspect ratio, or even better a 5x7 aspect ratio, you may end up with slightly more than half the resolution.
I'm quite enamored of a 4/3 aspect ratio film - such as 6x4.5.

 

[albada]

Regarding reducing space between frames, the Leidolf Lordomat camera has about 1mm less inter-frame gap, giving you that extra frame.

1) To avoid pulling out more film, I always tape the end of the leader to the spool.
2) For wide cameras, I have taped on a leader-extension to avoid pulling out more film.
3) I also pre-advance the camera by 1/2 frame, put in the film, advance the remaining 1/2 frame, and then start shooting.

40 frames per roll is easy when doing all three of these tricks.

Mark Overton

 

[Theo Sulphate]

How many of you though really want 36 frames? How many have rewound the film early just to finish the roll and get it processed? Ok, I have never done that and as a result the film sits in the camera longer than I like.

For me, on most walking-around occasions, the ideal number of frames is about 8. Probably why I like the GW690III 6x9. Although once in a while I may need 20 or more frames for some event.

 

[blockend]

For me, on most walking-around occasions, the ideal number of frames is about 8.

No film is the correct length. There are always too few or too many shots on a roll. For a large format shooter a couple of dark slides may be plenty. On 35mm it's hard to find time to change films if things are happening. Filling a cassette from zero to zero on my bulk load counter, plus the extra frames from the XA3, gives me 42 shots. This fills a 35mm glassine negative sheet perfectly.

You wouldn't approve of my Panasonic. Shoots 4k (8mp stills) bursts as long keep your finger on the button. Perfect for deferred decisive moments

 

[Arbitrarium]

I used to get 40 shots out of my Minox 35 ML. 38-39 in my XA2.

As for half frames, the Ricoh Auto half or Golden Half are probably the stumpiest in terms of canister to take-up distance. Used to use an Auto Half but can't recall how many shots I could get out of it.

 

[AgX]

How many of you though really want 36 frames? How many have rewound the film early just to finish the roll and get it processed? Ok, I have never done that and as a result the film sits in the camera longer than I like.

The 35mm Rapid format (60s) only has 12 exposures.
The shortest type 135 cassette (90s) got 10 esposures.

A scrooge's nightmare...

 

[lantau]

I wonder if by design, there could be a camera can squeeze out an extra exposure by reducing the space between the frames?

I recently bought a Contax II and noticed, after pulling through the first roll, that the spacing is really tight. At 36 frames and perhaps one mm saved on each this may indeed save a frame...

Zeiss and others used to sell daylight loading open spool film for 35mm cameras, it had long paper leaders at each end which when wrapped over the film were light-tight. There's no reason why that cannot be done today except that most film counters are not user resettable, loading the film in the camera required advancing to frame #9 IIRC, then resetting the counter to #1. If you wanted to use short rolls, which in casettes usually involve a greater percentage of waste, this might be the way to do it without waste.

I browsed through a pdf manual of my Contax II to check if I need to beware of something when loading and I noticed them talking about paper leaders and daylight rolls. But only after reading this did I realise that they were talking about open spools. Very fascinating! But it makes sense, after all these modern miniature film cameras used film made for cine cameras. They probably used daylight spool back then already? Why not transfer the principle to the still camera.

To stay on topic: One can feed the film onto the take-up spool outside the camera, pulling out of the cassette no or almost no film. Then I could go into a darkroom to finish loading the camera without exposing film as it is pulled out of the cassette. That should allow for good frames to start right after the leader that sticks out as you get the film from the factory.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I recently bought a Contax II and noticed, after pulling through the first roll, that the spacing is really tight. At 36 frames and perhaps one mm saved on each this may indeed save a frame...



I browsed through a pdf manual of my Contax II to check if I need to beware of something when loading and I noticed them talking about paper leaders and daylight rolls. But only after reading this did I realise that they were talking about open spools. Very fascinating! But it makes sense, after all these modern miniature film cameras used film made for cine cameras. They probably used daylight spool back then already? Why not transfer the principle to the still camera.

To stay on topic: One can feed the film onto the take-up spool outside the camera, pulling out of the cassette no or almost no film. Then I could go into a darkroom to finish loading the camera without exposing film as it is pulled out of the cassette. That should allow for good frames to start right after the leader that sticks out as you get the film from the factory.

Actually Kodak casettes do not fit properly in the prewar Contax,they ride up on the left hand roller. I get around this by trimming the protruding felt off the casette. Barbarians do it by removing the roller. On the inside of the back of your Contax you probably have marks or paint loss where the casette rubs as you install/remove the back. I forgot to mention that the daylight spools will work only with cameras having removeable takeup spools. The frame spacing on my C II is very tight, about 1.25mm; almost too tight. If you want to do the daylight spool, Kiev takeup spools will work, as will Kiev casettes.

 

[lantau]

Actually Kodak casettes do not fit properly in the prewar Contax,they ride up on the left hand roller. I get around this by trimming the protruding felt off the casette. Barbarians do it by removing the roller. On the inside of the back of your Contax you probably have marks or paint loss where the casette rubs as you install/remove the back. I forgot to mention that the daylight spools will work only with cameras having removeable takeup spools. The frame spacing on my C II is very tight, about 1.25mm; almost too tight. If you want to do the daylight spool, Kiev takeup spools will work, as will Kiev casettes.

The take-up spool in mine is probably a Kiev one. According to the English language manual, which I downloaded, the plastic spool has a tooth that will hold the film. Mine has a slit, only.

I already noticed, that the frames are pushed into the perforation very slightly. When I looked at how a 135 cassette fits I thought that the centering is different, compared to the take-up spool. When the current film is full I will have to have a look what the deal with the 'protrudign felt' is.

All I could find online were contax reloadable cassettes. At €18 a piece they are not compatible with the topic of being a miser! And only those open daylight spools with their paper leaders allow any lenght of film to be used fully. At least theoretically...

 

[E. von Hoegh]

The Kiev spools are marked so in Cyrillic, mine are metal.
And I also forgot about the vertical positioning, shim about 1mm cut from plastic or rubber sheet will fix that, I put one in each of my Kievs and the Contax, then never thought of it again.

 

[Sirius Glass]

How many of you though really want 36 frames? How many have rewound the film early just to finish the roll and get it processed? Ok, I have never done that and as a result the film sits in the camera longer than I like.

For me, on most walking-around occasions, the ideal number of frames is about 8. Probably why I like the GW690III 6x9. Although once in a while I may need 20 or more frames for some event.

When I shoot 35mm I want 36 exposure and if I can get one or two more that is good. That means that the film may sit in the camera a long time. That is not the end of the world.

 

[Cholentpot]

When I shoot 35mm I want 36 exposure and if I can get one or two more that is good. That means that the film may sit in the camera a long time. That is not the end of the world.

How long?

I have rolls that sit in camera for a year. Hanukkah on both ends with summer vacation in the middle.

My AE-1 has a roll that was loaded up back in the middle of December and I'm up to the last two frames. My half-frame takes a year or more to get through. I freeze my C-41 until I have about 20 rolls and then get a kit and develop them all in a week or so. Chemistry can handle about 16 rolls until it starts going off. Roll 16-20 are trash film that I don't care too much about.

Saddest day was when Shanghai GP3 left us, sadder was when it came back at a much higher price point.

 

[alanrockwood]

Rollei 35

Kodak Signet 35

Both are miserly on film due to short film path.

 

[OlyMan]

Olympus 35RC must surely be on the list. But it doesn't matter for me anyway because the only D&P outlet near my home f'ks up the first foot of every roll in any case, no matter how many frames I manage to squeeze onto it.

 

[AgX]

But only after reading this did I realise that they were talking about open spools. Very fascinating! But it makes sense, after all these modern miniature film cameras used film made for cine cameras. They probably used daylight spool back then already?

The "daylight-spool" for the Contax, was basically type 220 in 35mm and perforated.

(And on 35mm base and with type135-like spindle).

 

[John51]

On the developing side, the old Paterson Major II only needs 300 ml of chems to process a 120 film. Downside is 35mm has a max of 20 exposures.

 

[CMoore]

If i understand the OP correctly.......my Olympus OM1n consistently shoots frame #0 and half of Frame #37...for every single roll of film.

 

[David Lyga]

This is why I do not like the auto-everythings: especially the ones that 'advance to the first frame, automatically'. I like traditional film advance and I do this (because I am so frugal): I full light I place a 2 inch piece of tape around the take-up spool as I advance to the first frame, leaving about half an inch protruding. Then, in the dark, (having already cut off the leader) I place the cassette into place and extend the film up to the sprocket engagement. Engaged, I hold the lower sprocket in place, lift the upper sprocket hole and slide the tape underneath the film, press down securely, then, making certain that all is in place, close the camera back.

This does two things: First, it allows for any number of frames to be taken, up to the limit, without wastage. Thus, a 36-exp roll becomes a 'bulk roll'. Second, each loading 'wastes' only one frame of film. Crazy? Many will think so but I care more about avoiding waste than courting 'likes'. - David Lyga

 

[David Lyga]

On the developing side, the old Paterson Major II only needs 300 ml of chems to process a 120 film. Downside is 35mm has a max of 20 exposures.

It would be awfully nice if a variety of tank and reel sizes were offered corresponding to different film lengths. How many times I cut film after, say, eight exposures and have to use a full reel! And, if PET plastic bottles offer absolutely NO DRIP, then why cannot tanks, which cost considerably more, do the same? DRIP, DRIP, DRIP. - David Lyga

 

[Gerald C Koch]

To all the Ebaneezer's in APUG land who try to eke out that extra frame. When the film tears or comes loose from the spool or that camera jams then cry that there is something wrong with the camera I hope you enjoy your just deserts. There is a difference between being frugal and just being a cheap skate.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

To all the Ebaneezer's in APUG land who try to eke out that extra frame. When the film tears or comes loose from the spool or that camera jams then cry that there is something wrong with the camera I hope you enjoy your just deserts. There is a difference between being frugal and just being a cheap skate.

One thing I discovered with Contax and Kiev, they will shred film at the slightest provocation, it pays to pay attention to the film counter.
As for the ideal length of rollfilm, sheet film is always the ideal length

 

[Bud Hamblen]

The Bolsey 35mm still cameras, being small, were advertised as being miserly with film. They claimed as many as 4 extra frames on a roll of film. Supposedly these cameras were popular with ladies. They are cute, but a little awkward.

 

[Sirius Glass]

To all the Ebaneezer's in APUG land who try to eke out that extra frame. When the film tears or comes loose from the spool or that camera jams then cry that there is something wrong with the camera I hope you enjoy your just deserts. There is a difference between being frugal and just being a cheap skate.

I hate to break it to you, but when I have squeezed out extra frames I have not had those problem. I did have some bulk film tear loose with normal usage until I ran the tape around the spool to the other side of the film. I would also rather be served just desserts; deserts are good for Joshua trees and other cacti.

 

[alanrockwood]

There is a difference between being frugal and just being a cheap skate.

Cheap skates of the world unite!! Onward and upward to the glorious goal of ultimate cheapness!

 

[Cholentpot]

To all the Ebaneezer's in APUG land who try to eke out that extra frame. When the film tears or comes loose from the spool or that camera jams then cry that there is something wrong with the camera I hope you enjoy your just deserts. There is a difference between being frugal and just being a cheap skate.

Cheap skates of the world unite!! Onward and upward to the glorious goal of ultimate cheapness!

It's a badge of pride!