Nikon F100 and Popho Camera Co Luminar 100

Jeremy Mudd · Jan 25, 2023

My Nikon F100 doesn't like the re-usable plastic film cassettes that Popho packages their Luminar 100 (Kodak Aerocolor IV) in. I've shot 2 rolls of it in the past two weeks and both rolls stopped early several times.

The first roll said it was done after shot 8. I rewound it in-camera, put it back in, shot 9 shots with the cap on to get past the last shot, then shot the rest of the roll just fine. Then the second roll stopped at 12, same process again. Then it stopped at 27. Same process again to finish it.

I've shot a roll of Portra 400 since with no issues.

These cassettes look different than others I've used, the cassette looks like it snaps together in the middle rather than the end(s) screwing on. I couldn't find an image of the Popho but its the same one that Flic uses for their spooled Aerocolor IV. I have some of those also but haven't shot with them yet.

Are the plastic re-usable casseetes that snap together inherently tighter or have more pressure on the spool? I've never had my F100 act that way before, but I've never (that I can recall) used those type of cassettes before.

Fresh batteries so that wasn't an issue.

Thoughts? Is the F100 just too sensitive?

Jeremy

Huss · Jan 25, 2023

I have had other respooled film - from Photowarehouse Ultrafineonline - that was wound so tightly it made it hard to advance in an auto wind camera. I had it in my Rollei QZ and was actually worried it would damage it, so I returned the rest for a refund.

I've shot one roll of the Luminar in my Leica M and it felt fine.

I don't think your F100 is too sensitive, I think the roll you used was just wound too tight. The F100 uses tension to determine if you have reached the end of the film so it does not rip it or damage the camera. If this is the first time you have experienced this, it is the film.

Jeremy Mudd · Jan 25, 2023

I think I'll put a roll of it thru an F80 and see how picky it is with the film that may be too tight. Hopefully its just fine, as I really like the film.

Thanks!

Jeremy

MultiFormat Shooter · Mar 12, 2023

Jeremy Mudd said:
I think I'll put a roll of it thru an F80 and see how picky it is with the film that may be too tight. Hopefully its just fine, as I really like the film.

Thanks!

Jeremy

How'd it do, in the F80? Have you tried a film from a different batch, in the F100?

pentaxuser · Mar 12, 2023

MultiFormat Shooter said:
How'd it do, in the F80? Have you tried a film from a different batch, in the F100?

+1 Your reply will be of value to others who want to use this film with an F100 especially and possibly other auto-wind cameras as well

pentaxuser

Jeremy Mudd · Mar 12, 2023

pentaxuser said:
+1 Your reply will be of value to others who want to use this film with an F100 especially and possibly other auto-wind cameras as well

pentaxuser

Thanks. I didn't understand how forums or communities worked, so that explanation helped a lot.

MultiFormat Shooter said:
How'd it do, in the F80? Have you tried a film from a different batch, in the F100?

Sorry for the delay, I did shoot a roll of it last weekend in an F5. I had the same problem. Haven't tried it yet in one of my F80's. Hope to get to that soon and report back. I suspect it may be the same issue. I also shot a roll of it in a Nikkormat FTN with no issues, but of course that's a manual wind so I didn't expect any issues.

Jeremy

pentaxuser · Mar 12, 2023

Thanks Jeremy Wow if the battery power of an F5 isn't good enough to pull forward the film then I doubt if any auto-wind camera can manage it

It sounds as if the film in the way it is wound or the cassette that holds it needs a manual wind lever

pentaxuser

ic-racer · Mar 12, 2023

I wonder if those plastic cassettes are tighter than metal ones. Does the spindle spin freely? Is the felt too tight? Maybe re-spool it to a different cassette.

MultiFormat Shooter · Mar 12, 2023

Jeremy Mudd said:
Sorry for the delay, I did shoot a roll of it last weekend in an F5. I had the same problem. Haven't tried it yet in one of my F80's. Hope to get to that soon and report back. I suspect it may be the same issue. I also shot a roll of it in a Nikkormat FTN with no issues, but of course that's a manual wind so I didn't expect any issues.

Jeremy

Thanks, I have a roll that I was going to use in an F6 with the MB-40 grip. However, based on your experience with the F5, I think I'll borrow my Dad's Nikkormat, and use it in that.

Huss · Mar 12, 2023

Hmm, I haven’t tried this film in my N80 or any other auto wind camera, so far just used it in Ms. Felt totally normal in advancing the film. Strange.

Moose22 · Mar 12, 2023

I haven't tried this film.

I did run a roll of the new Orwo film, which is in one of these snap together plastic cassettes, through the N80. It's a tight fit, the plastic snap together is bigger than metal cans, but it ran 37 shots without rewinding.

It might be how THIS film is spooled. Or the aerocolor has a thicker film base and so is tighter in the cassette. Interested to see if OP has problems in the F80, too.

reddesert · Mar 12, 2023

Maybe the cassette dimensions are different or the spool is a little longer, and in some cameras, the spool is binding.

Huss · Mar 13, 2023

Interesting. I have had no indications of issues w this film in my manual wind cameras. But now am a little gun shy about using it in an N80 etc!

Huss · Apr 17, 2023

I forgot about this thread and shot a roll through my F6. As the film advanced after each shot, there was a high pitched sound that is not there with other films I have used. No issues advancing the film though, and shot it until the end off the roll.

Using the camera's powered rewind - which I have set a custom mode on mine so I need to activate it manually (because often I like to rewind with the crank like on older cameras to save the batteries) - I needed three attempts to complete the powered rewind. It stopped twice before the rewind was completed. So yes, I think there is a lot of friction in these film cassettes.
Going forward I will only use this film in manual advance/rewind cameras.

rickylc · Apr 17, 2023

I ran 3 rolls of Luminar 100 from Popho through 2 N80's this weekend, no problems.

That's 3 total, two through one and then one through another N80.

So not a large sample size.

The film was recently purchased direct from Popho. Delivered last Friday.

AnselMortensen · Apr 17, 2023

I have run 2 rolls of Popho through my N90s with no problems.
I love that film, BTW...Snappy contrast & saturation!

Huss · Apr 18, 2023

AnselMortensen said:
I have run 2 rolls of Popho through my N90s with no problems.
I love that film, BTW...Snappy contrast & saturation!

Nice! Mine was bought over a month ago so maybe some were spooled tighter.
Either way it’s not going to stop me using this film, love it.

neilt3 · Apr 18, 2023

Huss said:
Nice! Mine was bought over a month ago so maybe some were spooled tighter.
Either way it’s not going to stop me using this film, love it.

Just a thought.
Before you load the next roll , if you were to turn the spindle in the cassette to loosen the film up inside , would that help ?
Or is it the light trap on the cassette that's too tight ?

Jeremy Mudd · Apr 20, 2023

Thanks for the update! I haven't shot any more of this since my last post. For some reason I've been shooting more medium format lately. Hope to get out some in the next week or two to shoot some more of it.

Jeremy

Huss · Apr 20, 2023

neilt3 said:
Just a thought.
Before you load the next roll , if you were to turn the spindle in the cassette to loosen the film up inside , would that help ?
Or is it the light trap on the cassette that's too tight ?

It's an idea, I hope I remember it!

Nikon F100 and Popho Camera Co Luminar 100

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