why no film canisters?

DirkDynamo · Jun 9, 2006

why doesnt mf come in a canister like 35mm? it just seems so much more vulnerable. i dont think it would be that hard to design a system that uses it- so why didnt it get changed decades ago? i realize that there arent likely to be any changes or new products now that film is a niche market, but that doesnt explain why it wasnt changed when it was used by so many pros. is it just one of those things that make you a professional- the added care needed and the extra skill?

does anyone use some other kind of opaque canister for storing it until you get it developed? or do you just trust the tape to hold up in the fridge?

Paul Sorensen · Jun 9, 2006

I have never really had a problem with mine. No idea why MF doesn't seem to come in canisters. J&C does have some for sale for a very low price, however.

Tom Hoskinson · Jun 9, 2006

70mm film in metal cartridges. That's what my 70mm Hassleblad back uses. The film cartridges came packaged in metal canisters.

120 rollfilm and its paper backing is not very vulnerable and the tape holds up well. J&C Photo (APUG Sponsor) will sell you black plastic film canisters for 120 if you wish.

Dave Parker · Jun 9, 2006

I remember being able to purchase metal canisters for 120 and 220, but I don't ever remember them comming from the factories this way, over the years I have never had any problem with film being damaged because they didn't have canisters.

R.

Kevin Caulfield · Jun 9, 2006

Rollei 120 films come in a nice plastic screw top canister. One fellow APUGer I know uses M&M containers for his 120 film.

DirkDynamo · Jun 9, 2006

thanks for the j/c spotlight on those canisters- i got a bunch for next to nothing.

kraker · Jun 9, 2006

Kevin Caulfield said:
Rollei 120 films come in a nice plastic screw top canister.

Adox film also comes in canisters. I bought a few especially for that, then switched back to Ilford ;-)

(Honestly, I still have the Adox film and I will try it someday...)

Steve Roberts · Jun 9, 2006

In my youth, Kodak 35mm film always came in a nicely made metal canister with a screw-on lid that was domed to adopt the profile of the end of the cassette and had a rubber seal inside. It was also painted the corporate yellow and had the company name stamped on the side. Must have cost a fortune to produce by today's standards but with the high cost of film then (especially colour) they must have been worthwhile. I still use them to keep home-rolled film in forty years later. For "disposable" items, they are better than many supposedly re-usable items made today.

Steve

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 9, 2006

I usually just store the film in an opaque black plastic bag from a 100-sheet box of 5x7" paper until I'm ready to process it.

Lowe makes a nifty little pouch for exposed MF film called the Lowepro Film Drop AW. You drop the rolls in the top and open the zipper to remove them.

Fotohuis · Jun 9, 2006

Here is an example of the Rollei 120 canister. The Rollei R3 120 rollfilm is available in it.
http://vonkjes.nl/osCommerce/product_info.php?cPath=21_25_27&products_id=48

If you have some you can switch to the "standard" supply.

Best regards,

Robert

DBP · Jun 9, 2006

If seen a fair amount of prewar 120 film in canisters. Wonder if it went out because of rationing?

Gerald Koch · Jun 9, 2006

I too am puzzled by the lack of containers for 120. While the unused film is usually protected by an aluminized plastic bag there is nothing to protect it after exposure from light and moisture. Years ago 120 film came in some sort of a container. Most were plastic with a snap on cap. Agfa had nice aluminum cannisters which were reusable. I still have some hoarded to protect my film. I would guess it is the old problem of the bottom line.

Trask · Jun 9, 2006

Look at www.acratech.net -- if you can stomach paying over $13 for 120 film canisters machined from billet aluminum. But if you've sunk thousands in 120 gear, what difference the additional one-time cost for bullet-proof tubes to ensure your film makes it home safe. I wonder what the airline people would make of these....

ZorkiKat · Jun 9, 2006

The Fomapan 120 I used in the 1980s came in plastic bullet tubes. Also, I read that Perutz at a time came in aluminium tubes with screw on caps.

Jay

isaacc7 · Jun 9, 2006

I think the real question is why does 35mm come with cannisters at all? Not only is the film inside a metal can already, but 120 film has demonstrated that even if it weren't, there really isn't any reason to have it at all... Has anyone ever actually damaged a roll of medium format film before. Not only have I never had a roll damaged, but I've never heard of any being damaged either...

Isaac

Nick Zentena · Jun 9, 2006

Dead Link Removed

Come filled with edible packing material so the cannisters aren't damaged in shipping.

PhotoJim · Jun 9, 2006

In the 1980s, Ilford 35mm film did come in the thin plastic-aluminum plackaging like 120 does today. It was only a few years later that Ilford adopted the hard plastic canisters like Kodak had.

Gerald Koch · Jun 9, 2006

isaacc7 said:
I think the real question is why does 35mm come with cannisters at all?

The reason is that the velvet light trap is not always a 100% effective.

kraker · Jun 9, 2006

Sidestep to 35mm

(Why does 35 mm come in cannisters?)

Gerald Koch said:
The reason is that the velvet light trap is not always a 100% effective.

True. And that makes me wonder why some 35 mm films come in translucent cannisters. I really can't see the point of that...

pgomena · Jun 9, 2006

Frankly, I'm glad I can get 120 film at all, and if the manufacturers need to skimp on the packaging to make a profit, I'm all for it. I bought some of the J&C canisters, and I've seen my kids bring home the mini-M&Ms candy in a useable tube as well. They work just fine.

The only time I've damaged 120 film is when I made the mistake of putting it in my pocket with my keychain once while hiking. Nice impression marks on the first few frames.

Peter Gomena

Photo Engineer · Jun 9, 2006

Years ago, both Kodak and Ansco supplied 120 film in metal cannisters. Kodak went to a carboard tube while Ansco still used metal for color film.

PE

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 9, 2006

Those Acratech tubes look beautiful, but the idea of a screwtop film tube seems fiddly.

If one really wanted that level of protection, I think I'd rather have something like an aluminum version of the Lowepro Film Drop--a metal box with a one-way flap on a spring hinge at the top, and a latched door on the other end or the side for removing the exposed film, and for the cost of a dozen Acratech tubes, you could probably have S. K. Grimes fabricate such a 12-roll film drop.

ZorkiKat · Jun 9, 2006

Photo Engineer said:
Years ago, both Kodak and Ansco supplied 120 film in metal cannisters. Kodak went to a carboard tube while Ansco still used metal for color film.

PE

Hi PE
Did Ansco use the metal tubes till the end? I still have two rolls 120 Anscocolor film (stamped "develop before April 1963) which remains sealed in their cartons. Would these still have their cartons in them? Hate to tamper with the boxes

Jay

Photo Engineer · Jun 9, 2006

ZorkiKat said:
Hi PE
Did Ansco use the metal tubes till the end? I still have two rolls 120 Anscocolor film (stamped "develop before April 1963) which remains sealed in their cartons. Would these still have their cartons in them? Hate to tamper with the boxes

Jay

Jay;

AFAIK, Ansco stopped using the cannisters sometime in the 50s, so your film probably does not have the metal can. The last roll I had was from the mid 50s and had the cannister. At that time, EK was using metal cans for 35mm and cardboard tubes for 120/220. Then they quit using cardboard tubes and went to the foil wrappers.

PE

Gerald Koch · Jun 9, 2006

The last 120 GAF B&W film that I got did not come in a cannister. This was when you could buy it under the counter at Disney Land in Orlando. Kodak was the "official film" of Disney Land.

why no film canisters?

DirkDynamo

Paul Sorensen

Tom Hoskinson

Dave Parker

Kevin Caulfield

DirkDynamo

kraker

Steve Roberts

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

Fotohuis

DBP

Gerald Koch

Trask

ZorkiKat

isaacc7

Nick Zentena

PhotoJim

Gerald Koch

kraker

pgomena

Photo Engineer

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

ZorkiKat

Photo Engineer

Gerald Koch

why no film canisters?

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