Author Topic: 16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera  (Read 3009 times)

sapata

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16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera
« on: November 28, 2011, 11:20:15 PM »
I have one of those 8mm Brownie movie cameras I bought a long time ago with film and everything. I know the film is actually 16mm so you run the film twice inside the camera by flipping the cartridge once it's finished, in that way you "split" the film in two, recording on 8mm each side.

But something that puzzles me is the fact that you can flip the film reel in day light without ruining anything. How is this possible? I know the beginning and the end of the film is just film base, but how does the rest of the film do not get fogged on the edges? If I get a "fat roll" from my Holga the edges are totally fogged when processed...

I was thinking about reespoling some 110 film (which is the same size of 16mm film) in one of those original Brownie cartridges and have a go, would I be able to flip the cartridge in day light as well using this kind of film?

Mauricio Sapata
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Flippy

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Re: 16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2011, 02:50:16 AM »
Well it's 16mm wide, but it is not 16mm film.  Double 8mm film has twice as many sprocket holes along the edge as 16mm film, so regular 16mm film will not work in a double 8 camera.  

Also, Kodak discontinued 110 earlier this year, so you should probably save it for use in a 110 camera - considering double 8 is still available new and fresh, and 110 is likely gone forever. 110 also only has perforations along one side, not both, and the spacing is different than it is on 16mm movie film.  Add to that it's c-41, there's really nothing you can do with it, except shoot it in a 110 camera.

And you can't flip the reel in daylight without ruining anything - you will ruin a couple feet of film each time!  As for how the rest of the film doesn't get fogged on the edges, the spool is much deeper, and the image itself is well inward of the edge of the film - there is the sprocket area between the edge and image so any edge fogging generally won't fall in enough to effect the image.

A new roll of B/W fomapan double 8 costs something like $12, if you can find a lab that will process it, you might as well plunk down for the proper film.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2011, 02:53:48 AM by Flippy »

sapata

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Re: 16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2011, 10:14:11 AM »
Thanks Flippy... I didn't know about the sprockets :P I was thinking maybe I could get some B&W 110 (I still have some colour in my frige) on ebay and just process myself as normal, but if the sprockets won't fit in the camera then it's just pointless.

I know Fomapan have a B&W Reversal film for about £4.50 but I'll have to buy the chemicals to process as well... besides, I probably would have problems to process at home since the lengh original movie film is much longer than the 110.
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Francois

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Re: 16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2011, 03:27:50 PM »
Few people know that film is actually pretty lightproof. I once had the back of my camera open in broad daylight (the plastic catch had broken off). I rewound the film and was hesitant about sending it to the lab. When the guys at Nikon told me I'd loose only about 3 frames, I sent it anyways. Guess what, they were right!
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Re: 16mm Film and Brownie Movie Camera
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2011, 11:22:00 PM »
A few years back Kodak began re-labelling their 16mm color stocks loaded on daylight spools from 'load in subdued light' to 'load in complete darkness'.  I think the combination of less sensitive emulsion and remjet back-coating helped to protect the latent image in a daylight spool.