I've been watching this closely because I'm down to my last roll of Regular 8mm Ektachrome. The best bet for color reversal right now is for Wittner Cinetec to perforate 16mm Ektachrome to make Regular 8mm since they have the equipment to do that. Since Kodak has just come out with 16mm Ektachrome I emailed them to find out if they are going to do that, this is the response I got:
thank you for your message.
In case we can obtain 16mm NP from Kodak (NP = not perforated), we are
willing to perforate Double 8 film from it.
But currently Kodak has not agreed to supply any 16mm NP.
We will try again in several month.
Maybe when they have the standard products on auto pilot, they will be open
to special orders (hopefully).
We will see.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Best regards
Ingolf Joost
Wittner Cinetec GmbH & Co. KG
Beaulieu Deutschland
So there is hope if Kodak comes through for them. They then followed up with this explanation as to why they need to use non-perforated 16mm film.
as you did inquire about the manufacture of Double 8 film and this question frequently arises, I enclose my answer as well. You and your colleagues may find this information helpful. You are allowed to publish the question and my reply, if desired.
What about re-perforating single-perforated 16mm film? For example, adding
another set of perforations on single-perforated film (such as the new Kodak
Ektachrome) so that it becomes double 8 perforated. Is that possible?
We experimented in the past with exactly what you describe.
But the results of those experiments were negative.
It is not possible to do this - at least if you are interested in good
quality!
(if you are looking for rhytmically shaking pictures, this may be an
option - in theory. We do not offer this)
To achieve a good perforation / registration of frame, the distance between
perforartion holes must be 100% identical.
This can't be achieved with this technique. You need to start from 16mm NP.
The 16mm 1R camera film available is 0.2994 perforation pitch.
But R8 is per definition 0.1500
This does not fit.
In theory you could re-perforate 16mm film with a pitch of 0.3000 to R8.
But this is not available as a camera film. This would be printfilm then.
Furthermore TAC is start shrinking the day it leaves the factory.
So even using 0.3000 TAC film - it is nearly impossible to meet the real
pitch to add the additional perforations at the correct distance from/to the
existing holes.
So we abandoned this idea / project completely.
It is not possible to use this "trick" if a good perforation quality is the
goal.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Best regards
Ingolf Joost
Wittner Cinetec GmbH & Co. KG
Beaulieu Deutschland
I may have to switch to black and white but I mostly just shoot family stuff and my wife prefers watching it projected in color. The Ektachrome does look great projected. Right now I'm mostly shooting Super 8, I tend to switch between the two since I have projectors for both.
Revere made some nice cameras, very well built, same goes for most of the clockwork 8mm cameras. I prefer Bolex, they are very reliable plus I know how to take them apart to clean and lubricate them. Since your Revere takes D mount lenses you have a wide variety to choose from. Kern Paillard made some of the best, that's what you find on most Bolex cameras.
