Eastman 7243 - What process is it?

Freya Black · January 10, 2006

Can anyone tell me what process eastman 7243 is?

love

Freya

Dominic Case · January 10, 2006

7243 is 16mm Eastman intermediate stock. It goes through the normal ECN2 process (same as camera negative).

It is the predecessor to the current 7242 stock (also 5242, 2242 etc) . It is designed for making IPs from original neg in the lab, and also DNs from those IPs. It has a gamma of 1.0 (so, about double the contrast of camera neg stock) and if you could give it an EI rating, it would be somewhere in the 8-10 region. Also balanced for a masked image - it expects to see an orange-masked neg,

Freya Black · January 10, 2006

7243 is 16mm Eastman intermediate stock. It goes through the normal ECN2 process (same as camera negative).

It is the predecessor to the current 7242 stock (also 5242, 2242 etc) . It is designed for making IPs from original neg in the lab, and also DNs from those IPs. It has a gamma of 1.0 (so, about double the contrast of camera neg stock) and if you could give it an EI rating, it would be somewhere in the 8-10 region. Also balanced for a masked image - it expects to see an orange-masked neg,

Yes that's the stuff!

Although I thought it was replaced by an EXR stock first????

Someone was telling me it was a different process which wouldn't be as good because obviously it would be harder for me to play with.

I certainly intend to shoot some of it in a camera. I was thinking of experimenting with running it ithrough a contact printer, creating photograms, and maybe dipping it in coca-cola or coffee or something. ;) Is it polyester based? I assume it's no good as leader? I'll probably think of some other bad things to do with it in time! ;)

I think I'll have to wait for the sumer to shoot it tho! ;)

Thanks ever so much for the fast reply.

love

Freya

Dominic Case · January 10, 2006

Although I thought it was replaced by an EXR stock first????

Someone was telling me it was a different process

7243 came in soon after ECN2 process was introduced, mid 1970s. It was replaced by 7244 around 1990 (from memory), which was an EXR style emulsion as you say. The current 7242 was introduced some time early this century B)

It is on acetate base. The prefix 7 refers to 16mm acetate: 5 is 35mm acetate; 3 is 16mm polyester, 2 is 16mm polyester. Don't ask me why these numbers mean what they mean. John Pytlak may be able to help (but I don't think anyone at Kodak really knows :unsure: ).

I'm not sure that he (or I) can tell you what happens if you process the stock in Coca Cola. Let us know!

Freya Black · January 10, 2006

I'm not sure that he (or I) can tell you what happens if you process the stock in Coca Cola. Let us know!

It's got to be something horrible. Maybe it will end up with a brown base! ;)

Whatever I do with it I'm sure it will be fun! :)

love

Freya

Laurent Andrieux · January 10, 2006

Since coke is an acid, not a base, I'm afraid it will fix your stock before it processes it... :D

John Pytlak RIP · January 11, 2006

Remember, Kodak uses the four digit film codes for internal identification of ALL film products, not just motion picture products. So many numbers are unavailable for motion picture use, and numbers do get "recycled".

Dominic is correct that the first digit generally refers to the format and whether the Kodak motion picture film is triacetate or polyester (ESTAR) base:

1xxx 35mm or larger, cellulose nitrate base (none made in well over 50 years)

2xxx 35mm or larger format, ESTAR base

3xxx Smaller than 35mm format, ESTAR base

5xxx 35mm or larger format, triacetate base

7xxx Smaller than 35mm format, triacetate base

Any 7243 would be quite old, and unlikely to produce good results. It was NOT designed as a camera original film.

Freya Black · January 11, 2006

Any 7243 would be quite old, and unlikely to produce good results. It was NOT designed as a camera original film.

Well good results is a matter of taste of course and probably many people would say that sticking it in coke, running it through a camera and scratching into it were not likely to produce good results either, but I think it will be fun to try!

So sounds like I've got the fix sorted then, maybe lemon coke will be even more acidy! ;)

So coffee to develop, coke to fix, we are close to a totally caffine powered film! ;)

love

Freya

Jason Decker · January 13, 2006

7243 is 16mm Eastman intermediate stock. It goes through the normal ECN2 process (same as camera negative).

It is the predecessor to the current 7242 stock (also 5242, 2242 etc) . It is designed for making IPs from original neg in the lab, and also DNs from those IPs. It has a gamma of 1.0 (so, about double the contrast of camera neg stock) and if you could give it an EI rating, it would be somewhere in the 8-10 region. Also balanced for a masked image - it expects to see an orange-masked neg,

Just wondering, along the lines of using this as a camera neg stock, what would be the best way of putting together a test shoot. I haven't talked with FotoKem yet but should I expect to have to adjust for the orange balance on my end since contemporary stocks expect a red-masked neg? Or is that something that will be balanced out in the print?

Also, are there any specific tests you could recommend to check the color shift that must have happened over the past 20 years? Will a standard color chart give the info I need? Or should I try something else instead?

Thanks for any info you can give. I have a feeling I got some of the same stock that Freya found and I'm very excited to start playing around with it.

jDecker