Double Super 8 last run

Nicholas Rapak · July 28, 2011

As he does not post here, I am passing on a message from John Schwind at International Film Brokers(the regular 8 guy):

Kodak has agreed to to make one last run of 7285 DS8 400ft cat#1861681. This is the last DS8 100D until the end of time. If interested in ordering 100D ds8, please let me know and I will include with my order.

This appears to be it for the DS8 format in color, as the only other manufacturer of DS8 is Foma. If there is anyone out there that uses DS8 cameras, I would order as much as you can afford now.

Simon Wyss · July 28, 2011

Reminds me that I wanted to offer my new perforator also in DS-8. Give me a hint if interested in DS-8 black-and-white stock anyone, for instance Gigabitfilm or Europan.

Todd Pinder · July 29, 2011

Reminds me that I wanted to offer my new perforator also in DS-8. Give me a hint if interested in DS-8 black-and-white stock anyone, for instance Gigabitfilm or Europan.

Simon, I am awaiting the arrival of my Bolex Rx4 DS8, that Jean-Louis just overhauled. Right now there are no B&W DS8 stocks in the US. Freestyle will have some Fomapan in the next few months, but only in 10 meters. I just ordered 400ft roll of 100D from John, glad to know its not from the last batch from Kodak. Would love to see some pics of your perforator! Do you use it now? Would be cool to see Pan F!

Patrick Cooper · August 1, 2011

I remember a guy named Francis who was trying to raise support for the Double Super 8 format. He wanted to band people together to get a combined bulk order from Kodak. Don't think it ever eventuated. He was quite vocal on the Filmshooting website (formerly known as Shooting 8mm.)

Martin Baumgarten · August 1, 2011

That is sad news indeed if it's true. It always seemd though that given enough of a minimum order, Eastman KODAK would make up DS8 or DR8 in any filmstock they offer. The trouble is the minimum is very high.

Anyhow, JavaPhoto.com has Fomapan R-100 in stock, in both DR8 and DS8 formats, so check with him.

As for Color Reversal GK Film in Germany show Double Super 8mm available in their Cinevia stock, which is FujiChrome Velvia ISO 50 Daylight. This is the same stock he uses to make up various other "Cinevia" filmstocks he sells. http://www.gkfilm.de/en/index.html to get to the DS8 page, and at EURO 48 for in EU purchases with the 19% VAT or less for export.

Also, as long as someone has the perforation equipment, DS8 can be made up from a variety of available filmstocks. The most affordable way is getting unperforated 16mm width rawstock, which is limited by some manufacturers....leaving often the costlier method of having to slit down wider filmstock such as 35mm to make up smallgauge film, and there's the waste of the sprockethole area of the wide gauge. If 9.5mm users can still get filmstock, and they number very small, then DS8 can continue as well. In the meantime, I suggest order as much as one can afford on this EK 100D batch. Freezing will keep the film usable for a couple decades easily.

Mark Dunn · August 1, 2011

I agree, surely this could only be the last if Kodak stopped coating 16mm. and discontinued '85.

Perhaps he means the last for the foreseeable future bearing in mind there will be thousands of feet of it. IIRC the special order quantity was 10,000 square feet. That's a ton of 8mm.

(Just done the sums- it's about a million feet. 20,000 50' loads.)

andy oliver · August 1, 2011

That is sad news indeed if it's true. It always seemd though that given enough of a minimum order, Eastman KODAK would make up DS8 or DR8 in any filmstock they offer. The trouble is the minimum is very high.

Anyhow, JavaPhoto.com has Fomapan R-100 in stock, in both DR8 and DS8 formats, so check with him.

As for Color Reversal GK Film in Germany show Double Super 8mm available in their Cinevia stock, which is FujiChrome Velvia ISO 50 Daylight. This is the same stock he uses to make up various other "Cinevia" filmstocks he sells. http://www.gkfilm.de/en/index.html to get to the DS8 page, and at EURO 48 for in EU purchases with the 19% VAT or less for export.

Also, as long as someone has the perforation equipment, DS8 can be made up from a variety of available filmstocks. The most affordable way is getting unperforated 16mm width rawstock, which is limited by some manufacturers....leaving often the costlier method of having to slit down wider filmstock such as 35mm to make up smallgauge film, and there's the waste of the sprockethole area of the wide gauge. If 9.5mm users can still get filmstock, and they number very small, then DS8 can continue as well. In the meantime, I suggest order as much as one can afford on this EK 100D batch. Freezing will keep the film usable for a couple decades easily.

FYI, i have exposed two 100ft loads of GK Velvia earlier this year. Sadly tbe transportation through my camera was poor, in fact all the footage went straight in the bin. At times the camera seemed to struggle to even transport the film! Kodak 100d runs very smoothly, so with the end of 100d, its looking bleak for colour work in the ds8 format (for me at least).

paul gustavson · August 15, 2011

As he does not post here, I am passing on a message from John Schwind at International Film Brokers(the regular 8 guy):

This appears to be it for the DS8 format in color, as the only other manufacturer of DS8 is Foma. If there is anyone out there that uses DS8 cameras, I would order as much as you can afford now.

I have purchased 400ft batches of 100D DS8 from Spectra films. With a minimum 400' order they take 16mm stock, reperforate it and put it on 100' spools. I do not see any reason why they would stop this service, but I will call them to confirm this. I have a Pathe DS8 and do not want to stop using it!

Andries Molenaar · August 15, 2011

I have purchased 400ft batches of 100D DS8 from Spectra films. With a minimum 400' order they take 16mm stock, reperforate it and put it on 100' spools. I do not see any reason why they would stop this service, but I will call them to confirm this. I have a Pathe DS8 and do not want to stop using it!

Which 16mm stock do they use? It is not possibly to reperforate 16mm perforated stock into DS8.

More likely they just roll it from Kodak DS8 1000ft long rolls :) And make you pay.

Better enquire with Kodak or Wittner. If S8 is not to stop the DS8 long rolls will not stop either. It is the basis for S8 cartridge filling in the factory.

paul gustavson · August 15, 2011

Which 16mm stock do they use? It is not possibly to reperforate 16mm perforated stock into DS8.

More likely they just roll it from Kodak DS8 1000ft long rolls :) And make you pay.

Better enquire with Kodak or Wittner. If S8 is not to stop the DS8 long rolls will not stop either. It is the basis for S8 cartridge filling in the factory.

There prices are very reasonable and fair I think.

Andries Molenaar · August 15, 2011

There prices are very reasonable and fair I think.

.

I am glad they are but it certainly is not reperforated 16mm (with perforation)

Will Montgomery · August 16, 2011

So we'll start seeing lots of DS8 cameras on eBay soon...

Philip Kral · August 25, 2011

It seems evertime I turn around now I get more and more bad super 8 news. First they stopped making Super 8 Today magazine, then I found out I still had a roll of Kodachrome to be processed and it's screwed, now I hear they're stopping the production of DS8 film!?

I'm having a hard time beleiving we're out of luck for DS8 in the future. Only a year or 2 ago after Kodachrome stopped being produced, Ektachrome 100D and Velvia 50D where popping up all over the place in super8 and Double super 8. Sure mabye spectra doesn't have a perf machine and was loading their super8 with the DS8 stock, pre-perfed from Kodak as someone on here had mentioned. But what about the Fuji velvia? There just has to still be labs out there that can help us out and cut down these stocks for the future!

Damn I was thinking about trying a Max8 converstion on my Elmo tri-filmatic too.

In the meantime I better start buying some filmstock.

-Phil

Martin Baumgarten · August 25, 2011

Well, it's not all doom and gloom. Super 8 Today Magazine has put tremendous strain and time constraints on the Editor to put this out, which despire the cost, has been mainly a labor of love. Many of us miss the long discontinued "Super8Filmaker" Magazine, and this was a nice modern homage to that former ediface of the peak Super 8 era in the 1970s. Something else may come again in the future. Having put out a club magazine that was nowhere near the quality, I can understand the effort involved. We have the internet, something that didn't exist back in the heyday of many hobbies.....and it's the fabric that keeps so many things alive by allowing rapid contact and communication across the spectrum of our passion for film.

As for KODACHROME......lamenting time is over, KODAK been trying to kill it off for many years and we had the warning. I know it wasn't or didn't seem long enough warning, but we had one. Remaining KODACHROME filmstock is not dead in the water, at least it can still be used and processed four different ways in some form of Black & White, and while not as cheap to process, it's not super expensive either. PPS processes it here.

As for DS8's future, FOMA will continue to offer it, now that they have resolved their film base production/procurement issues. As for the perforation problems on the GK filmstock with Velvia, I wasn't aware of any problems. I suggest letting GK Film know about the problems so they can be addressed. As with any very small scale production of some product, there is always the potential for some errors. There are some other companies that have the film slitting and perforating equipment, so possible options still exist. As long as rawstock in film is available, it can be made into a variety of gauges by those that have the resources to do so.

Considering the ever rapidly changing technology out there, we at least can still shoot film in various gauges on a variety (albeit lesser variety) of filmstocks. The 9.5mm filmmakers are glad to even still get film for their beloved gauge! Some cameras may become less practical to use due to production costs for limited filmstock runs. A good example of sorts is running the Double 8mm Magazine format; just too many hassles and costs for most....and there's a million spool loading cameras. I love the quality and feel of those well made BOLEX H series cameras also, but at least if for some reason DS8 were to die out entirely, there's still Double 8mm and 16mm to make films with.

These types of complaints have been voiced over many years in many magazines and club meetings, and here on the internet. The comeback has always been, "Use it or Lose it", and while so often our numbers among the small film gauges are smaller, this does apply. At least you can stock up, and freeze the film. I know it holds up pretty good as I'm still shooting on film with early 1980s expiration dates (but that batch is nearly gone and others follow). The wealthy millionaires which so often support other hobby interests regardless of costs or whether it makes any profit just to indulge their pursuits seem to lacking amongst our numbers. Anyhow, dreaming about stuff is fine, but in the end....get out there and use what we have, make a film, and have fun seems to be the real answer.

Andries Molenaar · August 25, 2011

Wittner firmly states that only the availability of small batches of 122meter rolls is ceasing.

Large quantities (who can buy these :) ) will remain available and as long there is E100D in S8 cartrdiges there will be very long rolls of 610 meter of DS8 . Which are the raw material for S8 cartridges. Of course Wittner will supply 122 meter rolls which will be rolled down from these 610s