Friedemann Wachsmuth

Hey John, I am not sure about the config, the previous owner die C-41, E6 and bw-neg with it. He also offered me with help and answered my initial bunch of questions :) One Q: Is there any way to do the re-exposure for bw-reversal inside the Bray, not chemically but with light? My Bray has a kind of "gate" after the third tank, that suggests to allow a lightsource behind it, but I would not know where and how. I had been in contact with a Ruth Marsden at Bray Plastics, and just got a "I have asked the question and we have no manuals or paperwork in relation to the E-Series processors, we discontinued production approximately 10-14years ago and all relevant paperwork manuals etc. sorry we could not be of help." Weird. I still need to get tempered supply water and a drainer box installed at the place where I want the Bray to operate, so haven't even turned it on yet. Oh, one more Q: The previous owner used the 70mm leader and pulled up to four S8 films through it in parallel. Have you tried this too? Or even more films?

Hey, I recently got hold of a Bray E-Series in working order. What a great little machine! I haven't fired it up yet, but it was in use until recently and is in really good shape, including spare parts. The only thing missing is the manual. Does anybody here have the manual and could scan it for me? I got the Manual of a Bray Magitrak, but it's not the same. I also contacted Bray Plastics in the UK (which is their name now), they claim to have no records, plans, schematics or anything about the E-Series anymore. Would appreciate any help! F

Thats all good feedback. Keep the wishes and needs coming :)

For those of you who are on facebook, please join this poll. For those of oyu who are not, feel free to comment away here -- unfortunately, cinematography.com does not seem to have a poll option :( ------------------------- Just imagine, hypothetically, that there would be a new development tank on the market, designed for 8mm and 16mm films of 50 or 100ft length. It wouldn't be a radically new design, mostly following the design of the common Lomo tank, but it would be manufactured with much higher precision based on modern, durable and stable plastics slightly bigger to also take films that are a tad longer than 50/100ft easy to load without hassle easier and faster to be filled/drained more efficient during washing compatible with all known and unknown processes manufactured in the EU, with spare parts easily available (maybe) extensible, so allowing larger stacks than two spirals (maybe) providing a tank option with built-in temperature control (maybe) providing a built-in timer that helps with process timing Would you ne interested in buying such a thing? And what would be the most important options for you? [ ] I'd pay $300 since that sounds a lot better than the Lomo option [ ] I'd pay $500 since I know this is hard to manufacture [ ] I'd really want the option of larger spiral stacks [ ] I'd pay even more for the full setup, especially if it really becomes a modular system [ ] I'd really want the built-in temperature control [ ] I'd really want the the built-in process timer [ ] I absolutely want the ability to develop 100' in one strand without cutting it in half [ ] other: _____________

I love it. And see no scratch..?

Make sure to watch this in highest quality and fullscreen: https://youtu.be/3Nh9BTMWj9M Or better download this version and watch it offline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9PJ3Kp3qOe4UklQZ0NrM1dNaVk/view?usp=sharing If anybody interested, I can also share an ungraded ProRes 4444 snippet. All the tripod shots where shot with the Optivaron (recognisable by the slight vignette in top right, since I did not take the lens hood off). All handheld shots (mostly in the middle) were taken with the Fujinon lens. The incredible folks from http://www.gammaraydigital.com/did the scanning, once in 2K and once in 4K. Unfortunately, my Mac Pro (late 2008) is a bit too old to handle 4K video, so I had to grade the 2K version. It still looks amazing though, make sure to download the 2K version for full quality! The clip was stabilized (tracking marker put on the frameline) since the scanner software used currently does not register based on the +2 sprocket hole, but on the sprocket hole next to the visible frame. You can see how bad the sprockets in this cartridge were if you watch the weaving sprocket hole on the left. But watch how image and frameline are like welded together: Absolutely no jitter, weaving and a sharpnes I have never seen before with any other Super 8 camera. This is due to the registration pin -- so thanks to Denmark for finally making a S8 camera that has this professional feature! If you don't have a Logmar yet, order one now. I tell you, the achievable quality is abso**(obscenity removed)**inlutely addictive. :)

There is absolutely no space for this I think. Remember there is the claw and the registration pin already, beside the pressure plate. Both pins support high torque and operate with extreme precision, so their gudance is pretty solid. Also, there is the mirror system with the beam splitter closeby too... However, since the claw is at the -2 position (ISO 1787-1984) like in any projector, actual registration pitch variance should not matter. This is als long as the scanner used uses the same sprocket hole for vertical registration (the LaserGraphics Scanstation does not). You are right Carl, horizontal registration is provided by film guides (with two spring loaded saddles to cover slitting tolerances). Below attached is a photo of a beta-version of the claw/registration module. (This has still 3D-printed parts and differs from the final design which required changes to make film loading easier) Meta data can be logged by the software onto the SD card, actually even as Excel file containing all settings, takes and timecodes. :)

I just made some good progress with modifying E6 to give better results when processing VNF films: http://www.filmkorn.org/e6-fuer-ektachrome-vnf-filme-optimieren/ Let me know if you need an english translation. Bottom line: Add 3.5ml Benzyl Alcohol per Liter of working solution to the Color Developer. Stirr 10 minutes very well to dissolve this oily additive. You get way better Dmax and more saturated colors!

Thanks, Simon! (and you shouldn't call yourself dirtbags!)

Actually I got this film from italy -- and am in Germany myself :) Wasn't Kodak making film in france back in the days? I thought so...

In the meantime, you might want to drop Wittner a line about their latest plan re DS8. Better than nothing! Wittner Chrome 200D in DS8? http://www.filmkorn.org/wittner-chrome-200d-in-ds8/

Large-wheel perofrators are way too unprecise for S8 perofration. They are used for 35mm photo films, where registration does not matter at all, but are way too unprecise for small format motion picture film. If you think about it: No matter how big the wheels are (and the bigger, the more expensive the tool), the angle a puncher has when entering and leaving the hole and the matrix together with the puncher's length is a problem. A proof that Kodak uses "stamp punchers" can be seen here -- note the "sawtooth" pattern repeating every five holes: I am sure Kodak has 1-3-5-7 and 1-4-5-8 perforators (if they use 32mm strands. The probably mostly use the 1-3-5-7 one when confectioning S8 stock, since 1-4-5-8 requires rewinding two of the strands. Rewinding is not a complex effort but it costs time, labor and introduces avoidable risk to the stock (scratches etc.). I agree though that they should make some DS8 stock with a less crazy minimal ordering volume. :)

I am not aware of current plans regarding R8, DS8 or 16mm from Adox, but I think they have the capabilities. Best would be if you express your interest to them directly. Backing interest with a S8 order certainley helps, but isn't manadtory. :) I asked for DS8 confections myself. Regarding per offset: Super 8 cameras are +2, no? Many DS8 cameras do not use +2. This should not be a problem though with Adox perforation since they guide the puncher with the holes they punched before.

Hey all, I recently found some cans of pretty obscure Kodak DS8 (Double Super 8) stock, including this one: Yes, I know Plus-X, but I never heard of 7726. Can anybody decipher these numbers? Does the "TV" in the name mean that the base or the emulsion are somehow different? Is there any clue when this was manufactured? Thanks all!

The Perofration of Wittner's 200D should be of highest precision. He is crazy for precision and invested a lot in making PET-stock perforatable in perfect quality (PET is MUCH harder than Acetate). Early DS8 Fuji stock was indeed perforated on machines that were not in good shape AND not maintained. I know for sure that these machines are now longer in service. So yes, you can expect perforation at least as good as Kodak's on WIttner's stocks. Not sure about color stability, but E6 is way better in this than AP-41 and EM26 et al were. The 200D is quite grainy though.