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Running 8mm on Photomec Integrated Processor?


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Hi all.Anyone tried running 8mm neg on a photomec integrated processor (35/16mm)?Just curious if a 50 fpm processors tension would need adjustment to compensate for the fact that its 8mm?Im sure rollers etc would have to be changed BUT is that it?Anyone given it a go?

 

Thanks.

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NOt familiar with Photomec, but the width can cause consisttency problems on some machines. For instance, with a machine that has, say, a 5" (127mm) throat, you may find that you want to run 35mm toward one edge, 16mm closer to the middle of the throat, and 8mm in the very middle.

 

Also, I'd imagine that, if possible, you might want to try to slow it down from 50fpm (15.24meters/min.) to something slower, like 25 fpm (7.62m/min) or 18 fpm (~5.5m/min.) if this can be done without necessitating a push or pull.

 

The higher the speed, the greater the risk of tearing the film.

 

Are you doing this yourself, or is this a laboratory's machine?

 

I would NOT recommend using a 50fpm machine on a personal basis.

 

 

EDIT: One more thing: with a throat that is much wider than 8mm, it may be difficult to keep the film from weaving across the throat during processing, even with leader. So this has the potential to cause physical damage. You may have to hand feed it in to try to keep the film in one spot with a wide throat.

Edited by Karl Borowski
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Thanks for the response Karl

 

Photomecs are generally quite 'soft' machines so i think i might just give it a go...purely experimental will let you know the results.Was just curious to find out if anyone had tried it.I might just slow it down a tad though..

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Thanks for the response Karl

 

Photomecs are generally quite 'soft' machines so i think i might just give it a go...purely experimental will let you know the results.Was just curious to find out if anyone had tried it.I might just slow it down a tad though..

 

No problem, Antonio.

 

Do you mind letting me know what the throat width is in inches?

 

What sizes are your tanks? If you do slow the process down, can you pull racks to compensate for the longer times in each tank? Otherwise, this approach won't work.

 

I'd be really hesistant running 50-foot lengths through at 50 fpm.

 

Is this machine even designed for ECN-2?

 

Honestly, if I were you, I'd keep it simple and start with B&W neg. for your tests. Cheaper learning process, less difficult to interpret results and cheaper film and chemistry.

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Hi all.Anyone tried running 8mm neg on a photomec integrated processor (35/16mm)?Just curious if a 50 fpm processors tension would need adjustment to compensate for the fact that its 8mm?Im sure rollers etc would have to be changed BUT is that it?Anyone given it a go?

 

Thanks.

I've run 8mm on Photomecs and Calder machines. The important things are to make sure you don't have any tension build-ups on any of the racks and to make sure you use a 'tail'. You would normally do this when going from 35mm to 16mm but it is essential when going to 8mm. For those who haven't come across the expression, a 'tail' is a piece of machine leader that tapers from 35mm to 16mm or 16mm to 8mm and allows the film to settle in the right position on the rollers. You might also check that any flat rollers have soft touch tyres on them to avoid scratching the 8mm.

 

I know of at least one lab that runs 8mm on a 35mm machine.

 

Brian

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