16mm Films for Viewing -Access

[Peter Gilabert]

I've thought about getting a 16mm projector for viewing all types of films- until I saw the price of films!

At least on eBay, this just seems like an expensive hobby when you have $30 Popeye cartoons and faded bad features for $300!

Am I missing something here?

Don't see any rental places either, except MOMA.

Any resources I may have missed would be appreciated...

[Tyler Purcell]

Yea, 16mm prints are expensive and color one's are pretty much always going to be faded unless they've been stored really well and/or made in the last 20 years.

 

Plus, you won't find one that hasn't gone through the ringer. Most of the prints on ebay are ex-rental prints as the distributors dumped 16mm over a decade ago.

 

Today, it's nearly impossible to "rent" 16mm prints, though 35mm rental is still pretty strong, though expensive.

 

I actually acquired a beautiful anamorphic 35mm flatbed to watch 35mm prints on because I can't afford to own a 35mm projector (due to size and weight) but I want to watch prints! So I just have friends come over with 35mm prints and we watch them on my flatbed screen! LOL :)

[Juha Mattila]

There is low fade stocks made before 80's: Technicolor, Kodachrome, Anscochrome at least. Also Fuji and Agfa holds pretty good.

 

Look up 16mmfilmtalk.com.

[Mark Dunn]

There is low fade stocks made before 80's: Technicolor, Kodachrome, Anscochrome at least. Also Fuji and Agfa holds pretty good.

 

Look up 16mmfilmtalk.com.

You mean after 80s, apart from Technicolor.

[Juha Mattila]

Kodachrome was introduced 30's and is "low-fade" stock. Actually Kodachrome and IB Technicolor are considered to be "non-fade" stocks because properly stored they hold centuries. Kodachrome have best color holding properties of photochemical films.

There is also Eastman Reversal (also known Gray Track Kodachrome) which should be pretty similar to Kodachrome.

Anscochrome at least from 50's is "low-fade" too.

Fuji and Agfa changed chemistry in early 80's along with Eastman and after that they all were considered "low-fade's". However before 80's made Agfa and Fuji print holds pretty good. Fuji might turn little purple and Agfa loses some saturation but holds relly good, better than Fuji. In terms of fade there is no comparing these to Eastman, how it goes pink and might lose all other colors.

Kodak SP from 70's is not "low-fade" but sometimes holds pretty good.