Single Perforated Bulk Film

[Wardor]

Hi all,

I just recently bought a roll of expired Portra 160 at a good price, but neither I or the seller knew that it was single perforated. The price is such that I don't mind keeping it, and I have put a roll through a camera so far (Nikon F100). The frame spacing is very irregular, and I am concerned about damaging the camera's film advance.

Should I be worried about this? I do have multiple other manual advance cameras I can use the film in. Any advice or experience would be valuable!

 

[Scrambler]

Can it be rolled the other way? - I know this might be tricky but can it be taken off the spool and rolled from the other end so the sprocket holes are up instead of down, or down instead of up? Otherwise send it to me 🙂 My Hexar RF won't mind it at all.

 

[alienmeatsack]

Another option would be to find yourself a body that has no sprockets on one side (or one you don't mind removing the sprockets from the one side of).

Or, use a camera that does not depend on the sprockets at all. Any medium format camera can be used with this film, many of LOmography's cameras don't need a sprocket on both sides, (some only need it one one spot or the other (top or bottom).

Get creative. That Portra is wonderful film and well worth finding the right camera to shoot it with!

 

[Wardor]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm certainly willing to try out different cameras as well as different rolling directions to try and find a way to use the film. I'll try out your suggestions and see if that helps! I think even just using a camera with manual film advance might make a big difference.

 

[sevo]

The Contax G1/G2, Konica Hexar and IIRC also at least one Contax SLR had a IR optical perforation counter (which will be on one side only) rather than a sprocket wheel - if you load the film so that the perforation is on the side where the camera has its sensor, these will all do fine with single perforated film.

 

[wblynch]

Put it in Instamatic cartridges and dig that old beast out of the closet

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I remember an article in a British photographic magazine about building your own perforating tool. This would have been from the 'fities, I think. What little I can recall involved cutting up razor blades. Not very health and safety consious, even for those days!

I think my Canon Eos 5 could handle unsprocketed film, which doesn't help with your F100, of course. Try some of the cheaper, fixed lens viewfinder cameras from the 'fifties and 'sixties. Some of them were sprocketless.