Old 200 ft. sound cartrifge

[stanley k]

I recently bought a 200ft. Kodachrome sound cartrideg on e-Bay that expired in 1997. Of course, AFTER I bought it I started thinking, Oh God, what have I done! This is expired film that was supposedly kept in a refrigerator, yet, how the hell do I know that? My question to all of you is: Have any of you ever used film that was this old? What kind of results did you get? What about the sound? What kind of sound quality will I get? Did I make a mistake? AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

[David17]

Stanley, don't worry to much about it!

In most cases, film that is not more then five years old, will still give good results. Also the sound quality will be still be good. But indeed, it's very important that the cartridge has been stored at a low temperature.
I think that I have seen in the auction, that the seller stated that the cartridge has been refridgerated. Now it's quite simply: if he has done this, the results will be good. If you get bad or unsetisfying results, the cartridge has simply not been refridgerated. That's the way it is. In that case, you have the right to claim a refund and leave negative feedback. But I don't think this is needed. By the way, I have heard that it is possible to get Super8 sound cartridges with 200 feet capacity in Germany, at a good price.

David

[This message has been edited by David17 (edited December 21, 2000).]

[pcg]

I've picked up the "Super8 w/ Sound from Germany" rumors as well. Does anyone have any real contact info for S8 sound film overseas? This would be a tremendous favor to the US community if anyone has a genuine source. Cost? Web address? Any info would be appreciated!!

[#Pedro]

Kodak film with expired developing date:
1. As the sound will be recorded only on a regular magnetic track, it won?t be affected anyway, the results won?t be influenced.
2. I think that after 4 years the image quality will be good, too. My experience with too old film material is, that the colors can get more "warm", direction orange/red, but only a very little bit! If it was really stored in a cool place, there won?t be any problem with it.

200 ft sound cardriges in Germany:
I am German, living in Germany and always behind the latest S8 news.
The only notable S8-activities that are happening in Germany come from the Beaulieu service. Up to last year, Beaulieu was representate by the Ritter Company in Mannheim. The Ritter Company participated at the development of the Beaulieu 9008 models and of the NEW 200 ft. soundcardrige, suitable for all S8-cameras with used the OLD 200 ft. cardrige. The new cardrige is VERY different to the old one. It is made fully of metal and have to in-build winding motors and a complete transport mechanism. It is loaded not with film in cardriges but on simple 200 ft daylight reels. The picture quality is better as with standard plastic cardriges, because the 200 ft cardrige has a precise metall pressure plate and a transport system as it was a 16 mm camera.
Ritter contracted Kodak to deliver the following S8 films on 200 ft. reels:
1. K40 silent
2. K25 silent daylight
3. K40 stripped with magnetic tape for direct sound recording.

To get that 200 ft. cardrige, the camera body has to be adapted to it:
1. the original cardrige drive will be completed by a additional drive reel, which runs with constant speed, directly driven without friction by the camera?s main reel. The transport mechanism of the 200 ft cardrige will couple to this reel.
2. There will be an aditional electronic control board added to the body, with an aditonal electric socket for the winding motors of the cardrige.
3. The distance of the lens to the film surface will be slightly corrected, as the film in the new cardrige is pressed directly by the metal pressure plate and don?t keep "floating" as in the plastic cardrige. Nevertheless, an interchangable use of 50 ft and the 200 ft cardrige will be possible.

The stripped K40 film will record live commag sound with commag cameras.

Other 200 ft sound cardriges, as the one-way pastic version of former days, ARE NOT availlable in Germany.

All films for the 200 ft cardrige are not selled by Kodak, only by the German Beaulieu serive.

This year, the Ritter company bankrotted because of their video buisiness (!) and the Bavaria Production Services in Munich got the Beaulieu service. They are selling the 200 ft cardriges, too and all the suitable film materials. The cardrige incl. adaption of the body is about USD 2000.-

Pedro

[pcg]

Once again, thanks Pedro, for the insights. That clears the air--