Film base for use with rotating cameras (eg Cirkut, Roundshot)

[Phil Hudson]

I have been in touch with Ilford regarding their offering of 5" x 50ft FP4 roll film with a view to using it in a borrowed 5" Roundshot camera. I asked about what base it was coated on to and they replied that it is sheet film base, saying:

"Just to better guide re the differences in thickness between mini/roll/sheet bases/overall thicknesses :-
Mini base is 0.125mm/5-mil acetate base with antihalation Dye built in.
Roll film base is 0.110mm/4-mil clear acetate base with an anti-halation backing which clears during development.
Sheet film 175 micron base, plus 10 micron backing and 10 micron face coating. Total approx. 195 micron"

Does anybody have experience of using this sheet film base with a rotating camera such as a Roundshot, and if so did it work properly or did the stiffness/thickness cause problems? I don't want to order some and find that the thickness makes it unusable.

Is there another regular source of a thinner roll film (eg aerial) in such a size?

Thanks in advance.

[Bob Salomon]

Don’t you think that Ilford would know?

[Phil Hudson]

Don’t you think that Ilford would know?

The respondent at the technical department did not know, but did confirm that they have no plans for making anything that size not on a sheet film base.

[Serge S]

I saw something a while back where the photographer was using a circurt camera - he had bought the film from someone else who had bought it in bulk & was told it was only available as special order from Kodak.
This was a while ago as the film stock was VPS.
It was the only film stock they offered for that camera format.

[Oren Grad]

I saw something a while back where the photographer was using a circurt camera - he had bought the film from someone else who had bought it in bulk & was told it was only available as special order from Kodak.
This was a while ago as the film stock was VPS.
It was the only film stock they offered for that camera format.

For the past few years, as part of their annual ULF special order period, Ilford/Harman has offered some long-roll options that are wide enough (5 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches, 20 inches) to be candidates for Cirkut camera use, either directly or cut down.

[Mark Crabtree]

For the past few years, as part of their annual ULF special order period, Ilford/Harman has offered some long-roll options that are wide enough (5 inches, 8 inches, 10 inches, 20 inches) to be candidates for Cirkut camera use, either directly or cut down.

I always assumed those were roll film base. I know there used to be some sheet film base film sold for Cirkut by someone else. I fail to see how it could work well in a Cirkut, but he apparently sold it to somebody. I don't know Roundshots.

I actually thought this question was going to be "acetate or polyester (or whatever aero is)"; in that case the answer is that acetate feeds better in a Cirkut.

[Oren Grad]

I always assumed those were roll film base. I know there used to be some sheet film base film sold for Cirkut by someone else. I fail to see how it could work well in a Cirkut, but he apparently sold it to somebody. I don't know Roundshots.

I actually thought this question was going to be "acetate or polyester (or whatever aero is)"; in that case the answer is that acetate feeds better in a Cirkut.

The Ilford offering is a mix. Some of the long rolls are on roll film base, some on sheet film base. The ULF campaign product listing posted on their website provides the details.

[Phil Hudson]

Is the consensus that the current Ilford offering of 5” x 50 ft on a sheet film base wouldn’t work? I don’t see anything with that width on a roll film base.

[Oren Grad]

I'm afraid I don't really know, so I wouldn't be comfortable concluding that there's a consensus. Perhaps you can ask dealers participating in the Ilford ULF program whether they know of anyone who has ordered large-size long-roll film under the program and might be able to share experience.