American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1938)

September, 1938 • American Cinematographer 389 Eastman Releases Three Minicam High Speed and Fine Grain Films THREE new films for miniature Super-X Panchromic in sunlight and Daylight Tungsten cameras, using 35 mm. and No. artificial light, with grain kept at a Super XX 80 50 828 films, representing what is minimum. Plus X 40 24 believed by the creators to be one of the It represents, therefore, its maker's Panatomic X 32 20 great achievements and advances in belief to be the finest film available for Official Eastman Statement film manufacturing, are announced by all types of miniature photography ^j^^ following Eastman ratings for the *^w?rlu^" ^"^^^ Company. under difficult lighting conditions. Maxi ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^j^^^^j^ ^^^^^^ ^^.^ With the ever mcreasmg popularity mum emulsion speed obtamed by de recommended for Super XX, Plus X, and use of the mmiature camera East veloping fully m the Kodak developer Panatomic X film in an official supman film experts realized the fact that D-76. , j. i ir 4. 4. i. ^ J, ^ . • • . Tir-^i Tr J 1 o. -i^-ir plemental Lastman statement: films for use m miniature cameras With Kodak Super-XX, camera enshould be made equally efficient for use thusiasts can now get clear detail shots WESTON by daylight and artificial light and must of floor shows, boxing and wrestling Daylight Tungsten be developed to a higher contrast than bouts in sport arenas and the high spots Super XX 80 128* 50 80* the negatives used in the professional in basketball and other flood lighted in Plus X 40 64* 24 40* motion picture field. door sports. Panatomic X 24 40* 16 24* This resulted in the introduction of the Each of these three new Kodak-35mm. GENERAL ELECTRIC three new films which are virtually "cus and No. 828 films has great exposure Daylight Tungsten tom made" for use with miniature latitude, freedom from halation and a Super XX 128 80 cameras. balanced sensitivity to light of all colors. Plus X 64 40 Seeking Consistency The purpose of the new Kodak films is Panatomic X 40 24 The important characteristics in any 1° ^'^"^ the miniature camera worker =^The use of these numbers will give film are not only high speed and fine fi^"? especially adapted to his needs somewhat less dense negatives, pregrain, but exposure latitude and good ^''7". *° ^^^^ possible ferred by many workers. Ratings quality, that is, the ability of the film ^^^^^^^ ^^^"^ equipment. for the General Electric Meter may faithfully to translate the scale of light ni • i, c i '^^ increased proportionately, and tone values existing in the subject ^""^^ bupport «The values in the left-hand columns into monochromatic values in the print. In order to reduce the effects of hala do not represent the least exposure Another factor of importance to the tion to negligible proportions, the films which will give the best possible prints," photographer is the uniformity of the are coated on a support which is of a explains the statement. "They include a product so that consistently good results bluish-gray color. Although the de safety factor to take care of variations may be expected. veloped negatives retain this color, in the use of the exposure meters and This has been accomplished in these there is no necessity for increasing nor in the handling of the photographic manew films. mal printing exposure times. terials. On the average the exposure They are Kodak Plus-X Panchromatic The new films are fully panchromatic. called for by these numbers is more than film, which has about twice the speed They have a very high sensitivity to red twice that actually required for the best of Kodak Panatomic and about 50 per light, and in addition they have been possible prints, but decreasing the excent faster in sunlight and artificial especially sensitized for the green. They posure by that amount is not recomlight than Kodak 35-mm. Super Sensi do not, therefore, give overcorrection to mended unless the operator is thoroughly tive panchromatic film. It is also some red objects, such as cheeks and lips, familiar with the characteristics of his what finer grained than the regular which is characteristic of films which exposure meter and of ordinary darkKodak Panatomic. This film is recom have their main sensitivity in the red. foom practice. The numbers with astermended for general use in miniature Exposure latitude is another impor isks represent a safe decrease in excameras tant factor in film. In order to be able posure under these conditions. Panatomic-X, a film of ultra fine to get prints of good quality it is im "Under adverse lighting conditions grain for enlargements of great magni perative that negatives should record passable prints can generally be obtained fication. This film possesses even finer the whole range of tones likely to be en from negatives given one-eighth the grain than the fine grain that has made countered in outdoor and indoor sub recommended exposure. On the average, the original Kodak Panatomic film so Jects. The three new Kodak films are however, excellent prints will not be ob popular with users of miniature cameras. especially prepared with this in mind. tained from negative exposures made at The films are coated to insure proper a meter rating of more than twice that Graininess at Minimum recording of shadows and the middle indicated, which for Super XX and the Panatomic-X has the same speed as ^^^^^ ^i^e gradation in the dense Weston Meter would be 160. To make Panatomic. The fineness of gram, how highlights when exposure is full. Even sure that every negative receives enough ever IS equal to that which was former exposure exceeds the normal level exposure to yield the best possible print, ly obtained on y by the use of special ^ ^ ^j^j^ ^^rgin, negatives of good a Weston rating of 80 is recommended, fine gram developers, which reduced the pointing quality will result "Of course there must necessarily be effective speed of the film. ' a good deal of latitude to any such Graininess is, in fact, so low that Weston and Eastman Ratings recommendations to take care of indiwith the new film enlargements can be It is possible to overexpose these vidual diff"erences both in equipment and made of a size which will enhaust the new Kodak films to the extent of a in its use. There are both meter and sharpness of images before graininess hundred times the minimum exposure shutter variations to be considered as is visible. necessary to provide a reasonably good well as the use of the meter. The type Kodak Super-XX Panchromatic film print. Of course, such overexposure of developer and the extent of developis the fastest Kodak film ever supplied should always be avoided if the finest ment are also factors. It is highly the miniature camera user. It has about grain is required. recommended, therefore, that the adfour times the speed of Kodak Panatomic Official Weston rating on the three vanced amateur conduct a few experiand more than twice the speed of Kodak films is as follows: ments based on the above suggestions."