Dirt cheap medium format film. Shooting Aviphot Pan 200 70mm film from India.

This video shows how I use and develop 70mm film with my Linhof and Hasselblad cameras. It includes sample photos taken on expired Agfa Aviphot Pan 200 film still sold on eBay from sellers in India. This is a very inexpensive way to shoot medium format photos, but the aging film stock is not perfect. This was a panchromatic negative film for aerial photography with sensitivity into the near infra-red range of the color spectrum. You can see this interesting color sensitivity in some of the sample photos at the end of this video.
Note every (4/4) Hasselblad a70 back I've purchased needed a fairly complex CLA to function. (1/4) was unrepairable with my skills. Although I was able to DIY, but your results may vary. The Linhof Cine Rollex option is simpler and more robust. My Linhof back only had a minor light leak on the inside of the knob used to secure the insert to the back.
Links:
Here is a seller that carries this film www.ebay.com/s...
I ordered the plastic reel here: www.hockerinc....
Hewes is another options: www.hewes.co.uk...

[@seacat211]

Thanks for the video! I also use this 70mm film in a Hasselblad magazine70 and take photos! In my case, I modify a 120 plastic reel to a 70mm width and develop the film. The film is cut to a length of 4.8m in the dark bag and loaded into a film cassette. When developed, it is cut to a length of 1.6m in the dark bag and wound onto a reel(Since it is a reel for 120 film, it can only reel in up to 1.6m of film.). During development, the 4.8m film is cuted into 3 parts inside the dark bag, so 2 frames are cut off and lost... but it's not a problem because there are more shots than that. I hope this 70mm film will remain available for many years to come... From a Japanese 70mm film fan.

[@mcb187]

I used the non perforated stuff to make 120/220 films, although since that has almost completely run out on eBay, I have since switched over to using Astrum/Svema 61.5mm film. It is also fresh and comes pre-slit to 120/220 width, much more convenient. They can also supply unperforated 70mm film, which will work in your Hasselblad backs after a small modification. The blotches you see sometimes happen, but on my particular rolls the outer few layers on the film were most affected while most of the film it was not there or non-existent.

[@bogamanz]

Thanks for sharing! Where do you buy that film from?

[@mercurycamera]

The splotchy grain you're getting in your photos is due to emulsion damage in this batch of film from India. It seems to be heat damage, and affects everything from that seller. It's true that this film is ridiculously cheap, and as you say, fantastic for testing cameras or just having fun! I would not recommend it for actual photography. There is, of course, undamaged 70mm film out there (and my personal mission: fresh 65mm film that can be shot in these cameras). Anyway, thanks for making this video and spreading the word about 70mm!

[@bogamanz]

Thanks for the comment, I am a customer of yours as well and am grateful for your mission. Everyone watching this video should check out Mercury Camera. I've found that this film stock (even with these defects) is still a step up from say 35mm quality.

[@NanoBurger]

I ordered some of that film from India recently and put it in my deep freeze. I plan to use a Beattie, 70mm back for the Bronica ETRSi. I have the white 70mm reel from some non-destructive testing supply house. I'll try stand development in pyro WD2D+. I do this since you need a lot of developer for the reel and the diluted developer can be used as one shot. I'll see if the stand development helps with the splotching.

[@bogamanz]

Let me know how it goes!

[@khanscombe619]

Awesome. I’m getting into it. Got a Hasselblad 500c/m w/ A70 -100-200 & the Horseman w/ Mamiya 70mm back & testing it on my new to me Mamiya RB67 Pro S. I’m looking into the 70m back for the Linhof next.

[@bogamanz]

Great to hear you are getting into it! You have the a70 back that uses 70mm cassettes or one of the high capacity models you load in the dark? Would love to hear about those models. Did your back need service?