New UltraPan8 film "Ice Bike!

[Nicholas Kovats]

Five years in the making.

First I walked, then ran and finally put on my skates to "chase" cyclists on ice with my Bolex Ultrapan8 film camera. The Ice Bike or Icycle winter races have been a treasured staple in February for over 14 years. The "serious" heats involve handmade studded tires with a density of 500-800 studs per tire. The funnest part of the evening involves the public non-studded event called The Rubber Race.

https://vimeo.com/119718851

Come on join us at Icycle 2015 next weekend if you happen to be in Toronto! 7:00 pm Saturday on Febuary 21, i.e. https://www.facebook.com/events/754435797964839/. Albert "ice emperor" de Ciccio has kindly provided a how-to regarding the construction of the studded tires, i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpvTV3h2zI4.

metadata:
camera = Bolex UltraPan8 2.8 R8
camera_mod = Jean-Louis Seguin (bolextech@gmail.com)
film_stock = Kodak Vision 3 200T 7213, pushed 3x stops (800 asa), full 16mm width of Regular 8mm, color negative (acetate)
film_reperforation = Edward Nowill (edwardnowill@gmail.com)
frame_rate = 24fps
lens = Angenieux 5.9mm
tstop = T2/4
lab = Niagara Custom Labs (niagaracustomlab.com)
scan = bitworks.org

[unsanity]

Very nice! Well done!
It is good to see other cultures, in strange and wonderful lands, at work, rest and play.
A really cool camera you have there too. It's a pity that the same cannot/will not be done with double-super8.
Julian.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Thank you, Julian. The second variation in camera design is called UltraPan8 3.1 and it utilizes the full 16mm width of Double Super 8 film stock. Wider aspect ratio and higher resolution, e.g. https://vimeo.com/45620380

[carllooper]

A thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Beautiful camera work. Love all of the gliding shots.

And the love there in the ice rink between everyone involved.

thanks Nicholas.

Carl

[Nicholas Kovats]

Thank you for your kind words, Carl. I will be shooting with my UP8 camera and skating after cyclist once again this coming Saturday. Wish you were here. And Richard. I managed to source some Orwo un54 b/w regular 8 stock. I think its 100asa. I will push it three stops in the lab.

[JeremyC]

Thank you, Julian. The second variation in camera design is called UltraPan8 3.1 and it utilizes the full 16mm width of Double Super 8 film stock. Wider aspect ratio and higher resolution, e.g. https://vimeo.com/45620380

Nicholas,
There's not much choice for DS8 stock at the moment, I can only think of Fomapan B&W though Wittner have indicated they intend to perf some of their 200d Agfa product for DS8, oh and there is Kahl. Will you be using the Fomapan stock?

[Nicholas Kovats]

Kahl is suspect in my books regarding supply re: DS8. Ferrania has better potential. Wittner will reperf 35mm acetate/polyester based stock into DS8 for a huge minimum order. Not as large as Kodak but substantial. I stopped shooting UP8 3.1 DS8 after E100D/Wittner 100 was discontinued. Orwo might be interested in b/w DS8. I did see some attempt to organize a DS8 minimum order on Facebook somewhere but I have seen no updates.

[JeremyC]

I've never bought from Kahl, Wittner is listing 400ft of Fomapan DS8 at 390 Euros and I so do hope Ferrania both make it to production and produce DS8 ( I am so hoping and all power to them). Last year Jean-Louis Seguin did investigate the possibility of what Kodak would require in the way of an order for DS8 in a Vision 3 stock, a fantastic idea, but if I have it correct it was logistically difficult for a number of reasons, but better to speak to him about it.

If only someone could get hold of a S8 perforator e.g. Edward Nowill to go alongside his Standard 8 perforator over in Putney in West London.

Anyway I'm off to Silverprint here in South London to buy a 25 ft roll of DS8 Fomapan to test out a very nice DS8 Bolex RX3 I acquired a few weeks back.

I really enjoyed the Icebike film, thanks for posting it.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Ouch. Contrast that Wittner DS8 quote (390 EURO = appox. $445 US) with $160 US for a 400ft roll of Orwo UN54 b/w Regular 8mm from John Schwind in the US. I am wondering which is the better b/w emulsion? Fomapan or Orwo? Ahhh, yes. I know remember Jean-Louis Seguin's efforts. Mr. Nowill is in no position to purchase a DS8 perforator head. I believe Wittner has one. Specifically for 35mm ---> DS8 or S8. Nice DS8 Bolex! Thank you and I look forward to your DS8 films.

[aj]

Fomapan R 100 DS8 /30,5 m/100ft
16mm (DS8-super)/30,5m
Sales price: 28,35 €

(ex tax)

From Fomafoto.com DS-8 doesn't really take that much.

And neither from Wittner, it is METERS

FOMA Fomapan R100 DS8 METERWARE
SW Umkehr, DS8 (Doppel-Super 8), 390m auf Kern
ISO 100/21° Tageslicht (ohne Filter)
ISO 80/20° Kunstlicht (3400K, ohne Filter)
Entwicklung im Filmpreis nicht eingeschlossen.
1 Rolle, 390m auf Kern
Best.-Nr. 1097-390 - (327.73 EUR netto) 390.00 EUR brutto

Their puncher http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/neu/i ... 20140818-2 can do two strips of DS8 in one go but since the guiding is not part of the punch or die it can just as well do single strip DS8, should they want to.

And WIttner has Aviphot ready again in meterware.

[Nicholas Kovats]

Thanks for the Norwegian lead re: Fomafoto.com , AJ.

[JeremyC]

And neither from Wittner, it is METERS

Ooops! My mistake.

Thanks Andre.

[grainy]

lots of great faces in this film -- it's full of character!

[Nicholas Kovats]

Thanks, grainy. Most of my former messenger colleagues are comfortable around my cameras.

[JeremyC]

Thanks, grainy. Most of my former messenger colleagues are comfortable around my cameras.

That must be one of the hardest things to achieve when doing observational work