Disc film

Kodak disc is a well-established in the fall of 1982 film cassette system, which would replace the Pocket film. It consisted of the disc camera and matching disc film.

Pocket cameras after 1980

Pocket cameras have been extremely successful in the second half of the 1970s, could be after 1980 but no longer sell so well. With the advent of very compact held small imagers their time gradually seemed to be over: Well you could take pictures with small picture and had an only slightly larger camera in hand. In this situation, one could see at Kodak the opportunity again to have success with particularly flat pocket cameras, but which implied a new film format. Kodak, presented on 3 February 1982, a new camera system, which went on sale at the Photokina 1982.

Movies

Since the basic idea of a particularly flat camera with a flat film - as opposed to rolled miniature films - was possible, 15 negatives with a size of 8 × 10.5 mm on a disk diameter of 63 mm were arranged and the result significant disc called film. Another reason for the disc shape was the plan Location: Across the Pocket film, the negative area was 40 % smaller, which put increased demands on the exact position of the lens. To meet this, we created a very stable, said film carrier " Estar base ", which has not been rolled up, and the camera for recording a pressure plate pressing against the film. Because of the smaller size resulted in a significantly higher magnification, the film had to have a finer resolution, which the material Kodacolor HR specially developed bot.

The film plate is coated with two welded-together plastic dishes, what a 3.5 "diskette is similar. After inserting into the camera with a locking slider moves, which gives the view of the image 's window. Just like the Pocket movie is the display for the counter in the film, this time inside on the disc. Around it there is a bar code for the type of film and an individual identification number. The latter was designed to facilitate processing by the photo lab. Similarly, a magnetic stripe disposed around the core of the film disc, the type of film, the film number and contains the copy machine, the information that is to be created per a deduction. If the customer gave the disc to re-order again to the photo lab, the number of images to be created has been changed on the magnetic strip or set for the negatives that have not been reordered, to zero in the re order stations. The disc slices were placed on a spindle for film development, which took 100 discs. The special was that this spindle had a much stronger movement in the chemicals compared to the normal C 41 process, as they rotated in the baths of Kodak disc development machine at about 100 revolutions per minute. After drying, these screws are accommodated in pairs in a transport container, and could be mounted with this on the printer, then the disc 200 always automatically discs were exposed in a single pass. The filtering turned the printer on the basis of a magnetic code on the discs for the film type and manufacturer automatically a ( memory change). For the first time it was also possible through the magnetic code to print directly during the print process on the backs of the pictures both the film number, as well as the negative number of the picture, what happened to a dot matrix printer. The customer never had to so for a re-ordering the movie disc in your hand and take a look. The operator controlled the cutting of the images from the paper roll with the help of a projector, monitor, so that a simple allocation of the correct film disk and images enabled to order envelope. The job bag had already got printed as order number before developing into the opening station for the movies, the film number of the magnetic stripe. For the processing flow in the industrial laboratory of disc film had been so well prepared in conjunction with the Kodak processing machines. The imprint of the image number on the back of the photo and the semi-automated re-ordering of images by the customer was later made possible by the DX code in the perforation at the 135 mm format. Due to the small film format of 8 x 11 mm, a tenfold magnification was already required for the standard positive format of 9 × 11 cm. However, the modern film emulsions disc movies provided a good quality. Compared to its pocket format 110 the number of successful ( salable ) images was higher, which is an important factor in the industrial laboratory.

Closed Disc film cassette

Sales package of a disc film

Disc negative viewing magnifier from Osram

Disc movies were only available as a color negative materials with 15 shots, there existed no slide films and, accordingly, no slide projectors. Similarly, there was no black and white film.

Kodak introduced the system with a film speed of ISO 200/24 ° front, the picture quality equivalent to that of the Pocket Films, was thus for ordinary prints in formats 9 × 13 and 10 × 15 acceptable. For larger paper prints, however, quickly revealed the limitations of this technique. The small dimensions of the negatives caused despite the high resolution of the footage a characteristic " graininess " of the recordings, and it was often lacking brilliance and depth of field, even under optimal photographic conditions. Thus, the quality even simpler film cameras and films was achieved in spite of everything ever.

For the development of the standard C-41 process was selected to move as many photo labs for adoption can. As an indication of the disc format, the process was referred to as C- 41A. A processing in the home lab was basically possible, there were only no matching inserts for small tanks and enlargers.

Kodak itself has ceased production of Disc movies in 1998. Few other manufacturers offered compatible footage: Fujifilm, Konica and 3M. Movies in this format are the latest since the late 1990s as exotics and have to get in the 2010s - years only with considerable effort and in questionable condition on the used market.

In the meantime (2013 ), it is also difficult to get prints of already developed disc negatives in the context of repeat orders, as most large laboratories have no more machines, in which one could use the negative discs. The development of Disc movies is possible in the 2010s - years, for example in a laboratory in the UK, which specializes in old film formats.

Cameras

The disc cameras were 2.5 to 3 cm thick, about 8 cm high and 13 cm wide. They weighed about 200 g and always had an electric film advance. Kodak has introduced the system with the model Disc 2000 Disc 4000 Disc 6000 Disc and 8000. All models had it only fixed-focus lenses, to covering the distances of 1.2 m to infinity. Even with the two high class models, although more than 200 DM expensive, you could only push even a close-up lens to the lens in order to photograph between 0.50 m and 1.5 m can; the two simple models, however, had a built in flash. The lens (12.5 mm f / 2,8 ) was a special development, it consisted of four lenses, including one aspherical. Except for the simplest model, the batteries were curiously fixed installation - Kodak spoke of long- life batteries, which should allow 2,000 shots at 60 % flash use. There were two lithium cells that were changed in the workshop.

Market significance

Disc cameras have become very widespread. They offered against the now inexpensive compact cameras no significant advantages. It was also dubious from the outset whether there would be the associated movie long. Kodak offered other company licenses, but not for the footage and the specially developed lens. Later, Kodak tried using the Advanced Photo System, which again used rolled film in cartridge, once again, to market a concept of uncomplicated photography with compact cameras.

Camera technology
Film type
Kodak camera

110 film Floppy disk Reversal film Sheet film Rollfilm

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