Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 16mm Fil,m Thickness

This is topic 16mm Fil,m Thickness in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-28-2004, 07:15 PM:

Is the base material used for 16mm thicker than 35mm or does it just seem that way because it is smaller??

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-28-2004, 08:04 PM:

The ESTAR base is the same thickness for 16mm, 35mm, and 70mm Kodak VISION Color Print Films: 0.0047 inches nominal thickness.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 05-29-2004, 02:59 AM:

What about the old diacetate base? I have some 16mm prints on that, and it does feel slightly thicker to me, but I haven't measured it. Could it have been made thicker to compensate for the reduced toughness compared to nitrate. Also, old film does seem to vary slightly from one make to another.

Fuji Single-8 film was always on a polyester base, which was noticably thinner than triacetate Kodachrome Super-8, but also thinner than modern polyester 35mm print stock.

I was once shown some 16mm film using a silverless process, some form of diazo, but I can't remember the name of it; this was much thinner than any other motion picture stock that I've seen. It was more like that used in roll film for still cameras, or the old 5x4 film packs.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 05-29-2004, 04:24 PM:

It could be that you are looking at a 16MM print on acetate, and a 35MM print on estar. The estar base will be thinner.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-01-2004, 02:08 PM:

I recall that 35mm acetate prints used 0.0056 inch thick triacetate support, and 16mm prints used 0.00525 inch thick triacetate support. I'm trying to verify this recollection.

Since ESTAR base is a stiffer plastic than triacetate base (Young modulus), the film base can be slightly thinner (0.0047 inches) and still match the stiffness of the old triacetate films.

http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~me15web/3_stress/text_3-1.htm

http://schools.matter.org.uk/Content/YoungModulus/Default.htm