8mm Forum: Balance stripes

»	8mm Forum » 8mm Forum » Balance stripes

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Balance stripes

Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 30, 2005 11:39 PM

Does the balance stripe ever wear off? If so, is a film, at that point, pretty useless?

| IP: Logged

John Whittle
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 791
From: Northridge, CA USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 31, 2005 12:34 AM

The balance stripe should not wear off, it is the same material and thickness as the main stripe and is there originally to maintain the film flat in the gate.

If it is missing/worn, then the film will still function. Focus may be soft on one side, but the film will work. There are some Super8 prints without balance stripes and of course regular 8mm never had a balance stripe since there was no room for it.

John

| IP: Logged

Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 31, 2005 10:39 AM

Brad,

I have a number of Walton, Techno and Castle (yes, Castle!) prints that do not have a balance stripe. They all project just fine. I'm sure certain gates are more sensitive to the imbalance than others but I would be more concerned with what exactly is wearing those balance stripes down.

Doug

--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....

| IP: Logged

Tim Christian
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 219
From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 31, 2005 01:00 PM

It is more a question of projector lens speed. Calculation shows that absence of balance stripe shouldn't cause change of focus across the frame with lenses of f/1.3 or slower.

--------------------
Tim

| IP: Logged

Joe Taffis
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1592
From: United States
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 31, 2005 07:36 PM

the films that i've ran with no balance stripe are noisy, at least on my Elmo...the first time I ran one I thought it had sprocket damage! [Eek!]

--------------------
Joe Taffis

| IP: Logged

Tony Milman
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1336
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted September 01, 2005 05:01 PM

I have one that does not have a main stripe, only a balance stripe. Perhaps that would explain why the focus seems good (or is that my eyesight?)

--------------------
Tony

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2