Film format

A film format is a technical definition of a set of standard characteristics regarding image capture on photographic film, for either stills or filmmaking. It can also apply to projected film, either slides or movies. The primary characteristic of a film format is its size and shape.

A cartridge of Kodak 35 mm (135) film for cameras.

In the case of motion picture film, the format may also include audio parameters (though often not). Other characteristics usually include the film gauge, pulldown method, lens anamorphosis (or lack thereof), and film gate or projector aperture dimensions, all of which need to be defined for photography as well as projection, as they may differ.

Motion picture film formats
Further information: List of motion picture film formats

Digital camera formats
Further information: Image sensor format

Still photography film formats

Multiple image
Designation[lower-alpha 1] Type Introduced Discontinued Image size Exposures Comment
101 roll film 1895 1956 88.9 x 88.9 mm
102 roll film 1896 1933 25.4 × 50.8 mm One flange has gear teeth
103 roll film 1896 1949 100 × 125 mm
104 roll film 1897 1949 120.65 × 95.25 mm
105 roll film 1897 1949 57.15 × 82.55 mm Like 120 film with 116-size flanges
106 for roll holder 1898 1924 88.9 x 88.9 mm Roll holder films were wound inside out
107 for roll holder 1898 1924 82.55 × 107.95 mm
108 for roll holder 1898 1929 ​4 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in
109 for roll holder 1898 1924 4 × 5 in
110
(early roll film)		 for roll holder 1898 1929 5 × 4 in No relation to the later 110 cartridge format.
110
("Pocket Instamatic")		 cartridge 1972 Present[2] 13 × 17 mm 16 mm stock, registration perforated
Introduced with Kodak's "Pocket Instamatic" series
Daylight, Transparency, Black & White

Fujifilm ceased 110 production in 2009. Lomography revived the format in 2011.

111 for roll holder 1898 Unknown ​6 1⁄2 × ​4 3⁄4 in
112 for roll holder 1898 1924 7 × 5 in
113 for roll holder 1898 Unknown 90 × 120 mm
114 for roll holder 1898 Unknown 120 × 90 mm
115 roll film 1898 1949 ​6 3⁄4 × ​4 3⁄4 in
116 roll film 1899 1984 ​2 1⁄2 × ​4 1⁄4 in Like 616 film with wider flanges
117 roll film 1900 1949 ​2 1⁄4 × ​2 1⁄4 in 12 Like 620 spool with 120 keyslot
118 roll film 1900 1961 ​3 1⁄4 × ​4 1⁄4 in 3.474-inch spool
119 roll film 1900 1940 ​4 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in
120 roll film 1901 Present ​2 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in
56 × 70 mm
​2 1⁄4 × ​2 1⁄4 in
​2 1⁄4 × ​1 5⁄8 in		 8
10
12–13
15–16		 2.4 inch (60.96 mm) stock, unperforated, paper-backed
121 roll film 1902 1941 ​1 5⁄8 × ​2 1⁄2 in
122 roll film 1903 1971 ​3 1⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2 in 6 or 10 Postcard format
123 roll film 1904 1949 4 × 5 in
124 roll film 1905 1961 ​3 1⁄4 × ​4 1⁄4 in 3.716-inch spool: same picture size as 118 with longer spool
125 roll film 1905 1949 ​3 1⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2 in like 122 on longer spool; also for stereo pairs, ​3 1⁄4 in × ​2 1⁄2 in x 2
126
(early roll film)		 roll film 1906 1949 ​4 1⁄4 × ​6 1⁄2 in No relation to the 126 cartridge format introduced in 1963.
126
("Instamatic")		 cartridge 1963 2008 26.5 × 26.5 mm 12, 20 (later 24) 35 mm stock, registration perforated
Introduced with first "Instamatic" cameras under the name "Kodapak"
127 roll film 1912 Present ​1 5⁄8 × ​2 1⁄2 in
​1 5⁄8 × ​1 5⁄8 in
​1 5⁄8 × ​1 1⁄4 in		 8
12
16		 46 mm stock, "Vest Pocket"
128 roll film 1912 1941 ​1 1⁄2 × ​2 1⁄4 in for Houghton Ensignette #E1[3]
129 roll film 1912 1951 ​1 7⁄8 × 3 in for Houghton Ensignette #E2
130 roll film 1916 1961 ​2 7⁄8 × ​4 7⁄8 in
135 cartridge 1934 Present 24 × 36 mm 24 or 36 35 mm stock, double perforated
formerly available in 12, 18, 20, or 72 exposures[4]
220 roll film 1965 2015 (EU/US), 2017 (Japan) ​2 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in
60 × 70 mm
​2 1⁄4 × ​2 1⁄4 in
​2 1⁄4 × ​1 5⁄8 in		 18
21
24−27
30−33		 2.4-inch (60.96 mm) stock, unperforated, no backing paper
Twice as long as 12F

Final films in 220 were professional films for commercial/wedding photography; Kodak Portra (2015) and Fujifilm Colour Negative and Reversal (2017 in Japan only). Ilford ceased 220 production in 2004 after their 220 spooling plant broke down.

235 loading spool 1934 Unknown 24 × 36 mm 35 mm film in daylight-loading spool
240 / APS cartridge 1996 2011 30.2 × 16.7 mm 15, 25, or 40 24 mm stock, registration perforated
Daylight, Transparency, Black & White (Chromogenic 400CN)
335 stereo pairs 1952 Unknown 24 × 24 mm 20 pairs Special length for Realist format stereo pairs
435 loading spool 1934 Unknown 24 × 36 mm 35 mm film in daylight-loading spool
50 for roll holder 1915 March 1941 ​3 1⁄4 × ​2 1⁄4 in for Graflex rollholder
51 for roll holder 1915 Feb 1951 ​4 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in for Graflex rollholder
52 for roll holder 1915 Mar 1949 ​5 1⁄2 × ​3 1⁄4 in for Graflex rollholder
53 for roll holder 1915 Feb 1951 5 × 4 in for Graflex rollholder
54 for roll holder 1915 Mar 1949 7 × 5 in for Graflex rollholder
500 film pack 1911 1948 ​1 3⁄4 × ​2 3⁄8 in 12 redefined 1921 as ​1 5⁄8 × ​2 7⁄16 in
515 film pack 1905 1955 5 × 7 in 12
516 film pack 1909 1955 ​2 1⁄2 × ​4 1⁄4 in 12
518 film pack 1903 1976 ​3 1⁄4 × ​4 1⁄4 in 12 sheets
520 film pack 1906 1976 ​2 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4 in 16 sheets
522 film pack 1904 1955 ​3 1⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2 in 12 sheets 3A postcard
523 film pack 1904 4 × 5 in 12 sheets
526 film pack 1920 1941 ​4 3⁄4 × ​6 1⁄2 in
531 film pack 1926 1941 ​2 9⁄32 × ​5 11⁄32 in 60 × 130 mm
540 film pack 1920 1941 ​1 3⁄4 × ​4 1⁄4 in
541 film pack 1920 1941 ​3 1⁄2 × ​4 3⁄4 12 90 × 120 mm
542 film pack 1911 1948 3 × ​5 1⁄4 in 75 × 135 mm
543 film pack 1920 1948 ​3 3⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2 in 12 100 × 150 mm
616 roll film 1931 1984 ​2 1⁄2 × ​4 1⁄4 in
or ​2 1⁄2 × ​2 1⁄8 in		 6, later 8 Similar to 116 film but on a thinner spool
620 roll film 1932 1995 Similar to 120 film but on a thinner spool
828 roll film 1935 1985 28 × 40 mm 8 35 mm, one perforation per frame Bantam
35 roll film 1916 1933 ​1 1⁄4 × ​1 3⁄4 in 35 mm stock, unperforated
00 UniveX roll film 1933 ​1 1⁄2 × ​1 1⁄8 in 6 made by Gevaert
Hit (for example TONE camera) roll film 1937 unknown 14 × 14 mm 10 [5] 17.5 mm stock; used in imported miniature toy cameras [6]
Disc cassette 1982 1998 8 × 11 mm 15 circular sheet of film attached to rigid carrier
Half-frame cartridge 1934, later than Present 18 × 24 mm 48 or 72 135 film in "half-frame" cameras
Minox cartridge 1938 Present 8 × 11 mm 15, 36 or 50 nominally 9.5 mm-wide stock (in reality 9.2−9.3 mm)
Karat cartridge 1936 1963 Early AGFA cartridge for 35 mm film
Rapid cartridge 1964 1990s 12 AGFA cartridge for 35 mm film (replaced Karat, same system)
SL cartridge 1958 1990 24 × 36 mm
24 × 24 mm
18 × 24 mm		 12
16
24		 Orwo Schnell-Lade Kassette for 35 mm film
Kassette 16 cartridge 1978 1990s 13 × 17 mm 20 Orwo, 16 mm stock, central perforation (holes between frames)
Introduced exclusively for the Pentacon k16 camera
Super 16 (Rollei) cartridge 1963 1981 13 × 17 mm 18 Rollei, 16 mm stock, perforation on both edges?
with kino film (?) only by Rollei for the Rollei 16 camera; also Wirgin Edixa 16 (Franka / alka 16)
Minolta-16 cartridge 1955 1974 10 × 14 mm (original)
13 × 17 mm (later)		 20 Minolta, 16 mm stock, originally double perforated (single perforated or unperforated film could be loaded), later single perf to allow larger 13 × 17 mm image
  1. Unless otherwise noted, all formats were introduced by Kodak, which began allocating the number series in 1913. Before that, films were simply identified by the name of the cameras they were intended for.[1]

For roll holder means film for cartridge roll holders, allowing roll film to be used with cameras designed to use glass plates. These were spooled with the emulsion facing outward, rather than inward as in film designed for native roll-film cameras. Types 106 to 114 were for Eastman-Walker rollholders, while types 50 to 54 were for Graflex rollholders.

The primary reason there were so many different negative formats in the early days was that prints were made by contact, without use of an enlarger. The film format would thus be exactly the same as the size of the print—so if you wanted large prints, you would have to use a large camera and corresponding film format.

Roll film cross-reference table

Before World War II, each film manufacturer used its own system of numbering for the various sizes of rollfilms they made. The following sortable table shows the corresponding numbers. A blank space means that manufacturer did not make film in that size. Two numbers in one box refers to films available with different numbers of exposures, usually 6 and either 10 or 12. Spool length is measured between inner faces of the flanges; several films of the same image size were available on different spools to fit different cameras.

EastmanAGFAAnscoEnsignVulcanSenecaRexoSpool
length (in)
101 H6 8A, 8B ​3 1⁄2-inch 202 303 3.661
102 1B ​1 1⁄2-inch 204 1.655
103 K6 10A, 10B 4-inch 206 3.912
104 L6 12A, 12B 5-inch 208 5.064
105 C6 5A, 5B ​2 1⁄4-inch C 210 315 2.509
115 13A, 13B 7-inch 230 7.126
116 D6 6A, 6B ​2 1⁄2-inch 232 348 425, 426 2.814
117 B1 3A ​2 1⁄4-inch A 234 2.470
118 E6 7A, 7B ​3 1⁄4-inch 236 354 430, 431 3.474
119 11A, 11B ​4 1⁄4-inch 238 4.490
120 B2 4A ​2 1⁄4-inch B 240 360 415 2.466
121 AB6 2A, 2B ​1 5⁄8-inch 242 1.850
122 G6, G10 18A, 18B ​3 1⁄4-inch A 244 366 445, 446 3.715
123 J6 10C, 10D 4-inch A 246 4.693
124 F6 7C, 7D ​3 1⁄4-inch B 248 372 435 3.716
125 18C, 18D ​3 1⁄4-inch C 250 375 3.912
126 19A ​4 1⁄4-inch A 252 4.898
127 A8 2C Ensignette 1J 254 381 407 1.860
128 O6 Ensignette 1 1.606
129 N6 Ensignette 2 2.059
130 M6 26A, 26B ​2 7⁄8-inch 260 390 436, 438 3.132
616 PD16 2.814
620 PB20 2.468

Single image
Size (inches)Type
​1 5⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8"sixteenth-plate" tintypes
2 × ​2 1⁄2"ninth-plate" tintypes
2 × 3sheet film
​2 1⁄4 × ​3 1⁄4sheet film
​2 1⁄2 × ​3 1⁄2"sixth-plate" tintypes
3 × 4sheet film
​3 1⁄8 × ​4 1⁄8"quarter-plate" tintypes
​3 1⁄4 × ​4 1⁄4sheet film,[7] "quarter-plate" glass plates
​3 1⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2postcard or 3A
4 × 5glass plate,sheet film
4 × 10sheet film
​4 1⁄4 × ​5 1⁄2"half-plate" tintypes
​4 3⁄4 × ​6 1⁄2"half-plate" glass plates, sheet film
5 × 7sheet film
​6 1⁄2 × ​8 1⁄2"whole-plate" glass plates, sheet film, tintypes
7 × 17sheet film
8 × 10glass plates,sheet film
8 × 20sheet film
11 × 14sheet film
12 × 20sheet film
14 × 17sheet film
16 × 20sheet film
20 × 24sheet film
Size (cm)Type
6.5 × 9sheet film
9 × 12glass plate, sheet film
10 × 15sheet film
13 × 18sheet film
18 × 24sheet film
24 × 30sheet film

Instant film
Main article: Instant film
Designation Type Introduced Discontinued Image size Exposures Comment
Type 20Polaroid roll film cartridge19651979​2 1⁄8 × ​2 7⁄8 in8
Type 30Polaroid roll film cartridge19541979​2 1⁄8 × ​2 7⁄8 in8
Type 40Polaroid roll film cartridge19481972 (color)
1992 (monochrome)		​2 7⁄8 × ​3 3⁄4 in6 or 8
Type 50Polaroid peel-apart film pack19??20084 × 5 inIncluding Type 55
Type 80Polaroid peel-apart film pack19712006​2 3⁄4 × ​2 7⁄88 or 10
Type 100Polaroid peel-apart film pack19632016 by Fujifilm

.[8] Reintroduced in 2018

 ​2 7⁄8 × ​3 3⁄4 in8, 10 or 11Discontinued by Polaroid in 2008. Produced and sold by Fujifilm until 2016, when it was discontinued.[8] New 100 type film made by One Instant introduced in 2018
SX-70,
Type 600		Polaroid integral film pack1972–​3 1⁄8 × ​3 1⁄8 in8 or 10Discontinued by Polaroid in 2008; reintroduced by Impossible Project in 2010.
Kodak InstantKodak integral film pack1976198691 × 67 mm10
F SeriesFuji integral film pack1981c. 199091 × 69 mmFilm compatible with Kodak Instant, but in a different cartridge and rated at a (slightly) different speed
KodamaticKodak integral film packc. 1980198691 × 67 mm10
Trimprint,
Instagraphic		Kodak peel-apart film pack198319864 × ​3 1⁄2 in10[9][10]
System 800Fuji integral film pack201091 × 69 mm
Spectra,
Type 700,
Type 1200		Polaroid integral film pack1986Oct. 2019​3 5⁄8 × ​2 7⁄8 in10 or 12 with original Polaroid; 8 with Polaroid Originals/Impossible ProjectDiscontinued by Polaroid in 2008; reintroduced by Impossible Project in 2010; discontinued by Polaroid Originals in 2019.
Captiva,
Type 500		Polaroid integral film pack19932006​2 7⁄8 × ​2 1⁄8 in10
InstantACEFuji integral film pack201091 × 69 mm
8 × 10 Polaroid film pack19??–8 × 10 in1Discontinued by Polaroid; reintroduced by Impossible Project.
i-Zone
Pocket		Polaroid integral film pack1997200636 × 24 mm12
Fujifilm Instax Mini,
PolaroidMio,
PolaroidType 300		Fuji/Polaroid integral film pack1998[11][12][13]–46 × 62 mm10
Instax WideFuji integral film pack1999[13]–99 × 62 mm10
Instax PiviFuji integral film pack2004–46 × 61 mm
I-TypeImpossible integral film pack2016–​3 1⁄8 × ​3 1⁄8 in8Same image format as Polaroid Type 600, but the film cartridge does not contain a battery
Instax SquareFuji integral film pack2017–62 × 62 mm10

See also

References
  1. "The History of Kodak Roll Films". Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  2. "What is 110 film?". lomography.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  3. "The Ensignette Camera". Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  4. "Ilford History and Chronology". Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  5. "Reloading Hit Cameras". Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  6. "17.5mm or "Hit" Style Cameras". Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  7. "Speed Graphic FAQ file". Rochester Institute of Technology. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  8. "インスタントカラーフィルム「FP-100C」販売終了のお知らせ". Fujifilm. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  9. Ortner, E.H. (September 1983). "What's New in Photography". Popular Science (September 1983): 93.
  10. "Photo Kit Copies CRT Images". Popular Science (December 1983): 74. December 1983.
  11. "Fujifilm Instax Mini 10 camera, c2000". National Media Museum. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  12. "Fuji may enter U.S. instant film market". EUROPE: Nytimes.com. 31 October 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. "23 "Japanese Historical Cameras" of 1999 Named". JCII Camera Museum. Japan Camera Industry Institute. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.