Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/05

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Subject: Re: [Leica] perforations
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Tue, 05 May 1998 21:52:02 -0700

At 12:38 PM 5/5/98 +0200, you wrote:
>Lug-nuts
>Leica was the first to use perforated film so why doesn't Leica take the
>lead and develop a camera transport system that uses full width 35mm film
>without those useless holes and stone age sprockets?  
>
>Pinch-rollers are quite adequate and can (for instance) position a magnetic
>tape on a computor tape drive within microns.  Vacuum on the pressure
>plate(head) and chrome guides ensures media flatness, so the "margin" is
>not required.  The vacuum also gives excellent start/stop performance.
>
>This would give over 20% extra film area for free.  With present lenses
>there would be only a tiny amount of corner vignetting, if any.
>
>I believe Leica was left out of the APS scam so why dont they hit back with
>a meaningful advance.  I am sure that Leica could do it.  Star Wars 2.  
>Flatten the opposition with precision engineering.  Or am I missing
>something obvious here. 
>
>Alan Hull
> 

When pinch rollers sit unused (pinched) for long periods of time, they go
flat on one side. This would cause uneven film advancement, It would also
spawn a whole new business. Exchanging flat pinch rollers.

The second problem is that Leica would have to make their own film. Not
likely!

I suggest instead, you buy a Hassy, Rollei, or 6x7 Pentax for that larger,
no sprocket hole, film format.

Jim