KODAK VISION 500 IN SINGLE-8 CARTRIDGES

After testing the Super-8 cartridges loaded with Kodak Vision 500, modified by Phil Vigeant for Pro 8mm and successfully running them through my Bauer A512 Mark II and C900 rear-load cameras —without a single transport failure—, I decided to give that same film a second life by reloading it into my own Single-8 cartridges.

Since, for those mechanical tests, I had advanced the film with the aperture closed, black polarizing filter, and lens cap on, the emulsion remained perfectly unexposed — pristine. It would have been a waste not to use it, so I reloaded it into my custom Single-8 cartridges, engraved with the IB Cinema acronym, which I have been reusing again and again over the years.

Night vision googles in the lab: one for Álex, one for me

This simple act perfectly illustrates one of the great ecological virtues of the Single-8 system: it was designed from the very beginning to be reusable. In today’s world, where sustainability has become a modern mantra, this 1965 innovation feels surprisingly ahead of its time.

Although Vision 500 is rated at 500 ASA, the cartridge coding reads 400 ASA. That slight overexposure, for reasons hard to explain but easy to see on screen, creates a subtle improvement in the image — a gentler grain, richer color density, and a pleasant overall balance. At the time of writing, Kodak continues to supply Vision 500 with its traditional rem-jet anti-halation backing.

Super.8 film in Single-8 film: not for sale, ONLY FOR MY FILM PROJECTS

Another unexpected advantage of this film is its thin base, even finer than that of Vision 50. Thanks to this, I can load up to 13 meters of film into a Single-8 cartridge, instead of the usual 11 or 12. The extra two meters from each roll are spliced together into a small six-meter cartridge, perfect for filming casual family moments or for testing processing chemicals before developing more important work.

Because here at IB Cinema, every single frame counts — just as, in life, we should strive to make the most of every moment.