Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about APS (Advanced Photo System) but Were REALLY Afraid to Ask!

The Advanced Photo System, or APS, could have been big. But digital happened.  Introduced around 1995, APS or IX240 was slow to take off and confusing at best for photographers.  Available as color negative and C-41 chromogenic B&W film, it was designed to be a simpler, fail proof way to get better photos.  The film could be rewound in mid roll and exchanged for higher speed or even swap color for B&W.

But, questions started to come up:

• where's the film?
• why are there 3 formats? 
• 4x7?
• why can't I see the negatives?
• how do I order reprints?
• can I order a 4x6 even if I shot it as panoramic?......and so on.

The concept was new:  The film is kept inside the cartridge before and after processing. This helps minimize handling and scratches.  An index print is included with processing so it's easy to identify the images by frame number. Each roll comes with a unique 6 digit ID number imprinted on the cartridge, film and index print to keep everything organized. 

APS cameras can shoot three different formats:  Classic or 4x6, HD or 4x7 and Panoramic, 4x12.  The problem with the formatting  is that 4x7 is full frame.  In order to include all of the image, side to side, including everyone in tight group shots or landscapes it necessitated printing a 4x7.

Obstacle #1: no one had 4x7 frames and photo albums.  4x6's were cropped and this confused the photographer on why everything couldn't be printing in the 4x6 ratio, which is full frame on 35mm film, and what most people were used to.

Even though the camera exposed every image full frame, 4x6's and 4x12 shots were simply cropped by the minilab printer at the photo lab.  The camera could be switched to any format at anytime. The viewfinder also changed and the camera encoded the film with exposed "tabs" (as seen by green tabs at edge of film in above image) that were read optically by the negative carrier on the printer to automatically print the size selected at the time of the shot.  

Obstacle #2:  images were shot on panoramic by accident; this prompted the photo lab to print 25 panoramic frames at $1.00 + per print when it was not intended.  A reprint of 25 frames in either 4x7 or 4x6 was then requested, wasting time, money, chemicals and paper. 

Obstacle #3:  After processing, the index print was misplaced confusing the photographer on whether or not the film was a new roll or already processed.  A new index print had to be made in order to request reprints and to identify the frames on that roll of film.

Obstacle #4:  Photo labs were required to upgrade their existing equipment (at a considerable cost) to be able to process and print APS. Why?  The film has to be removed from the cartridge before processing. In order to do this a dettacher device spins the film out of the cassette (in a dark box) and transfers it to another light tight plastic cartridge that is compatible with current C-41 film processing machines. These machines have sensors to read the width of the film which then calculates the appropriate amount of chemical replenisher to add to the tanks based on the size of the film being developed. In contrast, 35mm film is taped to its inner spool in commercially manufactured cassettes and the processing machine cuts the film when it reaches the end as it is pulled from the cassette into the chemical tanks of the machine.  If APS film were not transferred, it would be cut by the machine (not really possible, but this is part of the explanation) and it would not be in a position to be reloaded back into the original cartridge.  After processing, a reattacher puts the developed film back into the original cartridge.  During the subsequent printing phase of the processing,  the film is not removed from the cartridge but rather the negative carrier opens the door and spins the film out of the opening and the prints each frame before reversing it back inside again.  The plastic cartridge used to hold the film for loading into the processing machine is designed with a sticky spool. The APS film would stick to the spool, like a fly to flytrap paper, and the spool would rotate and wind the film up. This spool had to be regularly cleaned with denatured alcohol to eliminate the grime that would adhere to the sticky spool. If left dirty, the film would lose its grip on the sticky spool and just sit there while the spool rotated and the dettacher machine would scream with error sounds alerting you to a load failure. This required a trip to the darkroom to open the unit in the dark, remove all parts, spin the film back into it's own cassette and then clean the transfer cartridge and start over again. FAIL.

Obstacle #5:  Photo labs did not and do not train the lab technician on proper developing and handling procedures for APS film.  I have seen many a roll of APS processed by drug store photo labs that had leader card tape on the head of the film because they didn't detach it first.  FAIL.  If the head or tail of APS film is mangled or damaged, it will not reattach to the cartridge nor will the minilab negative carrier be able to pull the film out.  This would always lead to jamming.  Fuji and Noritsu manufactured reshaping devices to reshape the head and tail of the film (they are different designs and shapes).  This, however, caused additional problems on some minilabs because if the film does not measure the correct length as it is being pulled out of the cassette and exposed or scanned, the printer would jam with errors on film length inaccuracies.  Groan.

Obstacle #6: APS film is 24mm, not 35mm.   This minute size lead to more grain and softer images due to the amount of enlarging required to print the images as 4x6 snapshot size and 5x7 or even 8x10 enlargements. 

Position 1:  New Roll, unexposed, ready to load into camera

Position 2:  Partially exposed.  Can be reloaded and shooting continued

Position 3:  Film exposed, ready for developing

Position 4:  Film Processed

Obstacle #7:   The spool of the cartridge can be rotated at any time with a screwdriver or small tool to push the film out and in doing so the numeric indicator changes with the rotation. If the spool was rotated to position 3 by mistake, one would assume the film had not been processed. Again, I saw many rolls of APS come into the photo lab for processing that had already been developed with the customer adamant that it hadn't.  How can you tell?  The small plastic tab between #2 and #3 positions at the edge of the cartridge. At the time the film is detached, the detaching device punctures that plastic tab, pushing it inward. The above cartridge has been processed as the tab has been pushed in.   

APS film has not been manufactured in some time. You can, however, find batches of expired film in drug stores and camera stores.  Proceed with caution.  I wouldn't shoot anything on APS film that might be important.  Now go have some fun!

If you can find an APS camera.  And it loads the film. And it doesn't jam mid roll.  Groan...