Microfilm Equipment

Rotary
Rapid filming of standard-sized documents, such as checks, can be achieved with a rotary camera. It films documents 11 or 12 inches wide on 16 mm film as they are being moved by rollers and/or belts passed by an open slot aperture. Fragile (some types of copies and onion skin), brittle, or damaged documents should not be filmed on a rotary camera.
Diazo Duplicator
This piece of equipment is used to make diazo duplicates of master film. These copies are called the “working copy”, and would typically be found in libraries, research rooms, etc. They are not archival and can be replaced as necessary.
Processor
A large, deep tank machine used to develop microfilm. The deep tanks ensure consistency of film quality and a true archival wash, removing all of the developing chemicals from the emulsion.
Mekel Mach V roll film scanner & the Mach VII fiche scanner
These devices reformat film, rolls 16 or 35 mm. or fiche of various formats, into digital images which can be uploaded into a variety of storage systems.
Staude SMA 51
This is a very high resolution digital film recorder. Images are scanned at remote sites, sent to the Archives over the internet and these images are then exposed onto a roll of microfilm, 16 or 35mm, cine or landscape mode. The microfilm is then stored in an environmentally controlled space as back up should the digital files become corrupted.
Silver Duplicator
Similar in function to the Diazo duplicator it creates a silver based copy of a roll of master film, 16 or 35 mm. These are also considered “working copies”, however they have a longer use and storage life than a Diazo duplicate. They can also be reversed into a positive image.

Page Last Updated January 4, 2013.