30 rolls of wet film...what to do?

Karl K · Jul 13, 2021

I've been given the task of processing 30 rolls of 35mm color print film, all C-41.
These rolls were stored in the trunk of a car that became soaking wet.
It is not known how long these rolls were in the trunk, or if the film is still soaking wet, partially wet, or dried out and stuck together.
I do not intend to do this in my home darkroom, as I am not set up for C-41.

I called a couple of labs, but they were not much help.
They recommended trying one or two rolls as a test.
But a one or two roll test won't necessarily guarantee the results of the rest of the 30 roll batch.

What steps should I take to process this film?

BrianShaw · Jul 13, 2021

First, have a good cry. What a disaster!

Donald Qualls · Jul 13, 2021

First, get all those films into clean water -- if they were wet, best they stay wet; they won't get any worse that way (at least over a period of days, perhaps even weeks).

Then either get a couple C-41 kits on the way (it's easy, barely any more to it than B&W) or get in touch with a professional lab where you can talk to someone who actually knows the processing, and ask them about processing film that's already wet (they've heard it before, I'm sure). It shouldn't be a big problem, other than the increased possibility of scratches -- and if you mention that up front, they'll know you know. You'll pay more for professional processing, but you'll get a lab that will handle the film in the best possible way (dip and dunk is what you want), and if you have the ability to scan the negatives, you won't pay extra to get them back as uncut negs without scans or prints -- might actually not cost much more than "no-negs" processing with crappy prints, bad scans, and very possibly "oh, sorry, the leader card came off -- nine times -- and those rolls were ruined."

removed account4 · Jul 13, 2021

hi Karl K
I'm sorry for your loss.
if the emulsion got wet and dried again its probably all stuck together..
emulsion sticks like glue. you might as well
take all that film and stick it all in a bucket and open 1 up in the dark
to see if it is, and who knows you might have lucked out !

fingers are crossed for you.
John

Donald Qualls · Jul 13, 2021

Actually, you're in New Jersey? Have you called Unique Photo? Yeah, I know, probably not just down the street, but at least within an hour's drive...

Andrew O'Neill · Jul 13, 2021

That reminds of the previous photo teacher here who's film fridge defrosted over the weekend due to power outage. Seven rolls of bulk Plus-X were in the bottom drawer, which was completely full of water. 700 feet of classic Plus-X destroyed. I almost started to cry.

Kino · Jul 13, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
First, get all those films into clean water -- if they were wet, best they stay wet; they won't get any worse that way (at least over a period of days, perhaps even weeks).

Then either get a couple C-41 kits on the way (it's easy, barely any more to it than B&W) or get in touch with a professional lab where you can talk to someone who actually knows the processing, and ask them about processing film that's already wet (they've heard it before, I'm sure). It shouldn't be a big problem, other than the increased possibility of scratches -- and if you mention that up front, they'll know you know. You'll pay more for professional processing, but you'll get a lab that will handle the film in the best possible way (dip and dunk is what you want), and if you have the ability to scan the negatives, you won't pay extra to get them back as uncut negs without scans or prints -- might actually not cost much more than "no-negs" processing with crappy prints, bad scans, and very possibly "oh, sorry, the leader card came off -- nine times -- and those rolls were ruined."

Exactly. Get them into clean water. If you need time, get them in the refrigerator but don't freeze them.

foc · Jul 13, 2021

From a labs point of view, wet film can be a disaster. ( that may be why they weren't very helpful, they don't want to take on the job)

Emulsion stuck, film snapping, gunk coming out of the cassettes, rusty water running out of the cassette. Bits coming off the film in the chemicals. The extra time involved and the cleanup..........

Remember to a lab time is money and processing 30 such films would require a special run, hold other work back and then check that everything is ok afterward so normal processing can proceed.

A lab may take one or two and give it a try but 30????
It can be a mess to handle and unless the customer is prepared to pay extra, how is it worth it?
If I was the lab I would double the price to make it worthwhile.

Even soaking the films in water may not unstick, already stuck emulsion, especially if it had dried out.
I don't mean to dampen (no pun intended) your spirits but home processing may be the way to go.

Wallendo · Jul 13, 2021

A quick and easy screening test is to use a film extractor to pull out 1-2 inches of film. If the film can be extracted, that suggests that the film is not stuck to itself, and if the film looks normal, there is a good chance it will develop well. Film that passes this test is likely to develop well, and since you are only exposing the leader to light, you are not causing any major film damage.

For rolls that fail this test, consider developing a test roll in B&W chemistry and see what you get

Rowreidr · Jul 13, 2021

I'm in Bergen county if you want me to run a test roll or two, of if you need some chems.

mshchem · Jul 13, 2021

You need to be motivated. I've got a rack for a 3 1/2 gallon tank, 30 Hewes reels, easy to load even wet. Personally I would not waste my time. I'm assuming that the picture is NOT the film in question?

MattKing · Jul 13, 2021

Someone with a dip and dunk machine would be more likely to be willing to deal with this than someone who uses a roller transport machine.

summicron1 · Jul 13, 2021

i'm with the guys who advised a test roll -- keep your expectations very very low here. I know from sad experience that if you get film wet and leave it that way more than a cupla days the emulsion turns to mush. How long since these got wet?

Huss · Jul 13, 2021

It's already wet, so don't hold back...

https://www.lomography.com/magazine/284773-pee-film-soak-by-brigette-bloom

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Jul 14, 2021

If labs refuse to process these rolls, try asking for help in this forum. I'm sure someone who develops C41 film at home would be able to develop these films for you if you compensate them for their time and chemistry and keep the expectations appropriately low. Or try enlisting the help of multiple people and distribute the rolls among them.

Donald Qualls · Jul 14, 2021

The biggest issue with that is keeping the film wet while getting it to other forum members. Not to mention, as noted above, they need to be folks who use stainless equipment; I have Paterson and Arista reels and they're almost impossible to load if they're even damp, so I'd have to fill my sink or a tub for each batch of three rolls just to get the film onto the reels -- and then deal with deep standing water in the dark.

Raghu Kuvempunagar · Jul 14, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
The biggest issue with that is keeping the film wet while getting it to other forum members.

Would it work if OP removes the film from the cassette, dry it in his darkroom and respool the film after it has fully dried? Too much of a hassle?

OP: If you can't get the rolls developed by labs, you might want to consider developing all the rolls in B&W chemistry. You can get good results if you try the method described here.

Donald Qualls · Jul 14, 2021

Raghu Kuvempunagar said:
Would it work if OP removes the film from the cassette, dry it in his darkroom and respool the film after it has fully dried? Too much of a hassle?

Unless he can leave his darkroom without letting light in, he'd have to stay in there, in total darkness, for an hour or more while each batch of film dries (probably longer -- can't tell if it's dry in the dark without leaving fingerprints), as well as somehow hanging it, taking it down, and respooling it without dropping it on the floor (I drop a roll in the light every so often when hanging freshly washed film).

VinceInMT · Jul 14, 2021

Processing in a roller/continuous processor would be a problem since, as I remember them from the lab I worked in back in the 1970s, the film has to be connected to a leader and the rolls to one another. We used a heat splice which would not work with wet film. Staples might be possible but only if the type of processor allowed it.

For me, this sounds like it will have to be someone's labor of love. I'd go into the darkroom, open each canister, and drop the film into a buck of clean, cool water. Place a light proof cover on the bucket and let them soak a bit. Then I'd, in the dark, take them out, 4 rolls at a time, and wind them onto stainless reels and drop them into a 1-liter tank. Process and repeat.

copyjockey · Jul 14, 2021

Don't staple them to a leader, the metal might damage the rollers.

Steve

VinceInMT · Jul 14, 2021

copyjockey said:
Don't staple them to a leader, the metal might damage the rollers.

Steve

Yes, that's what I was referring to and probably why a lab that doesn't do dip and dunk would be reluctant. Labs might also be concerned about what would flake off the rolls and contaminate the stuff.

foc · Jul 14, 2021

VinceInMT said:
Yes, that's what I was referring to and probably why a lab that doesn't do dip and dunk would be reluctant. Labs might also be concerned about what would flake off the rolls and contaminate the stuff.

Staples will rust in photo chemicals and can break off and cause untold damage to the film and machine.

Commercial film processors are basically.

Hign speed film processors, that work similarly to a movie film processor. The rolls of film are spliced together onto big rolls and attached to a leader film. I don't think you will see many of these around now as they need big volume to operate.
Dip & dunk, which like its name suggests, processes the films dipping the film (on a special rack)into the chemicals.
Roller transport processor. These have a series of rollers that will draw and drive the film through the machine. Rarely used for C41 more for Xray and RA4 etc.
Leader card processors like in a mini lab. The film is spliced onto a leader card that is driven through the processor by a leader belt. The film is only toughed by the machine on the edges.

The biggest problem is getting the wet film out of the cassettes in one piece and handling it in a clean and safe manner. (Handling slippy wet film in the dark is not the easiest and you would need to keep your hands clean and dry).
A dip and dunk processor would be the easiest to handle this as the wet film just need the film weight clip to be attached. With a leader card processor, the first 2 to 3 cm of the film must be dry to attach the splicing tape.

Trust me it will not be easy to get a lab to do this.

gone · Jul 14, 2021

I'd take 3 rolls at random and soak them in distilled water for a good long while. Drain and refill as needed. Then open the canisters in the dark, soak the film in a tray of distilled water, and let the film dry (in the dark). Then put them in the developing tank(s) and see what you got. From your description of the circumstances, I wouldn't hold much hope for the film though.

removed account4 · Jul 14, 2021

if you decide to get rid of your film can you please contact me I will pay for the shipping ...

copyjockey · Jul 14, 2021

I had assumed this was exposed film, or are you trying to salvage unexposed film?

Steve

30 rolls of wet film...what to do?

Karl K

BrianShaw

Donald Qualls

removed account4

Donald Qualls

Andrew O'Neill

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Kino

foc

Wallendo

Rowreidr

mshchem

MattKing

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summicron1

Huss

Raghu Kuvempunagar

Donald Qualls

Raghu Kuvempunagar

Donald Qualls

VinceInMT

copyjockey

VinceInMT

foc

gone

removed account4

copyjockey

30 rolls of wet film...what to do?

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