Green negatives?

[JPD]

I had Fuji Direct here in Sweden develop a roll of Agfa Vista 200, and the negatives came back green. The prints are brownish, almost looking like there was a light leak in the camera (there isn't).

Why the green negs, and can I blame the lab?

 

[likemarlonbrando]

that can definitely happen as film ages. working at a lab I see it a lot with older film

 

[JPD]

The date on the film is 2005. I thought it might be ok since it had been stored in my fridge, but I was wrong then. Anyway, it was just my first test roll with a Retina IB, so it didn't contain any important shots.

This is the "best" one on the roll.

 

[kevs]

The date on the film is 2005. I thought it might be ok since it had been stored in my fridge, but I was wrong then. Anyway, it was just my first test roll with a Retina IB, so it didn't contain any important shots.

This is the "best" one on the roll.

It looks like fogging to me. If you look at the right and left edges of your image you'll see a red colour cast which is characteristic of light leaking into either the camera or film cassette. It's also possible it happened during processing. It looks quite even on your first image, so I could be wrong.

 

[nickrapak]

This is a bizarre effect that happens to old C-41 films. A while back, I used five rolls from the same emulsion of Royal Gold 100. Four rolls came out fine, and the fifth was green, just like yours.

 

[msa]

It's not a light leak. That's just old C-41. My GF found several 15-20 year old C-41 films she'd taken.

They are made by 3M, Fuji, Kodak, etc.

Some were processed by Dwayne's, some by Walgreens down the street, and some by Fuji via Wal-Mart.

All came back with varying shades of green fogging. The oldest, Gold 100 from the mid to late 80s, came back completely green fogged. Hard to tell if it was exposed since the fogging is so dense, and so green.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Three sprocket holes to the right of the finger, you see an area of "good" imaging. Above this in the hole area you see some yellowish light colored area.

This appears to be uneven red safelight fog.

PE

 

[msa]

Not sure that's fogging, PE. I see that the contour in question is the outline of a lamp it's being held up to.

It has the look of old C-41, for sure.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Well, the fog is spotty, that is for sure, but Agfa in my hands had a tendency to fog even if frozen.

PE

 

[msa]

JPD, when it was refrigerated, had it ever been open? (Exposed to moisture?)

That could explain the patchiness in the fog around the edges, esp. if the film curled a bit in the canister.

I just can't see this as safelight fog from Fuji, since they just process color, at least here in the US, they seem to farm B&W out.

 

[JPD]

JPD, when it was refrigerated, had it ever been open? (Exposed to moisture?)

I don't think so (it was a year ago I loaded the camera with it). I always keep the film in the canister until it has warmed up to room temperature.

I just can't see this as safelight fog from Fuji, since they just process color, at least here in the US, they seem to farm B&W out.

It's the same here. They don't even process 120-film anymore.

 

[Q.G.]

That could explain the patchiness in the fog around the edges, esp. if the film curled a bit in the canister.

What patchiness?
Uneven illumination yes. But patchy fogging?

 

[msa]

The edges of the print.

 

[Q.G.]

Ah, i see!

 

[hpulley]

2005 expired film isn't old! I've been shooting a ton of 2003, 2004 and 2005 Kodak Portra 160NC and 400VC and Fuji NPH and it all looks very good! It wasn't even stored well some of it I think was at room temps all that time. I shoot it 2/3-1 stop over to be sure so shooting at 100 and 200 works well for this 6-8 year expired film.