Help developing old roll of slide film

punkzter · Nov 11, 2017

Hi,

I was recently given my grandfather's Leica IIIf. While sending it off for a CLA, I found a finished roll of slide film in it. I sent the roll off to Dwayne's Photo to be developed, but they said that they don't know what type of film it is. I wondered if there were someone here who would recognize it, and maybe know how to develop it.

(This film has sat for maybe 50 years...it's probably shot...but I thought this was worth a try.)

Here are some pictures of the film canister: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fr1cahD2xAjFFwuq1

And the film says ROFS on it. If that helps.

bsdunek · Nov 11, 2017

Looks like it may have been a reload with no markings on the canister. I would suggest two things you might try as it may be a loss anyway. 1. develop as ektachrome which would be very likely. Of course you may not know if it's E-4 or E-6. If you have an idea of the age you might tell. 2. develop as B&W. Now, it could be Kodachrome - that's a little easier as Kodachrome was a three layer B&W film - color was added in processing. Anyway, here are some links -
https://www.lomography.com/magazine...dak-kodachrome-with-black-and-white-chemicals
http://www.shootingfilm.net/2012/12/how-to-develop-color-films-with-black.html

foc · Nov 12, 2017

There is also the slim chance is could be an Agfa transparency film, which used AP41 process and is now obsolete and not compatible with E4 or E6.

I think the safest way is to process as B&W.

punkzter · Nov 12, 2017

So, could I just send this back to dwayne's and ask them to develop it as B&W?

Let me rephrase that, what exactly would I ask them to do, if I sent it back? Could I say:

"Please develop this as B&W 400 iso film? I understand that it may ruin the film."

foc · Nov 12, 2017

"Please develop this as B&W 400 iso film? I understand that it may ruin the film."

Yes, that is exactly what you could say. If you know someone that develops their own B&W films then they might do it for you.

What have you to loose? If nothing comes out, well that's life. If something does, then is will be fun to see what it is, old family shots?

I look forward to hearing how you get on.

MattKing · Nov 12, 2017

Dwayne's may be unwilling to do this for you, because there is a good chance that they use chemicals that are designed to be reused. You probably need to find someone who uses "one-shot" chemistry. Your unidentified roll might create development byproducts that would affect the usability of chemicals that are intended to be re-used.
If you were nearby, I would be happy to develop them as black and white for you. I would just make a point to use chemicals that I can afford to discard thereafter.

mikemgb · Nov 12, 2017

I have developed a few old films with some success, I'd be willing to give it a try for you in black and white chemistry. Obviously there are no guarantees but some kind of image can usually be obtained.

I have some of my films on a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FoundFilmDetective/

Message me if you're interested.

railwayman3 · Nov 12, 2017

The film looks like a professional lab reloaded cassette, perhaps one of the "Free film with every film processed" services.

In which case are the letters an abbreviation for R...... O...... Film Service ? A long shot, but anyone know of a processing lab which used that branding ?

punkzter · Nov 12, 2017

Thanks everyone. I reached out to mikemgb to see if he would give developing it a shot.

tezzasmall · Nov 13, 2017

I developed a 'found colour film' for someone a while back, in b/w chemicals. The guy had found the film in a charity shop purchase of an old camera.

The negatives came out really thin and even printing on grade 5 didn't show much. I then took these 7" x 5" prints and scanned them and adjusted them in PS and made inkjet prints that were in the end not too bad.

The guy that asked me to do it all, contacted his local paper and relatives of the people in the photos came forward and happily took the photos I had made of the now deceased persons.

It really was quite an emotional story all round and one worth doing.

So good luck with it all guys.

Terry S

trendland · Nov 13, 2017

punkzter said:
Hi,

I was recently given my grandfather's Leica IIIf. While sending it off for a CLA, I found a finished roll of slide film in it. I sent the roll off to Dwayne's Photo to be developed, but they said that they don't know what type of film it is. I wondered if there were someone here who would recognize it, and maybe know how to develop it.

(This film has sat for maybe 50 years...it's probably shot...but I thought this was worth a try.)

Here are some pictures of the film canister: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fr1cahD2xAjFFwuq1

And the film says ROFS on it. If that helps.

Well punkzter I indeed don't want to destroy your hope with your grandfathers films.
But let us be a little realistic.
If it would be a bw emulsion it has to be :
1) much much fogged
2) the latent imagiges on your films are so much gone within 50 years - it will be a hard job to identifie anything remaining on the films with best experts to bw developements made by FBI or military reconaissance officials

.....
And if it is indeed slide film material it is much more complicate in comparison.
I have forgotten a nearly 20 years old Kodachrome25.Dwaynes developement gave fine results after this long period.
Some colors were remaining but very less.The rest was grainy as ISO 1600 films.
And this was just with a remarkable long time stabile Kodakchrome film after 20 years. 50 years are out of range to have results Form my point of view.
But you obviously don't want to give grandfathers films into scratch.
So try this : Take a part of a film of 2-3 frames (be sure of T O T A L darkness)
in a developement tank and develope your frames in D76,Xtol as long as you want .....or double times of APX25 for example.
If you see any kind different than a blank film after this - it possible make sense to advance .....but there are strong doubts from my side - sorry to state.
with regards

mikemgb · Nov 13, 2017

tezzasmall said:
I developed a 'found colour film' for someone a while back, in b/w chemicals. The guy had found the film in a charity shop purchase of an old camera.

The negatives came out really thin and even printing on grade 5 didn't show much. I then took these 7" x 5" prints and scanned them and adjusted them in PS and made inkjet prints that were in the end not too bad.

The guy that asked me to do it all, contacted his local paper and relatives of the people in the photos came forward and happily took the photos I had made of the now deceased persons.

It really was quite an emotional story all round and one worth doing.

So good luck with it all guys.

Terry S

I have a similar story, I found a roll of Ansco film in a bag with an Exacta. I developed the negs, they were very dense but scanned OK. I posted the photos on a local Facebook page and the local newspaper and TV station picked up on it. I did locate the family. The photos had been taken in 1949 and three of the subjects are still alive. They were thrilled to get the negs and a set of prints back.

foc · Nov 19, 2017

punkzter said:
Thanks everyone. I reached out to mikemgb to see if he would give developing it a shot.

Can you let us know how you get on , please.

Maybe even post a photo or two of the results.

I would be positive about the results. I own a lab & photo shop and I have processed many old films (Kodachrome, Agfa CNS, etc) as B&W for customers and 80% of the films have images.

Look forward to seeing your results.

RauschenOderKorn · Nov 19, 2017

trendland said:
If it would be a bw emulsion it has to be :
1) much much fogged
2) the latent imagiges on your films are so much gone within 50 years - it will be a hard job to identifie anything remaining on the films with best experts to bw developements made by FBI or military reconaissance officials.....

It is like with the cat: No way to tell until you open the box (or in this case develop the film).
Don´t be too pessimistic, there is a good chance that something useful can be on the film.

trendland · Nov 19, 2017

RauschenOderKorn said:
It is like with the cat: No way to tell until you open the box (or in this case develop the film).
Don´t be too pessimistic, there is a good chance that something useful can be on the film.

Yeah - but not after 50 years.
Fresh developed E6 films unexpired cooled stuff began to loose colors after
40 - 45 years.
with regards

Help developing old roll of slide film

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