Mystery Film/Notch Code?

haziz · Oct 30, 2015

As I was going through some of my holders I noted some loaded with a mystery film (can't be older than 10-15 years). The film is 5x7 if it matters. I looked up the notch codes for Ilford, Kodak, Fuji and Agfa but none fit well!

Following is the notch code:

Non-emulsion side for base color:

I usually shoot B&W but have tinkered with transparency film particulary in 5x7.

I am still baffled. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Vaughn · Oct 30, 2015

Good luck! Some mail-order companies (Freestyle, PhotoWarehouse, etc) that cut down rolls of film from the film manufacturers used their own generic markings for the sheets. Those markings reminds me of some of that from way back.

Just checked some of my 8x10 negatives -- I have a 8x10 neg on Freestyle Arista 125 that have the identical notches as your mystery film. Negative was exposed in 2005, so film predates that by a bit. (edited: I just found some neg exposed in 2001 on Arista 125). Like fine red wine, my film tends to be aged. It is re-branded Ilford FP4.

But as I wrote, those notches are probably not unique to Arista 125, so yours might be something different. My actual Ilford-boxed FP4+ from the 1990s had two "U" shaped notches, but they are spaced significantly farther apart than your example. (Newer FP4+ film is now notched differently).

Wayne · Oct 31, 2015

Its also consistent with my 8x10 Arista/FP4+ which I opened in 2001. Which I just loaded my very last sheet of.

Kevin Caulfield · Oct 31, 2015

From "Using the View Camera" by Steve Simmons, I would be going with Ilford FP4, maybe before FP4+. The notches shown are pretty much exactly the same spacing as yours.

haziz · Oct 31, 2015

Vaughn said:
Good luck! Some mail-order companies (Freestyle, PhotoWarehouse, etc) that cut down rolls of film from the film manufacturers used their own generic markings for the sheets. Those markings reminds me of some of that from way back.

Just checked some of my 8x10 negatives -- I have a 8x10 neg on Freestyle Arista 125 that have the identical notches as your mystery film. Negative was exposed in 2005, so film predates that by a bit. (edited: I just found some neg exposed in 2001 on Arista 125). Like fine red wine, my film tends to be aged. It is re-branded Ilford FP4.

But as I wrote, those notches are probably not unique to Arista 125, so yours might be something different. My actual Ilford-boxed FP4+ from the 1990s had two "U" shaped notches, but they are spaced significantly farther apart than your example. (Newer FP4+ film is now notched differently).

Wayne said:
Its also consistent with my 8x10 Arista/FP4+ which I opened in 2001. Which I just loaded my very last sheet of.

Kevin Caulfield said:
From "Using the View Camera" by Steve Simmons, I would be going with Ilford FP4, maybe before FP4+. The notches shown are pretty much exactly the same spacing as yours.

Thanks. Makes sense. FP4+ is my main film, and I do vaguely remember buying some "Arista" film in 5x7.

Mystery Film/Notch Code?

haziz

Vaughn

Wayne

Kevin Caulfield

haziz

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