Mystery film?

mfohl · May 2, 2015

Hello Folks, I develop film for one of the camera stores in town. They give me film in the little paper bags with names and sometimes telephone numbers. I got one roll of 120 film with no identification. On the taped end, the paper is black and the only word is EXPOSED. After loading the film onto the tank, I saved the rest of the paper backing. On the far other end, the paper was white with the word UNEXPOSED. No name, film speed, or anything else. In the middle, with the frame numbers, are little circles. This kind of brings to mind Fuji film.

Does anyone have any idea what this film could be? Oh, and I called the lady whose number was on the bag, and she said she didn't remember what kind of film it was. Very helpful.

Thanks, as usual,

-- Mark

480sparky · May 2, 2015

The numbers and circles are for viewing the frame number. So it still could be ANY type of film.

Perhaps a photo of the paper might help.

Sirius Glass · May 2, 2015

I had some of that in 120 and it turned out to be Rollei R3. Rollei gets it jollies by using black paper only marked with "Unexposed" and "Exposed" which makes their film about as useful as nothing to me. If they are too lazy to label their film, they can just go out of business as far as I am concerned.

pentaxuser · May 2, 2015

Sounds as if it might be Shanghai GP3 given how little there is to identify it but this is somewhat speculative on my part.

pentaxuser

summicron1 · May 2, 2015

D-76, 1:1, 68 degrees for 12 minutes.

What the hell, right?

pentaxuser · May 2, 2015

summicron1 said:
D-76, 1:1, 68 degrees for 12 minutes.

What the hell, right?

Is this an average based on a variety of possible films or simply that 12 mins at a 1+1 dilution gives enough development to ensure that the neg can be printed irrespective of what the film is? Thanks

pentaxuser

summicron1 · May 2, 2015

pentaxuser said:
Is this an average based on a variety of possible films or simply that 12 mins at a 1+1 dilution gives enough development to ensure that the neg can be printed irrespective of what the film is? Thanks

pentaxuser

it is a bit of over-development for some films, average for most. If you do that, and the film is black and white, you will, at worst, get slightly dense negatives but printable. To do less is to risk under-development.

Foma/Arista films are mostly developed around that time. Tri-X is almost 10 minutes (but is 13 when pushed to 1600), and so on. For a film you don't know, and want to end up with something you can use, this will do it for you.

Under-development would leave you with thin negs, always harder to salvage images from.

so, it's a craps shoot but this way the craps are in your favor.

mfohl · May 2, 2015

summicron1 said:
D-76, 1:1, 68 degrees for 12 minutes.

What the hell, right?

I was thinking 11 minutes, but we're both in the ballpark ....

And yes, certainly, it is a crapshoot ...

MattKing · May 2, 2015

Ask the lady if she minds you cutting it in two. Explain that you want to do a test development of 3 inches or so, in order to increase the reliability of your development of the rest. Warn her that she may lose a part of it.

If she is okay with it, develop the first 3 inches at your best guess, and then inspect.

fotch · May 3, 2015

Do you know if it is B&W or Color?

pdeeh · May 3, 2015

mfohl said:
the paper was white

pentaxuser said:
Sounds as if it might be Shanghai GP3

the former rules out the latter.

pentaxuser · May 3, 2015

pdeeh said:
the former rules out the latter.

Quite right I hadn't read the post correctly and seeing the mention of black paper wrongly read this as the colour of it in its wrapped state.

As it is white does that narrow it down and might the backing paper not reveal more with its warning system when you are nearing the frame number?

pentaxuser

Denverdad · May 3, 2015

Could it be Fuji FP4+ or Ultrafine Extreme 400?

Jeff

Prof_Pixel · May 3, 2015

Back in 'the old days', a couple of second-tier Japanese film makers produced a lot of private label films for drug stores, camera stores, etc. It sounds like you probably have one of these private label films, especially since the owner has no idea what it is. Just give it your best guess on development. Again, back in 'the old days'. photofinishers processed all the B&W film they received the same.

Sirius Glass · May 3, 2015

mfohl said:
... the paper was white ...

That eliminates Rollei R3.

mfohl · May 3, 2015

Mystery film

OK Folks, I developed the film. I did 12 minutes in D76 1+1; highlights were a little heavy. Maybe I should have done 11 or even 10 minutes. But not too bad for a guess. And amazingly, there is nothing on the film either; only frame numbers.

I have attached a snapshot of the paper: black at one end with only the word EXPOSED, white at the other end with the word UNEXPOSED, and only frame numbers and circles in the middle. If anybody can identify this film, I would appreciate it; I can do better the next time.

winger · May 3, 2015

My paper for Ilford Delta 100 looks exactly the same - same style of circles and same font for numbers. But my Delta has the taped tab that says Ilford Delta 100. Is the backing paper Ilford uses the same as what's used for Kentmere or (at one time) Arista? At 1:1, 11 minutes in D-76 would be fine for D100.

MattKing · May 4, 2015

Can we see the frame numbers and anything else on the film rebates?

kossi008 · May 4, 2015

This looks very familiar... could be one of the Rollei RPX films... 400 or 100, that is.
Unfortunately, I cannot say for sure because I threw out the paper of the RPX 400 I developed a couple of weeks ago. But I could take a look at the frame numbers tonight, when I get home from the office...

Sirius Glass · May 4, 2015

kossi008 said:
This looks very familiar... could be one of the Rollei RPX films... 400 or 100, that is.
Unfortunately, I cannot say for sure because I threw out the paper of the RPX 400 I developed a couple of weeks ago. But I could take a look at the frame numbers tonight, when I get home from the office...

And another example of Rollei being to lazy and stupid to label the film.

pentaxuser · May 4, 2015

I recall a thread where someone kindly gave examples of at least three makers' backing paper but cannot now the thread's name. Pity since this kind of question arises occasionally and a reference article to which anyone can refer would be useful.
Unless other makers use the same system as Ilford which I doubt from my memory of the above unknown thread this backing paper is exactly the same as some I had kept from an Ilford 120

pentaxuser

pdeeh · May 4, 2015

winger said:
Is the backing paper Ilford uses the same as what's used for Kentmere or (at one time) Arista?

Kentmere is only produced in 135 isn't it?

MartinP · May 4, 2015

Yes, but very similar emulsions are available in 120 as RPX100 and RPX400 (Rollei branded materials), which may well be made in UK . . .

DWThomas · May 4, 2015

Based on rather limited sampling here, Ilford and Fuji are both black at the exposed end, but Fuji has three little rings of decreasing size leading to the frame number that are made of solid lines. Ilford also has rings of decreasing size, but the rings are made of dots. The other is that Fuji has

A comparison of Fuji Acros, Kodak 400TX and Ilford FP4 Plus from some earlier discussion. I guess the makers only put ID on the little sticky tapes so the backing paper can be universal.

cmacd123 · May 4, 2015

I would flag it as Private label made or at least packaged by Ilford.

Second the idea of a stickly thread with some examples of different makers backing paper over the years. I know I often save a sample of unusual backing (strange sub hobby I know) to allow for needed comparisons.

New Illford does only use one standard paper for all the film they package with the sealing bands being the only place the film type is marked. That was also fairly typical of many of the European brands I have used over the years. Kodak always had distinctive paper for each film.

Mystery film?

mfohl

480sparky

Sirius Glass

pentaxuser

summicron1

pentaxuser

summicron1

mfohl

MattKing

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fotch

pdeeh

pentaxuser

Denverdad

Prof_Pixel

Sirius Glass

mfohl

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winger

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kossi008

Sirius Glass

pentaxuser

pdeeh

MartinP

DWThomas

cmacd123

Mystery film?

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