PACIFICFILM? Any idea who made this film from 1980s bought in Australia

Tony Egan · Feb 13, 2014

I'm working on scanning all my colour film negatives from 1979. Reached 1985 and can't recognise this film. I was a bit stretched financially at the time and recall often buying the cheapest film around from the pharmacy or supermarket in Sydney. I also have a memory of some outlets giving you a "free replacement film" which was rarely a major name brand - maybe in a red box? I've tried googling but can't seem to locate any information about PACIFICFILM. I presume it was a rebadged film. Fuji or Agfa perhaps? Anyone else with a long memory or recollections of this film? Cheers, Tony

Michael W · Feb 13, 2014

Pacific was a big lab based at St Leonards. They did all the processing of film left at chemist shops, same day turnaround, just before minilabs came along. It was connected to Hanimex in some way, perhaps owned by the same guy. So it would have been rebranded Kodak, Agfa or Fuji as you speculate. I wonder if any of them manufactured film in Australia in that era?

bsdunek · Feb 13, 2014

Maybe Ferrina? They did a lot of store brand film in the U.S. before they stopped making film. They are supposed to be back soon.

Molli · Feb 13, 2014

Hi Tony,
I have a 126 Cartridge and all of its packaging from PacificFilm. The box and cartridge read "Made in Japan for Pacific Film Laboratories Australia". I'm happy to scan the packaging for you if you'd like to have a copy for future reference and a trip down memory lane.

Alan Klein · Feb 13, 2014

I remember those freebie films they would give you when you processed film. I never used them. I was loyal to Kodak film. Then I started mailing all my film to the Kodak Labs in New Jersey. I used to think their processing was better than the local drug store processor.

AgX · Feb 13, 2014

I got sample of Sacuracolor of that period, yielding the the same lettertypes on both edges, though I can't see whether that sample has got that arrow too.

Tony Egan · Feb 13, 2014

Michael W said:
Pacific was a big lab based at St Leonards. They did all the processing of film left at chemist shops, same day turnaround, just before minilabs came along. It was connected to Hanimex in some way, perhaps owned by the same guy. So it would have been rebranded Kodak, Agfa or Fuji as you speculate. I wonder if any of them manufactured film in Australia in that era?

Thanks Michael. Hanimex is another name that has all but disappeared. The site below says it is now linked to Fujifilm, so maybe it was re-badged Fuji per Molli's post indicating it was made in Japan.
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Hanimex

Tony Egan · Feb 13, 2014

Molli said:
Hi Tony,
I have a 126 Cartridge and all of its packaging from PacificFilm. The box and cartridge read "Made in Japan for Pacific Film Laboratories Australia". I'm happy to scan the packaging for you if you'd like to have a copy for future reference and a trip down memory lane.

Thanks Molli. If you can scan and post it here that would be great.

Kevin Caulfield · Feb 13, 2014

I remember it well. Pacific film was everywhere in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Tony Egan · Feb 13, 2014

Alan Klein said:
I remember those freebie films they would give you when you processed film. I never used them. I was loyal to Kodak film. Then I started mailing all my film to the Kodak Labs in New Jersey. I used to think their processing was better than the local drug store processor.

Based on the scans of about 5 different types of film so far this Pacific film has held up pretty well. Kodak is probably the best in terms of colour fading and ageing artefacts. Some rolls of Fuji NR 400 film has aged and discoloured quite badly but hard to know how much is due to underlying film quality vs processing quality? My memory is that 400ISO colour negative film of that era did not have a great reputation.

Molli · Feb 14, 2014

Here are photos of the packaging and 126 cartridge for you, Tony:

and in reference to Hanimex, mentioned earlier, my first ever camera which I used to shove in the faces of my poor, beleaguered school friends:

It turns out that the trip down memory lane was perhaps more relevant for me than for you and Kevin. Possibly because the road isn't quite so long

Not to suggest you're old or anything, merely that I might just be a tad younger!

Tony Egan · Feb 14, 2014

Ah, the red box. I can have some faith in my memory after all! I suspect this was the free replacement film from the local chemist at the time. Thanks Molli.

Some additional trivia, I just realised that the woman in the photo on the bottom right of the negs I scanned is Jayne Torvill of Torvill and Dean fame. One of those strange life coincidences as the winter olympics is on at the moment and my wife is glued to the ice dancing! And Jayne is a few months older than me so we can't be that old, right?

Molli · Feb 14, 2014

Given the fact that the mere mention of Torville & Dean set "Bolero" resounding through my skull, I'm going to go with the "we're not old at all" option here

largeformat pat · Feb 14, 2014

Tony,
I'm pretty sure Ham & Eggs, (Hanimex) was the supplier of Pacific Film, they also supplied Soul Patternson Chemists with their own film as well as this type. The were a big concern, they processed E6 and such and were the importers/ agents for Durst at one stage. Their main office was in Brookvale. I picked up a bit of Durst gear from there when in the trade.

Wyno · Feb 15, 2014

Tony, Hanimex used to be the importer of Fuji lenses back in the early and middle 80's. I had a 150mm Fujinon lens with a Seiko shutter, that I had bought from Marks Camera Store in Melbourne in 1984, that had blades come loose and it was sent to Hanimex to be repaired.

Tony Egan · Feb 15, 2014

Thanks for the additional info. I think there is a "vintage" Hanimex slide projector somewhere in my garage.

engineer1 · Oct 3, 2014

Pacific Film Laboratories was a company started by Neil Cottee and Harold Jefferies at Kogarah in Sydney. They aquired a number of other photo finishers which also gave them a plant at St Leonards. They had branches in all Capital Cities including Canberra. They were the first company allowed to have Kodak Film repackaged to bear their name 'Pacific Film' this was manufactured in Melbourne I believe. They also repackaged Fuji Film later on.

I worked for Pacific Film Labs from 1974 till !985.

They moved from the Kogarah lab some time before 1974 to an old Picture Theatre site at Carlton. They were a big user of equipment from both Gretag is Switzerland and CX laboratories in USA. They used cutting edge equipment often to the point of having the protopype or first production machines in the world. While I worked there we often supplied updates or improvements to these manufactures only to see these updates or improvement return to us as improvement Kits a few months later. Our quality was very good and we had much equipment manufactured in house. All chemical baths had locally designed and produced temperature controllers and inline heaters. We aimed for 100% quality and local supply where possible.

The company also employed a large number of sight impaired people. They worked in the dark rooms handling customer film and preparing it for processing.

djmc · Mar 9, 2015

Sakura Japan (Konica)

fotch · Mar 9, 2015

engineer1 said:
Pacific Film Laboratories was a company started by Neil Cottee and Harold Jefferies at Kogarah in Sydney. They aquired a number of other photo finishers which also gave them a plant at St Leonards. They had branches in all Capital Cities including Canberra. They were the first company allowed to have Kodak Film repackaged to bear their name 'Pacific Film' this was manufactured in Melbourne I believe. They also repackaged Fuji Film later on.

I worked for Pacific Film Labs from 1974 till !985.

They moved from the Kogarah lab some time before 1974 to an old Picture Theatre site at Carlton. They were a big user of equipment from both Gretag is Switzerland and CX laboratories in USA. They used cutting edge equipment often to the point of having the protopype or first production machines in the world. While I worked there we often supplied updates or improvements to these manufactures only to see these updates or improvement return to us as improvement Kits a few months later. Our quality was very good and we had much equipment manufactured in house. All chemical baths had locally designed and produced temperature controllers and inline heaters. We aimed for 100% quality and local supply where possible.

The company also employed a large number of sight impaired people. They worked in the dark rooms handling customer film and preparing it for processing.

Hello and welcome to APUG. Thank you for the interesting info.

fotch · Mar 9, 2015

djmc said:
Sakura Japan (Konica)

Hello and welcome to APUG.

PACIFICFILM? Any idea who made this film from 1980s bought in Australia

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