This is what Happens when you Wait!! (Ektachrome VNF-1, RVNP)

[yosemitesamiam]

Hey everyone. A long long loooooong time ago (well...12 years ago) I purchased 8 rolls of Kodak Ektachrome 7240 in 16mm 100' rolls. It was the last they had ever...and instead of buying 4 like I needed, I purchased the whole lot. Yes, blame me I suppose for buying the last.

I shot 5 and had developed, beautiful really. The last 3 rolls sat and sat. I eventually, around 2006 shot one. Then in 2007/8 shot another and kept them frozen. Only thawed long enough to shoot...put them back in the freezer after shooting. At the time, I had no money for developing, and as you know...this stuff ain't cheap. I shot the last roll end of 2013, and took them all out of the freezer because I was going to send them off. Then I realized, there was no one to send them off to...no one develops RVNP or VNF-1 anymore...no surprise here. Instead of putting them back in the freeze, they have sat on a shelf, in the basement. Still haven't been sent off...but it is time. Come hell or high water I'm going to get these done!!

Can someone please make a suggestion on where to send? I looked up my usual, Yale Film. They would be happy to do it E-6 (I think...at least when I spoke to them last...I looked on their website just now and it lists VNF-1 with no asterisks to say its really E-6).

There is Rocky Mountain...but they are a big jump in price too...by about $75 per roll. So recap: $100 per roll roughly at Rocky Mountain, or $100 total at Yale...what to do? :confused:


I need some advice...don't sugar coat it...don't hold back. Also, what do I tell these guys when I send it in? It's old...obviously, and was shot years ago...do I make a special request? Or do I just tell them exactly what I told you and hope for the best?

Thanks everyone! Super group.

Sam

 

[snapguy]

Wards

I have some shot but not developed Wards (as in Montgomery Wards, the former mail order catalog giant) Super 8 film that I do not know what to do with, either. I guess it is over 40 years old.

 

[yosemitesamiam]

Nice! Just talked to my wife...and to Yale. Going to give them at a shot at $75 to end my misery. I do have a few pointed questions of them before I send it off of course...I really want to know what the track record has been like. If the colors are going to awful, I may look into having it done B&W (don't even know if that is possible).

 

[yosemitesamiam]

They got back to me...please leave a phone number...too much info to type! HA! I'm in for it now, aren't I!

 

[fotch]

Is this the place? http://www.yalefilmandvideo.com/

 

[yosemitesamiam]

Yes, fotch...they have done all my color and last several B&W rolls. Extremely knowledgeable. Just had a 40 minute phone conversation with one of their techs...so my options are nill. E-6 they will do. He asked if my rolls were shot together...of course not. If they had been, they could of course test a roll and adjust from there...but I'm a mixed bag. He said they will probably be lacking in color, maybe a slight blue but not bad, and will have plenty of fog. Of course he said there will be a picture...just will look 30 years old...not great. If I'm projecting, and its just family movies (in this case it is) I should be plenty happy....but if I ever convert to digital, go black and white at that time. 25 cents per foot is a solid gamble I think at 300 feet.

That said, he suggested calling another place I'd never heard of....fotokem. Asked them about cross process to ECN-2. He said might be a cool way to do it, might preserve or artificially enhance toward orange. Trying to look up fotokem now...he said be patient...will probably be the 4th person I talk to who even knows what color reversal film is. (OY VEY)!

 

[mtjade2007]

I have 5x 100 foot rolls of 135 RVP-50 frozen in my freezer. They went in 10+ years ago. One came back out last year. Shot a 24 frame section to try Wal-Mart. Came back with near garbage slides. I blame WM and remain confident in the rolls. But time is running out I know. I will be moving and have no time and no budget to shoot again any time soon. But I do anticipate to revisit them in a year or two (I have said that a few times). Can I expect Kodak E-6 gallon kits be available still? My Jobo ATL-2300 will be there.

I guess we are on a same boat (if you can find a Jobo to use).

 

[Sirius Glass]

You did a good job keeping those bulk film from the hoarders. You are definitely one if us.

 

[ME Super]

Kodak discontinued E-6 chemistry last year. Tetenal and Fuji still make E-6. Tetenal is the current manufacturer of Kodak branded chemistry.

 

[adelorenzo]

Depending on how important the images are you might try filmrescue.com I've never used them but they seem to specialize in this sort of stuff.

 

[yosemitesamiam]

I'll have to check them out. Sounds expensive! There is another linked to their site as well. Actually state they specialize in Ward's color film (Snapguy).

http://www.rapidphoto.net/c22.html

 

[mtjade2007]

Kodak discontinued E-6 chemistry last year. Tetenal and Fuji still make E-6. Tetenal is the current manufacturer of Kodak branded chemistry.

That's bad news to me. Tetenal stuff was a lot more expensive than Kodak when I last visited my local photo supply store a few years ago.

 

[yosemitesamiam]

I thought my VNF film had issues... What I wouldn't give for someone to say "here's how to do k-11". I have two new rolls of Cine Chrome 25 and two rolls of Kodachrome dated 1962. In magazines!

 

[frobozz]

I had some VNF-1 film done in E-6 late last year and it turned out remarkably well. Colors were a tad off, but not as bad as I expected.

Duncan

 

[cliveh]

No, this is what happens when you wait-
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...2F%2Fwww.ventspleen.com%2F%3Fp%3D531;1000;673

 

[TheToadMen]

No, this is what happens when you wait-

A bike ??

 

[eng1er]

A bike ??

A Bresson photograph.

 

[yosemitesamiam]

Good to hear! How was it stored before/after shooting?

I had some VNF-1 film done in E-6 late last year and it turned out remarkably well. Colors were a tad off, but not as bad as I expected.

Duncan

 

[TheToadMen]

A Bresson photograph.

 

[frobozz]

Good to hear! How was it stored before/after shooting?

Frozen the whole time it was in my possession, except for the few days it was out while shooting. But it was already years old when I bought it on ebay a bunch of years ago. Back then there was still a lab near here that did VNF-1 and so I knew the film was OK from the rolls I got processed there.

It was EI 400 so already beating the odds to not have it ridiculously fogged.

Duncan

 

[cmacd123]

I don't think the difference between e-6 and VNF is totally insurmountable. A lot of labs only had one ektachrome processor.

I know that MY vnf came though very nicely at Niagra Custom lab, but that was closer to the time it was current. Sugest giving them a call - they are in Toronto, the movie capital of Canada.

http://niagaracustomlab.com/

at 36 dollars CDM per 100ft. if they can run the VNF you would be laughing.