Vintage Tri-X in Cardboard Tube: What Era??

ozphoto · Dec 25, 2021

Merry Christmas all and happy shooting throughout 2022!!

Just been going through my film stocks and came across some Kodak film that was only in its sealed, aluminium foil packaging. At first, I thought it might have been some old 828 in a large container, but upon opening, it revealed itself to be some pretty old 20exp, Tri-X in a cardboard tube.

Seems at some stage, Kodak was pretty environmentally friendly when it came to its packaging! Not only does it have a cardboard tube, but it's also a reusable can. First time I've ever come across this, previously it's been silver screw top cans, coloured screwtop cans and of course, the black tubes with grey lids or black tubes with stickers on the grey or black lids identifying the film.

Any ideas as to its era? Going to acclimatise it and then shoot in the coming weeks while on holiday!!

Horatio · Dec 25, 2021

Have no idea, but I would say prior to the mid-70s. The actual cassette looks like the Tri-X I bought in high school during that era, but Kodak had switched to plastic cans by then.

railwayman3 · Dec 25, 2021

Not sure when Kodak switched from supplying 20 exposure films to 24 exposures, but that might give an indication of age ? As regards the card packing, might this have been from a bulk
"professional" pack, which did not need the screw-top cans ? I'm sure the cans were used at least in the 1950's, as I still have some of these, and other bits, from my late Father and Grandfather's gear used at that time.

Nicholas Lindan · Dec 25, 2021

In the States the film would date from the 60's, give or take a decade. At the time Kodak packaged all black & white films in the cardboard sleeves. Color films came in the metal cans, yellow can with a red top was Kodachrome, blue top was Ektachrome and black top (?) was Kodacolor. If the film was packaged in the Antipodes the dates may vary.

The film isn't going to produce any decent results - lots of fog, not much sensitivity. You would be better off selling the unopened packages to someone who collects old film packages. IMAO*, using old film just wastes my time shooting it, developing it and then discarding it.
----
*IMAO - In My Arrogant Opinion

Nokton48 · Dec 25, 2021

I bought this film at the local drugstore in the seventies. Cardboard tube and foil wrapped in the box

MattKing · Dec 25, 2021

The date may vary for film sold in the Australian market. There are distinct differences in packaging that depend on which market the film was made in, and distributed in.

cmacd123 · Dec 25, 2021

I would want to say 1950s. When I started using 35mm film in the 60s, they had already switched to an overall yellow cassette, and early 60s is when they started using the crimped cassettes... B&W was often packed in the cardboard tubes and foil. that version of kodak logo was also constant with the 50, as it did change from time to time.

as far as international versions, sometimes the cassette is marked on teh underside where the film comes out with the name of a local subsidiary. (eg Kodak Limited for example)

and yes, I recall using a bulk loaded roll of 1950's tri-x in teh early 70s and barely getting an image for the fog.

mshchem · Dec 25, 2021

I miss 20 exposure rolls.

cmacd123 · Dec 25, 2021

mshchem said:
I miss 20 exposure rolls.

perhaps symmetry, 126 and 110 came out with 12 and 20 rolls. 35mm had 12, 20 and 36. Switching to 24 made it 12,24 and 36.

I do recall a customer insisting that their 126 camera would ONLY take 20 when the 24 version came out.

Paul Howell · Dec 25, 2021

mshchem said:
I miss 20 exposure rolls.

Yeah, when they made the switch I had 4 20 exposure SS reels which were easy to load, thay became useless, well almost useless as I do roll 20 ex rolls from bulk. When freelancing at the time I shot many assignments with short 20 later 24 exposure rolls.

cmacd123 · Dec 25, 2021

the one taht got me at the time was a 5 exposure roll, apparently intended for real estate agents to take a street view and a highlight grab of a new house listing. The theory was that they could take the roll to the minilab and have a shot to paste on the listing form by the time they got to the Office.

Paul Howell · Dec 25, 2021

I've seen loads of 8, 12, 20, 24, 27 and 36. I've loaded my own as short as 6 to 8 when shooting zone.

VinceInMT · Dec 25, 2021

I just happen to have a roll. The box indicates that it expired in 1957.

Sirius Glass · Dec 25, 2021

VinceInMT said:
I just happen to have a roll. The box indicates that it expired in 1957.
View attachment 293979

That should be aged enough for you to now take it out and shoot it.

ozphoto · Dec 25, 2021

Thanks all - you are a mine of information as always.
This stuff definitely started life in the US, it came in a bunch of rolls a while back. I did think it could be 50s, sadly no box just the solitary roll in foil wrapping only. While it probably is “dead”, I’ll still give it a whirl; sometimes you get a nice surprise.

Hopefully, I can find another roll (or even just the box) to add to my little collection of analog photography items. I’ve got a few that were discarded, simply glued the ends closed and placed on the shelf as little talking points amongst the cameras.

gordrob · Dec 26, 2021

I have a box of Panatomic X from Kodak Canada 1966 in the cardboard tube.

Vintage Tri-X in Cardboard Tube: What Era??

ozphoto

Horatio

railwayman3

Nicholas Lindan

Advertiser

Nokton48

MattKing

Moderator

cmacd123

mshchem

cmacd123

Paul Howell

cmacd123

Paul Howell

VinceInMT

Sirius Glass

ozphoto

gordrob

Vintage Tri-X in Cardboard Tube: What Era??

Advertiser

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency