What is WH S "colour print film?"

mediaseth · Aug 6, 2016

I just bought a roll of this WHS or WH - S, ISO 200, expired in 2003, for chump change, and it's in my Agfa Optima 500. It says return to WHSmith for processing, so I googled that, and apparently it's a store. A British version of Walgreens or CVS, perhaps? I'm not expecting the best in quality. I'm just having fun with it. Being in the States, I'm completely unfamiliar. It's probably re-branded AGFA or something, right?

Terry Christian · Aug 6, 2016

"Color print film" is color negative (usually C-41) film, since it is meant to be printed -- as opposed to slide film.
Does it say where it was manufactured? If it was made in Germany, it's probably rebranded Agfa. If Japan, Fuji. If Italy, Ferrania.

mediaseth · Aug 6, 2016

Terry Christian said:
"Color print film" is color negative (usually C-41) film, since it is meant to be printed -- as opposed to slide film.
Does it say where it was manufactured? If it was made in Germany, it's probably rebranded Agfa. If Japan, Fuji.

Thanks. I knew it was C-41. There's no indication of where it was made on the box, and I can't check the cartridge as it's in the camera at the moment, so that may have to wait.

railwayman3 · Aug 6, 2016

W H Smith is a very well-known UK chain of newsagents and bookstores, with branches in many High Streets, and at airports, train stations, hospitals and motorway service areas. Started out way back in the 1800's with kiosks at railways atations.

I can remember using their C-41 colour negative films......like many own-brand films made for shop chains or the "free films" supplied by processing labs, they were probably made by Ferrania or Agfa. Results were OK, nothing special, much the same as any other similar general-purpose consumer film from the time.

Ricardo Miranda · Aug 6, 2016

mediaseth said:
A British version of Walgreens or CVS, perhaps?

No.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith

It is probably Agfa or Ferrania.
When you have the cassette, please post the 6 digit DX code here if there is a DX code.
You'll find the numbers next to the silver and black pattern.

mediaseth · Aug 9, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith
No.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHSmith

It is probably Agfa or Ferrania.
When you have the cassette, please post the 6 digit DX code here if there is a DX code.
You'll find the numbers next to the silver and black pattern.

Thanks! Now that it's rewound and out of the camera, the 6 digit code is 013943

Ricardo Miranda · Aug 9, 2016

It is a Ferrania film.

mediaseth · Aug 9, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
It is a Ferrania film.

Great. Thank you! I hadn't even heard of Ferrania until recently.

AgX · Aug 10, 2016

Likely Ferrania films were known to you as Scotch films, as that brand was used during them being owned by 3M.

MattKing · Aug 10, 2016

In the 1970s we used to sell them with a 3M name on the box - except where they had our house brand name instead.

What is WH S "colour print film?"

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