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My wife & I were going through some boxes today,
that never got sorted when we moved house, and
came across 7 rolls of film that we never got
developed! We estimate these rolls to have been
taken between 10-15 years ago, some are in black
canisters & they all have spent their life in a
dark closet! :-)

I'm wondering, would we still be able to get them
developed? Or would the film be too old? Its kind
of exciting to think what may be on them!

--
>>>M.J.Wyllie.<<<

MJW wrote:
> My wife & I were going through some boxes today, that never got sorted
> when we moved house, and came across 7 rolls of film that we never got
> developed! We estimate these rolls to have been taken between 10-15
> years ago
That's a long time for exposed film...

> some are in black canisters & they all have spent their life
> in a dark closet! :-)
A cold closet with lead lining perhaps? )O: Cause otherwise age/heat
and background gamma radiation has been steadily degrading them..

> I'm wondering, would we still be able to get them developed? Or would
> the film be too old? Its kind of exciting to think what may be on them!
>
As for getting them developed, almost certainly yes - pretty much every
colour print film is/was C-41, most slide films are/were E-6 and those
services are still readily available. Kodachrome would have to go back
to the USA - there's only one place left that processes it I think, but
it should be pre-paid. Or is it black and white?

I would still get them developed - you'll never know unless you try and
you might be lucky. Just keep your expectations low. At the very least
I would expect severe fading and color problems - exposed film doesn't
last that well, sadly, and slide film tends to be worse than print for a
given speed/brand. What film/s (and speeds) are they? If they are all
the same, why not just try one first...

And if they *are* slide films, make sure you give them to someone who
knows what they are doing - tell them and *label* them! Given the
smaller number of films processed these days, some operators just chuck
them into the systems without checking/knowing.


PS - I hate to ask this, but... they are *exposed*, ie no tongue hanging
out? (O: Of course I've never done anything that silly....


Please report back on what results you get, MJ. There are not many
anecdotes around.

And just to give you a bit of hope, look at the last post on this thread:

http://groups.google.com.au/group/re...24abfc58a6a965

I'm not entirely sure about his suggestion to request the film be
'pulled', but perhaps you should post this to rec.photo.darkroom?

Mark Thomas wrote:
> MJW wrote:
>> My wife & I were going through some boxes today, that never got sorted
>> when we moved house, and came across 7 rolls of film that we never got
>> developed! We estimate these rolls to have been taken between 10-15
>> years ago
> That's a long time for exposed film...

Damn, thought so.

>
>> some are in black canisters & they all have spent their life in a dark
>> closet! :-)
> A cold closet with lead lining perhaps? )O: Cause otherwise age/heat
> and background gamma radiation has been steadily degrading them..

Nup, nothing like that.

>
>> I'm wondering, would we still be able to get them developed? Or would
>> the film be too old? Its kind of exciting to think what may be on them!
>>
> As for getting them developed, almost certainly yes - pretty much every
> colour print film is/was C-41, most slide films are/were E-6 and those
> services are still readily available. Kodachrome would have to go back
> to the USA - there's only one place left that processes it I think, but
> it should be pre-paid. Or is it black and white?

Its all C-41 like you say, and ranges from Fuji
Superia, to Kodak Gold II & III & Kodak Max.

>
> I would still get them developed - you'll never know unless you try and
> you might be lucky. Just keep your expectations low. At the very least
> I would expect severe fading and color problems - exposed film doesn't
> last that well, sadly, and slide film tends to be worse than print for a
> given speed/brand. What film/s (and speeds) are they? If they are all
> the same, why not just try one first...

That might be the shot, will look into it!

>
> And if they *are* slide films, make sure you give them to someone who
> knows what they are doing - tell them and *label* them! Given the
> smaller number of films processed these days, some operators just chuck
> them into the systems without checking/knowing.
>
>
> PS - I hate to ask this, but... they are *exposed*, ie no tongue hanging
> out? (O: Of course I've never done anything that silly....

Ha, nup all fully tucked into the roll canister
thingy.

>
>
> Please report back on what results you get, MJ. There are not many
> anecdotes around.

Yep for sure! I think I will have a go, cause i
know one of them was taken at an ice-sculpture
exhibition at Darling Harbour years ago!


--
>>>M.J.Wyllie.<<<

MJW wrote:
> Its all C-41 like you say, and ranges from Fuji Superia, to Kodak Gold
> II & III & Kodak Max.
Was Max an 800 ISO film? If so it is probably toast. Higher speed ones
will degrade the most. But still do it. It will be interesting to see
which ones lasted best. I'm betting you will get some results, but not
with usable colour.

If they are blank, you won't get charged much - maybe they will even do
it for free - some services used to do that.

>>
>> Please report back on what results you get, MJ. There are not many
>> anecdotes around.
>
> Yep for sure! I think I will have a go, cause i know one of them was
> taken at an ice-sculpture exhibition at Darling Harbour years ago!

Cool! I look forward to hearing what happens, hope it isn't too depressing.