Found film in purchased camera

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neghead

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My wife just picked up an Olympus Infinity Stylus for the princely sum of £1, and I noticed it has a roll of color film in it. This has happened to me twice before and I ruined the film by opening the camera since I didn't know it had film in it. Has anyone ever developed film from a previous owner? It feels a bit funny doing so, but I've never tried my hand at C-41 - maybe this would be a good test. I'll at least finish the roll to make sure the camera's working properly. I have the feeling it's quite an old roll. The camera itself has been well used, all the lettering has been worn off - very stealth.

_Tom
 
Yes, we got someone holiday snaps from the mid 70s (at a guess) looked like mexico, and a lot of pics of tortoises!
 
I've found film in two cameras I've purchased, had one roll developed, rather uninteresting. The second I am still debating :)

When you are not able to tell from any external indicators, always open the back the first time in a dark closet, etc.

I'm sure some gems have showed up from time to time :)
 
Just developed a roll I found in a Futura S last year - along with other regular C41 films, to make the most out of the chemicals. Pushed by 1/2 stop. It's a Kodakcolor 100 VR, likely from early 80s, so fogged that I could barely see through it, but my scanner managed to capture something....

Elderly friends, a baby, A young couple. Distant flats. A Lincoln Continental Mark VI, probably brand new. Nebraska plate I assume. The photographer is probably an old gentleman, consider he'd been shooting the same (rather obscure) camera for 30 years. This very camera was and is still very well taken care of.
 
I was given a free roll of in-date Portra 400 when I got an OM1 from Ebay which I thought was generous. But it ended up having half a roll of photos on it, which I only discovered after shooting the whole roll. Not complaining though, some of the double exposures were great. Here, the flower shots were already on the film:

photo167.jpg


photo166.jpg


But there were also some photos of a barbecue on there that didn't double quite so nicely...

photo169.jpg
 
I recently ran a roll of 120 Kodacolor X in HC110 that was in a Rolleiflex I bought from an antique store. There was heavy fog but was able to get a couple of very boring images from a ceramics / crafts show in the late 60's of early 70's.
 
Arbitrarium said:
I was given a free roll of in-date Portra 400 when I got an OM1 from Ebay which I thought was generous. But it ended up having half a roll of photos on it, which I only discovered after shooting the whole roll. Not complaining though, some of the double exposures were great. Here, the flower shots were already on the film:

But there were also some photos of a barbecue on there that didn't double quite so nicely...
Click to expand...
That is very cool :)
 
I bought an old 1950's Perfex 55 several years back at an antique's store for $5.00. When I got home, I realized it had a roll of B&W film in it. I developed it and managed to get some faint images of an old farm and several people. Kind of cool.

Jim B.
 
Our family friends gave us old media center which I use as my cameras and else center.
In one of the drawers it was the roll of film. I get it developed and printed, scanned.
It was their family pictures for one year. One of the portraits is in the family room now.

Olympus Infinity Stylus is from 1990 and younger. Chances what images will be OK are high.
 
Bought a Minolta 16 from the auction site about five years ago, was listed as coming with two new rolls of film. Turns out both rolls were exposed, in like 1960. Processed them both and one roll was of a wedding, and the other from a trip to Rome. Contacted the seller in hopes that he could put me in contact with the original owner of the camera, but even after I explained to him that I had pictures that the original owner might want, he refused to help. Oh well.

It is kind of exciting, like looking back in history.

Best,
-Tim
 
Some years ago I got a Canon ELPH Jr (APS film) through eBay, and found that it had a partially-exposed roll in it. I shot the rest of the roll and had it processed. The seller was evidently a school teacher, as the images were around the school offices and cafeteria. I cut the negs and sent the seller his part and the prints.
 
I bought a 1937 Certo Super Sport Dolly 6x6 folder a couple of years ago, tuned out to have a roll of Kodak Verichrome Safety Film in it, which ceased production in 1953. I finished it off though my pictures were lousy - the film was about 50ISO when new and more like 1 at this age - but the two latent images were good, if a bit spotty. The lady who sold it to me said it was her grandfather's; there was a little girl in the pictures that could well have been her. Posted her the 8x8 prints and offered her the negs, but no reply. I think the shutter had jammed due to a piece of cable release breaking off; the strap of the case broke and I dropped it before I could even take my first picture, thankfully not hard, and it shot fine, must have dislodged it.
 
Not film but a SD card in a camera...I deleted the images, there was no reason to post or keep them...
On another note...before opening a film camera, try the rewind knob for tension...if it doesn't turn easily there might be film in there...
 
Twice...newlyweds and brand new baby shots on a digital camera. Sent SD card back to original owners and recieved many thanks. Second time Pentax 110 camera...young girls at a football game.

All in all pretty banal so far.
 
I bought a Retina 118 at an antique store that had a 20 exp roll of PlusX in it. Roll was basically unused though first two frames were gone (probably people opening it or firing it in the store). I shot the rest of the roll and it recorded images but was badly fogged.

My mother inlaw gave my son an older Pentax P&S. It had film in it that he finished the roll of. Turned out it was Kodachrome 25. I processed it in HC110 and was able to get images from an old family car trip off it.

If you haven't seen it this site is kind of cool...

https://www.rescuedfilm.com/

Shawn
 
I used to always just take it out of the camera with enough leader left out so I could load it into a camera I'd be repairing so a film transport test could be made.

Then three years ago I ran across this roll of Vericolor II 400 that came in some P&S (I forgot which one), and decided to get it developed.

There were shots of boats tied up to a dock on some lake, and a gal playing a trombone, possibly at a high school contest. I did some conversions that came out passable (the film was over 40 years old).


Found Film: Corrections Composite by P F McFarland, on Flickr


Found Film: Trombone Practice by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The only other time I did this was a 12 exposure roll that came in an Olympus XA that had only been half used, and I shot the other half. https://flic.kr/s/aHskkzqjqD

There is some stuff that my Dad shot when I was either very young, or maybe even before I was born because I don't remember him using the camera I found it in. That will have to be developed by someone with experience in handling old films.

PF
 
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