The camera you bought arrived with film in it. Do you process it?

The camera you bought arrived with film in it. Do you process it?

  • Yes

    Votes: 176 79.3%

  • No

    Votes: 47 21.2%
  • Total voters
    222
I

IK13

Established
Local time
3:55 AM
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
185
Two of the five cameras that went through my hands in the last six months had film in it....

So there's the question - do you ever process the film that came with your new (old) camera?
 
Last edited:
Yeah. I've got interesting pics that way inlcuding this one. This was in a Voitlander RF for what must have been several years. I got some real neat family pics from the mid-seventies one time.
 

Attachments

  • MainSt.jpg
    MainSt.jpg
    73.6 KB · Views: 0
I do the color in Rodinal so I don't have to worry about a phone call from the minilab, ha. Pretty unlikey anyway.
 
I never have received a camera with film in it.

But I would process it, if presented with the situation.

Why wouldn't I? Doesn't cost much. I would consider it a bonus.
 
Only happened to me once. Nothing interesting - mostly looked like the seller was just trying to make sure everything worked on the camera. I did feel a little weird - sort of voyeuristic, but for no real reason. Maybe a bit more like opening someone else's mail.

Edit: I sent the roll to a pro lab with the disclaimer that it came in the camera and for them to throw it out if there was anything unsavory on it. I wonder what they would have done if it actually had?
 
Last edited:
I guess I'd ask the previous owner if he wants it back, then if he says he doesn't I would process it.
 
I once got a Bulgarian-market Zenit for the cost of developing and printing the old roll that was inside, and returning the results to the family. I ticked 'yes' in the poll because of this.
 
I'm waiting for a 126 film sent to lab I've found in an old ferrania hanging in the house. It might come from my family, but nobody seems to remember where that camera comes from.. anyway it is so old that probably will only develop purple.
 
If it is B+W then I would do it myself. I don't think I could feel comfortable sending a roll like this to a lab...
 
in a Rolleicord I bought, there's a roll of Ektachrome, E-4 process IIRC. no clue what I should do with it..
 
rxmd said:
I guess I'd ask the previous owner if he wants it back, then if he says he doesn't I would process it.
Click to expand...

I'd do the same.

There is a fellow who goes by "Gene M" who makes it his hobby to process found film. He often posts on the nelsonfoto.com "found film" forum.

Also take a look at his website:

http://westfordcomp.com/updated/found.htm

Wouldn't it have been a shame if all these found memories were never recovered?

rt
 
Last edited:
I was digging through my grandmothers things once she passed, and found a bag with several cameras my grandfather owned. (He died the year before I was born).

Several had partially shot rolls still in them. I processed the film, and had prints made of the images for my father and his brothers. There were some very interesting portraits of them and of my grandmother. Not good photos in and of themselves, but a good historical record.

I've also enjoyed Gene's found film website.
 
There is a Polish photographer called Jerzy Lewczyński who made an excellent exhibition from pornographic negatives on film found in a dumpster in New York ("Negatywy znalezione w N. Y.").
 
I did, until I got back some photos obviously taken in the 1960's of a woman recovering from some form of brain surgery. That cured me. :eek:
 
rtphotos said:
I'd do the same, although I have yet to find a roll yet.

There is a fellow who goes by "Gene M" who makes it his hobby to process found film. He often posts on the nelsonphoto "found film" forum.

Also take a look at his website:

http://westfordcomp.com/updated/found.htm

Wouldn't it be a shame if all these found memories were never recovered?

rt
Click to expand...

From this website:

"These photographs are copyrighted by the webmaster. Permission must be granted for their use."

Amazing, I don't think this is actually quite right...
 
I'd process it. That's only happened to me once, though. It was a point-and-shoot I purchased at the Goodwill store. It turned out to be some fairly boring photos of what looked like someone's vacation, except a couple of the people in the photos were albinos.

I just took that roll to the minilab. Today I'd probably develop it in Diafine at home, just in case. (Though I have my color stuff done develop-only, so it'd take a fairly sharp-eyed technician to notice anything untoward while handling the negatives.)
 
Hmm, obviously an ethical issue. I would return the film unprocessed, for fear of violating someone's privacy. But let me ask my wife. She teaches ethics.

EDIT: She says, send it back without looking. Reason: privacy, and also, you didn't pay for the film, it wasn't part of the deal, and it isn't yours.
 
Last edited:
Happened to me two years ago - I took it to a lab. The next day when I went to pick up the photos, the manager wanted to see me. I had the same fears as some of you. Result was, the film was blank and the manager thought they messed up and wanted to explain to me how careful they are. I then told him what the film was and we had a good laugh. :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom