Very old black and white film

[rlouzan]

I´m with Chris on this one (clip test) but find out first if it is panchromatic or ortocromatic film.

Standard developing time + 50% with some anti-fog tablets. Expect very thin negs (cosmic radiation aka x-rays)- all this is empirical.

Good luck!

 

[JohnTF]

Am not too sure cosmic rays and X rays are the same, or I would store my film in lead bags or find a sheet of lead to put on top of the fridge, pretty sure cosmic rays are charged particles that penetrate everything and X Rays are part of the EMS blocked by hi density materials.

A roll of ortho film made for public consumption in the last 50 years would be rare. I do have some 35mm and sheet films that are ortho, but in bulk and boxed sheet films made for special purposes.

I would develop as you recommend though.

I had misread the film type originally, thought it was 35mm, I suppose an inch off the end of the roll would not have much besides edge printing on it, so you might check the fog and roughly the density levels by clipping off a bit of the end, checking the edge printing.

If the roll was not finished, more could be processed.

I am also thinking that most problems will be addressed in the scans, one way or another.

Perhaps over thinking this one?

Regards, John

 

[rlouzan]

Hi John,

You´re right.
Even exposed film that has been refrigerated for years will exhibit signs of cosmic radiation (but the effects are similar to x-rays)

Kodak stored film in salt mines!😎

Regards,
RLouzan

Am not too sure cosmic rays and X rays are the same, or I would store my film in lead bags or find a sheet of lead to put on top of the fridge, pretty sure cosmic rays are charged particles that penetrate everything and X Rays are part of the EMS blocked by hi density materials.

A roll of ortho film made for public consumption in the last 50 years would be rare. I do have some 35mm and sheet films that are ortho, but in bulk and boxed sheet films made for special purposes.

I would develop as you recommend though.

I had misread the film type originally, thought it was 35mm, I suppose an inch off the end of the roll would not have much besides edge printing on it, so you might check the fog and roughly the density levels by clipping off a bit of the end, checking the edge printing.

If the roll was not finished, more could be processed.

I am also thinking that most problems will be addressed in the scans, one way or another.

Perhaps over thinking this one?

Regards, John

 

[mischivo]

If in doubt, ask Wikipedia! Most cosmic rays are protons. I'd also add neutrinos to that, but those go straight through the planet. Billions are passing through your bodies each and every second. I doubt they effect film.

 

[ZeissFan]

Black and white film is surprisingly resilient. It can sit for decades, and you can still pull usable images.

Here's are photos from a Detrola KW. It was 127 film, and I figure that the camera was last used in the 1950s or early 1960s.

 

[JohnTF]

Hi John,

You´re right.
Even exposed film that has been refrigerated for years will exhibit signs of cosmic radiation (but the effects are similar to x-rays)

Kodak stored film in salt mines!😎

Regards,
RLouzan

Well, we have a salt mine, about 1800 feet down, perhaps I can work out a deal. I did shoot some photos in the mine. 😉

The one very old roll I processed that was thoroughly fogged in the fridge, assuming by Cosmic Radiation, was pretty ugly, if I run across it, I may scan some, though I have seen vintage film that looked much better.

The temperature in our mines remains about 68 degrees F.

Humidity is generally low.

Do we have any RFF'ers in Iceland? They get more cosmic rays there.

Geo department at CWRU has increased radiation from the stone used in the building's construction.


Regards, John