What to do with canister-less roll of exposed film

[Autoluminescent]

Hello,

Long story short, the rewind button on my camera jammed, I heard film tear, I sat in a cupboard and pulled said film out and wrapped it in a bin bag, and now it's tucked away in the corner of a dark drawer in my dark attic...

However since I don't develop my own film I don't know what to do with it - I'd quite like to get it developed as I used it whilst visiting some friends and the memories are precious ones, but I know that a Boots or similar place wouldn't have a clue what to do with it. Is there anywhere (in the UK) that would be able to deal with such a thing, or am I going to have to wait until I find someone who develops at home (or start myself, which I do plan to do at some stage..)?

Hope I have posted this in the right place (have already moved it once as accidentally posted in a sub-forum!)

Thanks,
Rob

 

[johannielscom]

B&W or color?

Find a local lab or a camera shop with a darkroom that can handle it. In the Netherlands it would cost extra to have a local shop in their darkroom handle it, almost all of them send their films out nowadays...

 

[sevo]

What film? Labs doing hand processing or major labs routinely handling sheet, cine and bulk length film would not have any issue with that (provided it is appropriately labelled with plenty of warnings on the light-tight wrapping and envelope, and personally or telephonically negotiated). But most of them will only do one process - if we are to name labs, you'd have to tells us whether it is black and white, C41 or E6.

Just make sure you don't give it to any cheap intermediary like a chemist or photo store, or it will get un-canned in full light without taking care of any warnings...

 

[mugent]

You can get refillable 35mm cassettes, so you could get one of those, pop the film into it, and process as normal. However... a black bin bag is probably not very light tight, if you did it in subdued light, you may have gotten away with it. If it was a fast film, maybe not.

If it was a B&W film, I'd take the opportunity to try devving it yourself, it's pretty easy.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Wrap it in several layers of tinfoil (aluminium foil) which is a LOT more light-tight than bin bags and will allow it to be handled in daylight.

Then ring a few camera stores. Or go to your local camera club.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Autoluminescent]

It's normal colour negative film (C-41 I believe).

Buzzardkid, I've had a look online and not been able to find any near here, may have to look further afield... I visit the Netherlands fairly frequently, so if there is anywhere you particularly recommend I may try that 🙂

Sevo, that's what I was worried about, I've had Boots mess up enough orders with films still entirely intact...!

Mugent, the film is 200 speed and the cupboard was very dark. There was a tiny crack of light coming in from one side of the door, although I had my back to it, but even as my eyes readjusted it appeared pitch black (to my fallible human eyes, at least!). I stuffed the bin bag into the leather camera case (camera went home caseless as a punishment for misbehaving 😛) and that is how it has been in the corner of a drawer ever since.

Thank you very much for all the replies 🙂

 

[Autoluminescent]

Wrap it in several layers of tinfoil (aluminium foil) which is a LOT more light-tight than bin bags and will allow it to be handled in daylight.

Then ring a few camera stores. Or go to your local camera club.

Cheers,

R.

Thank you Roger, the local camera club is a good idea, and good tip on the foil!

 

[Pete B]

Try giving AG Photographic a ring and explain the situation. Make some arrangement where you send it to Matthew in a box labeled with a code so they know what to expect and don't open it.
Pete

 

[Autoluminescent]

Thanks Pete - it's great to be able to phone someone with an actual name! I shall give them a ring once my exams are over...

 

[sepiareverb]

Weep. Then weep again.

 

[Autoluminescent]

Weep. Then weep again.

Already completed that step 🙂

 

[Jockos]

I think I brought some empty canisters when moving, I could send you one if that's the case!

 

[Cyriljay]

Reusable film canisters and if you can borrow a dark loading bag is the ideal thing and reload the film and send it to a lab,

 

[GarageBoy]

So, how was the outcome?

 

[Takkun]

It wasn't the Electro, was it? I did that twice with mine. It's got one hell of an advance crank.
I also did the same with my M5, but I was dangling out of a helicopter and the adrenaline got to me.

What I did once when it was color film: I borrowed a bulk-loader canister and transferred the film to it in the bathroom. Granted, I took it to Walgreens, who promptly ruined it, but that was probably because of a lack of labeling on the film, and I got the night manager who isn't the most well-versed on the ins and outs of Noritsu machinery...