Black & White 35mm Film question

[Dread Scott]

Well, I recently stumbled on some long-forgotten rolls of used 35mm B&W neg. film in a while organizing a drawer. Does anyone have a good place to have them developed/printed? I've looked online, and it seems that the average is $20-30.00 a roll. This seems a bit pricey.

I understand that most places use machines to develope and print photos, and would have to change chemicals. Still, I used to develope my own, and don't recall it being THAT much of a pain. I've also checked locally, found noone, but have a few leads, provided I could track them down.

Any help would be appreciated - I have several to be developed/printed.

Do tell, do tell....

 

[Dixon Cannon]

First question is: Is the film exposed? That is, has it been run through a camera and shot?

Second question is: How long ago?

Third: What film brand and ISO?

The point being that b/w film is a silver halide chemical that reacts to light to form the latent image. The latent image doesn't just remain latent forever. The exposed film continues to react and over time the latent image fades and finally disappears. If the film has been stored in a refrigerator or freezer and insulated to avoid condensation, there may perhaps be a latent image remaining to process. If the film has just been lying in a drawer, exposed to light, heat, moisture, mildew, dust, and microbes, it's not likely that any latent image remains at all.

The best test is a snip of 8" to 10" to process first to see if any image develops. That will give you some idea of just what may remain, if anything.

Here's a photo lab specializing in B&W that can do a snip test for you if you send them a roll. http://www.blackandwhitelab.com/

Good luck and keep us posted!

-dixon cannon

 

[Doctor Strange]

It's not that developing b/w film is a pain (it's actually very easy), it's just that vastly less people are doing it since the stampede to digital imaging. Commercial b/w photofinishing services are practically nonexistent...

And Dixie's right: old exposed film, even if carefully stored, will eventually fog and the latent images will suffer. Even with special development (i.e., much longer time and less diluted solution than usual), there may not be much left. It largely depends on the kind of film, how much temperature/humidity it has endured, and how old it is. Who knows, there may be some great stuff there.

But b/w isn't dead yet: I just printed some negatives myself two weekends ago!

 

[Moby]

http://westfordcomp.com/updated/found.htm This is the URL for a site called "Lost Films". The owner develops very old film that he has found in old cameras. He also will on occasion develop old film people send to him. Take a look at his site.

 

[KittyT]

I have had B&W film developed at my local CVS drugstore. They send it out, but it hasn't cost that much.

 

[pgoat]

I would go to the local drugstore. Do one roll first to see if anything is on there.

 

[Dread Scott]

YAY!

Thanks for the responses everyone!

These cannot be very old(though I haven't done any research) :

Ilford (Delta) 100

Kodak Tri-x 400

Kodak Plus-x pan 125

These were not in any container, just the loose rolls. I suspect these are only 10-20 years old or less.

Don't most drug stores (chemist's for you Brits) use color processing these days, even with B&W?

 

[Doctor Strange]

You can only use minilab color processing chemistry for the new "chromagenic" films, which are really just color films designed to produce monochrome results.

The films you mentioned require standard, old-school b/w processing - color chemistry won't work. And you're right that probably they're not that old - Ilford Delta 100 was only introduced within the last 15 years. (Tri-X and Plus-X go way back, though they have been reformulated many times, most recently within the last five years.)

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Do you think there's any hope for this stuff?!

That's ASA 10 Kodachrome from the 1950's.

-dixon cannon

 

[Doctor Strange]

I wonder what would happen.

There was that artsy technique of shooting on C-41 print film and processing it as E-6 slide film. It produced really contrasty, weird effects, popular maybe 15 years ago. Now obsoleted by Photoshop.

Don't try it! It won't work - the C-41 process includes a bleach step to remove the initial b/w-like image and activate the reversal process that produces a color image: this will totally strip away the image on ordinary b/w film.

Since chromagenic b/w films are now relatively common at minilabs and drug stores (and a whole generation has arisen that knows not b/w is manning these jobs), you must be VERY specific that you're talking about old-school conventional b/w when you bring it in. Otherwise, if they run it through C-41 chemistry, you're going to get bupkis!

 

[John in Covina]

My dad's aunt used to develope B&W film in the 1960's. Later in the 70's I got to watch friends at school do it while in the photography club. Printing in B&W was neat to watch too.

 

[adamjaskie]

I'd actually suggest doing it yourself if it's more than three or four rolls and you can't find anyone to do it for a reasonable price. All of the equipment and chemistry shouldn't cost you more than $100, and you can do it in your bathroom or utility sink with a changing bag and lightproof developing tank (no need for a darkroom).

At that point, you will have developed negatives which you can take to be printed, or scan into your computer.

Fewer than three or four rolls though and it's probably not worth the initial investment in chemicals and equipment if someone can do it for $20/roll. And that $20/roll better include printing...

 

[Mike K.]

Try your nearest University!!!

Seriously, just about every college Photography 101 still insists on starting with the basics of a manually-operable camera and good old B&W film. The reason is to have students develop the skills of proper exposure, composition, etc. without any Photoshop magic. Check with somebody in the Art Department. Given the potential historical significance of what you have, they'd probably develop it for free.

 

[adamjaskie]

Or at least let you use their chemistry and equipment.

Another option is to buy one of the students in the class a six pack...

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Any camera store - REAL camera store - will send it out for proper development. When I bought the 1967 Hasselblad with a 120 film back last summer, I'd take the film (including a roll that was in the film back when I got it) to a store that's local to me (Powells) and they'd send it to a lab (Star Photo Lab). I'd have them back in less than a week and for about fifteen dollars per roll, with prints.

If you have the lab equipment that adamjaskie mentioned, go to your local camera store and get some devloper, stop bath and fix. Chemicals only: should be about $20.00 to $25.00 for all three, quart size.

I'd go to an advanced class. Remembering my days in Photo 101; I wouldn't trust a beginner.


Lee

 

[Mike K.]

Go straight to the professor.

 

[Dread Scott]

Thank you all

Excellent replies, with fine ideas - I've located a guy who says he'll do it for $10.00/roll. That's worth it for me, as I don't really have the time to do it myself right now. Although - I will look into the Art department angle. When last I checked they were between photo profs. Perhaps it's settled now.

I used to enjoy developing my own (years ago), and might get back into it... somehow digital prints don't (at least on my printer) naturally have the same physical presence as do printing from negs.

....Ah, who'm I kidding. I'll just get someone to do it.

Thanks again, everyone , for the help on this.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

There was that artsy technique of shooting on C-41 print film and processing it as E-6 slide film. It produced really contrasty, weird effects, popular maybe 15 years ago. Now obsoleted by Photoshop.

C41 film processed in E6 chemistry doesn't do much.

The other way round however is fun. Some of us still play with it at every opportunity