Photographers, collectors, and hobbyists. Somebody else's pictures.

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I know there are a few of us here that have purchased an old vintage camera at one time or another, some of us maybe even way more cameras than we ought.
Have you ever purchased a camera with exposed film left in it by the previous owner? And if so, what did you get? Something boring and mundane? Something extraordinary, like an alien space craft? Something lurid??
(I have a line on a camera that I think is from the forties which supposedly contains film, if I get it and it does I will post pics here.)

 

[Starius]

One of the 8MM film cameras I picked up had film in it, but I've never looked to see if there was anything recorded on it. Actually, I'm not even sure where I put that now. When I got it, I do remember wondering if there were any sexy home movies on it...

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I just bought a "new" camera for my camera system that contained a roll of 35mm Fuji film that can't be more than ten years old I think. I am dying to know what's on it, being the curious sort that I am. But then part of me is hesitant to get it developed,...what if the photographer was a psycho or something!?

 

[jamespowers]

I just bought a "new" camera for my camera system that contained a roll of 35mm Fuji film that can't be more than ten years old I think. I am dying to know what's on it, being the curious sort that I am. But then part of me is hesitant to get it developed,...what if the photographer was a psycho or something!?

You could solve the Zodiac thing real fast.

 

[MrBern]

I've only gotten film w/ snapshots of strangers...

I did read about some Leica collectors who realized a goldenage camera still had some film in it. Looks to have been a forgotten roll from an early arctic adventure by Rasmussen.

 

[PA Dancer]

I just bought a "new" camera for my camera system that contained a roll of 35mm Fuji film that can't be more than ten years old I think. I am dying to know what's on it, being the curious sort that I am. But then part of me is hesitant to get it developed,...what if the photographer was a psycho or something!?

Think positive...what if it was one of Marilyn Monroe's personal friends who took pictures of themselves while camping with no makeup on?
Or...oh...35mm...10 years ago..ummm...ummm...early to mid 90's ummm...humm yeah chuck the film...might be a psycho. To many things got blown up in the 90's

 

[Quigley Brown]

I have a couple of old cameras with film of stuff that I shot years ago still in them. This thread just reminded me that I should go get it developed one of these years.

 

[Mike K.]

I found some film recently that showed what looked to be one heck of a party. There was no sure indication of location, but the motel sign looked like it said Roswell. In the picture was some big hairy ape-like thing, some dude with big black sideburns in a white jumpsuit, and another guy toting around a parachute and wads of money.

 

[Starius]

I found some film recently that showed what looked to be one heck of a party. There was no sure indication of location, but the motel sign looked like it said Roswell. In the picture was some big hairy ape-like thing, some dude with big black sideburns in a white jumpsuit, and another guy toting around a parachute and wads of money.

Now THAT sounds like a party!
Haha!

 

[The Wingnut]

I've got a 40+ year old roll of exposed 120 film sitting on a shelf at home. Came out of an Eastman Kodak #4 that showed up in the shop I work at.

It's probably degraded to the point that if I were to go through the expense of having it developed, nothing would come out.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I've got a 40+ year old roll of exposed 120 film sitting on a shelf at home. Came out of an Eastman Kodak #4 that showed up in the shop I work at.

It's probably degraded to the point that if I were to go through the expense of having it developed, nothing would come out.

Not necessarily. I've heard of film being developed after 50 or 60 years that yields discernible images. Developing is cheap if you don't have the negatives printed but instead get them scanned directly to a disc. I just did a 24 exposure roll like that for 5 bucks and some change.
C'mon,...go for it! You have a better than 50 percent chance of finding some cool pics.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I found some film recently that showed what looked to be one heck of a party. There was no sure indication of location, but the motel sign looked like it said Roswell. In the picture was some big hairy ape-like thing, some dude with big black sideburns in a white jumpsuit, and another guy toting around a parachute and wads of money.

You don't say?!
I was wondering whatever happened to that roll of film,...[huh]

 

[Mike K.]

On a more serious note...
An old acquaintance was fortunate enough to participate in a photographic expedition to Antarctica. During the lengthy trip his group was allowed access to some of the historic sites of pioneering expeditions to the south pole. Half buried in the snow, not far from one encampment, he happened upon an old film canister from none other than Ernest Shakleton's 'British Antarctic Expedition' of 1914-1916. Although extremely curious as to the film's contents, my friend carefully reburied what he felt to be a piece of history best left in its historic place.

Talk about the find of a lifetime!! I applaud my friend's decision, but think that if it were me, I'd have taken the film to the Smithsonian for developing.

 

[jamespowers]

On a more serious note...
An old acquaintance was fortunate enough to participate in a photographic expedition to Antarctica. During the lengthy trip his group was allowed access to some of the historic sites of pioneering expeditions to the south pole. Half buried in the snow, not far from one encampment, he happened upon an old film canister from none other than Ernest Shakleton's 'British Antarctic Expedition' of 1914-1916. Although extremely curious as to the film's contents, my friend carefully reburied what he felt to be a piece of history best left in its historic place.

Talk about the find of a lifetime!! I applaud my friend's decision, but think that if it were me, I'd have taken the film to the Smithsonian for developing.

If it were me, I would develop it and sell it on eBay.