Old film

[smiggsy]

Hi,

I've had hidden away in a wardrobe many rolls of colour film that was exposed during the 70's!

Using my Jobo CPE processor with fresh Tetenal C41 chemicals, I processed 2 35mm Kodacolor II films and they both were blank!
Even the frame numbers along the edges were blank, but if I looked really closely in some places there are the faintest signs of an image.

I have 5 more 35mm Kodacolors & 2 120 Vericolor II roll films to develop and don't want to have the same results.

I've had many years experience in b&w developing & printing, and have processed many very old exposed films with good results. Is there a trick to processing very old colour films that I don't know about?

Finally, I have 4 rolls of old colour film that requires the discontinued C22 process. Can anyone recommend a good processing company that can do these?

Regards, Barry

[Mike O'Pray]

Barry the first thing you need to look for is the colour equivalent of the B&W film leader. Is there any orange/brown masking where the leader was. This bit of film has been totally zapped with light and I can see no reason why even after all these years this shouldn't develop at least partially.

Equally, blank edges is worrying. As far as I know the image of the word Kodak is in the film and should develop.

This is theory on my part as I have never had to deal with this problem but while colour neg film of the 70s left a bit to be desired in terms of colour stability etc I'd have thought that the leader's exposure could not have disappeared.

Is your Tetenal kit relatively new and not previously used? The other possible cause is exhausted developer. Finally and not wishing to insult your intelligence is there any chance that you used bleach and fix or is it blix first instead of developer. I know I have done this with B&W once and then nothing shows up not even the leader. However you say that there is a faint image which rather rules this out.

It may be possible that whatever was in the film by way of "ingredients" to produce a neg has all disappeared but I just don't have sufficient knowledge of colour chemistry to say if this can happen with 40 year old film.

I sympathise. A bit of a bummer to get nothing

Mike

[smiggsy]

Thanks for your input Mike.

The film leader thats always exposed is clearly visible as normal. I'm also amazed that even the Kodak name and numbers are not along the edge of the film.

In places I can see the dark area between frames and very very faint parts of images in some places. It's like it's about 6 stops underexposed!

The chemicals are new and fresh. I've just processed a recently exposed Kodak colour film, with a 126 cartridge colour film that was from my daughter's camera 15 years ago and they're perfect.

I know I have some sentimental images on the remaining films. And I'm reluctant to try and process them. I expected that considering the age of the films, the results might be hit and miss, but didn't expect them to be blank.

Barry

[marty]

I'm afraid the latent image on a color film is way less persistent than on black n white emulsions. The fact that even the numbering on the rebate has gone seems to confirm that. I feel to exclude a processing error since, after all, some partial faint image appeared. My experience also confirms Mike's statement about the stability of color materials from the '70s, not long ago I was browsing through my dad's negatives from that era and the color ones look faded although at a glance I can't tell how far they're gone... About C22 I'd be surprised if any chemistry could still be found, cross processing in BW looks to me the more likely way to go although I can't give an advice on how to proceed from direct experience.
For what's worth I sympathize too, loosing good memories is not a nice thing ...

Cheers, M.

[smiggsy]

Yes Marty, unfortunately for me I think you're right. I've had good results in the past developing very old b&w films, and this is my first time for colour. I will try 2 more films to see if I get the same results. If they're bad then I'll shed a tear, swear a lot and bin the rest!

I've found a processing company that can develop old C22 process films, but they're expensive. Could be throwing money away and getting the same results with them, so maybe more tears and swearing again!


Barry