Mystery box of film found in garage

4 years 8 months ago #655138 by Chris Briggs
How can you tell age of old film and negatives?

I don't see any dates, unless I'm missing something.  Not a film guy, so really curious what photos are on all of this and how old they are.  


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4 years 8 months ago - 4 years 8 months ago #655141 by Ozzie_Traveller
G'day Chris

Years ago, Kodak would insert a batch number into the references alongside the sprocket holes, but that number was only meaningful to them. The cardboard box showed a 'best before' date

However, for 120 roll film which had almost no edge space, I can't remember whether it had batch number details

Q: - what is it that you have found? what size / shape etc. etc.?

Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

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4 years 8 months ago #655142 by Chris Briggs
Good question, I know I saw 35mm in there and a couple other sizes.  I just saw the boxed, rummaged around it with my hand and set it aside. When I get home, I'll check again.  

Thank you


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4 years 8 months ago #655165 by Red Tail
My wife has been reminding me to do the same.  Well she brought more old negatives from their parents place saying "I'm a photographer and will figure getting these digitized"  


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4 years 8 months ago #655233 by Jason Stevens
I have some that I need to transfer to digital as well, but I don't believe there are dates on this stuff.  It's been a few months since I have even looked at mine, I'm going to wait for winter months, get a couple bottles of wine and start converting to digital.  

Sorry pal, I'm in the same boat, but have no idea of age.  Wouldn't developing them give you approximate date by cross referencing to your family tree?


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4 years 8 months ago #655282 by Zach Mosher

Chris Briggs wrote: How can you tell age of old film and negatives?

I don't see any dates, unless I'm missing something.  Not a film guy, so really curious what photos are on all of this and how old they are.  



No clue, what are you going to do with all of it?  


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4 years 8 months ago - 4 years 8 months ago #655289 by icepics
If you look along the edges of the negatives where there are sprocket holes there may be the name of the film. So you could look up what years the film was made and in use.

Handle the negs by those edges, don't touch the emulsion side to avoid smudges etc. Look at the strips by holding them up toward a lampshade (unless you have a light box) and see if they all look worth scanning.

If they look too light or if the color has 'shifted' a lot or they have deteriorated badly you could scan and do adjusting but see if the images on a strip look like they're worth it. If they are of someone/something important you want to save but the negs are in really bad shape there are places that can do restoration. Condition usually is affected by how/where they've been stored. If they're in decent shape and/or worth saving put them in acid free sleeves made for storing negatives.

You can scan yourself or have them scanned or both. It's obviously a question of time and cost. 

Sharon
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4 years 8 months ago #655304 by Kenya See
Interesting tip, good answer.  I think many will get some value from that.  I have some film and had wondered age of it.  Now you give me reason to dig this out.  


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4 years 8 months ago #655358 by Chris Briggs
Hey thanks guys and gals.  We found more of these!  I'm almost afraid to keep cleaning.  BTW what is the easiest way to convert these over to digital?  


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4 years 8 months ago #655592 by Scott Klubeck
Here you go Chris:  https://www.photographytalk.com/wolverine-data-titan-review

That will do the trick.  


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4 years 8 months ago #655647 by Roger Lang
Good question, I thought there was a date code strip on edge near the end of the roll?


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4 years 8 months ago #655656 by Joslyn
Well you can totally score like that one guy did a few years back where he found super rare photos from WWII :thumbsup:


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4 years 8 months ago #655812 by Conner
Damn, good question.  I always thought it was the crappy hand writing on the box or envelope!  


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