How can I identify an exposed, unlabeled roll of 120 film before development?
Asked 6/23/2019
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I found an exposed roll of 120 film in an old camera, but there’s no label showing the film type or process. I’d like to identify whether it’s black and white or color, and determine the likely development process before sending it for processing. Is there a safe way to identify the film from the roll or backing paper without ruining the images?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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Assuming you have a 120 tank, then a good approach would be to load the film into the tank which will leave you with the strip of backing paper. The chances are that somewhere on that paper it says what the film is. You may also be able to work out from the backing paper &/or the camera about how old it is, which will give you a chance to work out how faded the images will be & how much extra development time you'll need.
Obviously this trick will not work if you are planning to get it commercially processed, or if it's colour (unless you can process colour), but it probably is not colour.
Originally by user82065. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user82065
7y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—your best chance is to inspect the backing paper, not the film itself. In complete darkness, load the film onto a 120 developing reel/tank; once the film is off, check the backing paper in the light. 120 backing paper often includes the film brand/type, which may tell you the process.
You may also be able to estimate the film’s age from the camera and backing paper style, which can help you judge whether the latent images may have faded.
If you are not processing it yourself, this is harder, because a lab can’t safely inspect the backing paper without opening the roll. A risky alternative is to unwind/rewind the roll in total darkness to look for identifying marks at the film leader, but this is easy to mishandle because 120 film is attached to the backing paper only at one end.
So the safest practical approach is: handle it only in total darkness or a changing bag, remove the film from the backing paper, and use the paper markings to identify it. If you still can’t tell, a specialist lab may be the best option.
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