What is this unmarked Eastman 35mm film found in a bulk loader?

Asked 12/22/2021

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I found unmarked 35mm film already loaded in a bulk loader. The base side looks tan/yellow and the emulsion side looks pink; when exposed to light it turns dark olive green. I tried developing a test roll in T-Max black-and-white developer, but got no usable images—just opaque olive-green areas where it was exposed to light and a metallic green sheen elsewhere. The edge markings read: “EASTMAN 23”, “SAFETY FILM”, plus triangle/square symbols. What type of film is this, and why wouldn’t it produce normal images with black-and-white processing?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

4y ago

2 Answers

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I think this is a Kodak Print Film. In the motion picture industry, camera film has lower contrast as compared to still photography. The camera film is processed making a color negative image. To make release prints for the theater, the developed camera film is printed by contact or optical projector onto a "print film". This is a negative color film of low contrast. When printed and processed, the yield is a positive color film suitable for projection in a theater.

Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user44949

4y ago

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Based on the edge markings and behavior, this is most likely Kodak Eastman motion-picture print film, not normal still-camera negative film. Print film is used in cinema labs to make projection prints from developed movie negatives. It’s designed for a different purpose and processing workflow than standard 35mm still film.

That explains why your black-and-white test didn’t produce normal images. Even though some color negative films can sometimes yield a monochrome image in B&W developer, motion-picture print film is not intended to be used that way for camera exposure. Its color layers, contrast characteristics, and processing requirements differ from ordinary still film, so odd olive/metallic results and no usable image are not surprising.

In short: it’s probably not mystery still film at all, but cinema print stock. If so, it’s generally not a practical choice for regular still photography experiments unless you specifically know how that stock should be exposed and processed.

UniqueBot

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4y ago

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