Author Topic: My latest "stored in a desert" woes (Read 1468 times)

Indofunk · « **on:** October 31, 2016, 12:51:15 AM »

I bought a few rolls of Ektachrome off of eBay, as I am often wont. This time, it was Ektachrome 100EN (expired 1988), an emulsion I am unfamiliar with. I loaded it up into my Pentax ME and shot it at +1EV from box speed, as I usually do with E6 emulsions, regardless of expiration date. Processed it C41 100^oF along with a roll of redscaled Provia 400. The Provia came out fine, but the Ektachrome came out completely blank. But dark. A dark blue color. And really thick, almost as if it was completely overexposed. If I look really carefully through the most intense light I have available, I can barely make out some faint images, or at least parts of images. And here's the kicker, there are NO EDGE MARKINGS. I found that to be the most puzzling thing. I'm glad I processed it with another roll that came out fine, so I can't blame the chemicals or washing or anything else (and of course I did a leader test before using the C41

)

So ... what the hell happened? And how do I shoot the rest of the 4 rolls I have? I already loaded one roll into my Canonet and set it at EI25 (I would shoot it even slower, but the Canonet only goes to 25. Maybe I'll just shoot it in manual mode at f/1.7 and 1/4sec in bright sunlight).

If that doesn't work, I'm just gonna send the other 3 rolls to James. He magically makes beautiful pictures with desert film

jharr · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2016, 01:24:56 AM »

Just a thought, but were you shooting pictures of bright orange things?? That would make a dark blue negative, in which case... SUCCESS!

Indofunk · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2016, 01:36:51 AM »

Oh! So it was the fact that I took 24 pictures of a pumpkin lit by 50 orange gels from 1" away? Who woulda thought?

jharr · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2016, 02:23:00 AM »

Quote from: Indofunk on October 31, 2016, 01:36:51 AM

Oh! So it was the fact that I took 24 pictures of a pumpkin lit by 50 orange gels from 1" away? Who woulda thought?

Glad I could help 'illuminate' the problem. What are friends for?

Let me know if you want to trade something for a roll. Plenty of Dacomatic and Aerecon II around the house.

Francois · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2016, 02:10:13 PM »

Dark even in the sprocket holes?
Now that's strange.
Was the film in the original sealed Kodak cardboard boxes?
Kodak always has edge markings on all of their films.

Indofunk · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2016, 02:49:24 PM »

Quote from: Francois on October 31, 2016, 02:10:13 PM

Dark even in the sprocket holes?
Now that's strange.
Was the film in the original sealed Kodak cardboard boxes?
Kodak always has edge markings on all of their films.

Yup, dark even around the sprocket holes. Of the 5 rolls, 4 were sealed in the original boxes, and one was opened then taped back in. That's the one I used (though the canister and leader looks exactly like the sealed ones, no evidence of tampering). But this time, since I'm using one of the 4 sealed boxes, may be the real test. We'll see.

Francois · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2016, 08:46:24 PM »

So far I can see only two options.
First the film in the can isn't what's written on it. This sometimes happens with gray and black market productions.
It was the case in the 1990's where people were mail-ordering film for cheap from some guy who knew the mailman's daughter that owned a dog that she got groomed in a pet salon operated by a nice lady who's husband was a traveling salesman who during a trip to South Africa heard of a French lady who worked in a factory that was married to a man who was a steward for Air France who during one of his many travels went to India where he met a Fakir who had met the Beatles and knew that Paul's wife was big into photography so he presented him a childhood friend who also was a photographer who knew this lab owner that used to work for Kodak that had film for cheap in his store because he got it from a supplier who had privilege access to Kodak cans and boxes in which he re-spooled film he got in bulk from the factory while watching TV at night after work...

Second, the Film actually comes from Chernobyl...

Indofunk · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2016, 09:27:39 PM »

I'm going with the Chernobyl story, only because the Beatles tended to hang out with gurus, not fakirs (I mean, just watch the great documentary Walk Hard for irrefutable proof of that). Not saying that story may not be 100% accurate, but the shadow of a doubt cast upon it tips the scales ever-so-slightly towards Chernobyl

Francois · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2016, 10:01:52 PM »

Maybe the film was given to a guru who went through Chernobyl?

Chalklers · « **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2016, 10:38:50 PM »

I thought Ektachrome was E6,not C41?

Indofunk · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2016, 12:08:08 AM »

Quote from: Chalklers on October 31, 2016, 10:38:50 PM

I thought Ektachrome was E6,not C41?

I generally cross process all my E6 film in C41 chems. I've been doing it long enough that I'm pretty sure I can't blame the exposure or development (in fact, the roll of Provia that I processed at the same time was E6, redscaled, AND processed in C41).

Indofunk · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2016, 12:08:30 AM »

Quote from: Francois on October 31, 2016, 10:01:52 PM

Maybe the film was given to a guru who went through Chernobyl?

mind = blown

imagesfrugales · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2016, 07:32:20 AM »

Hm, reminds me of the Kodak EPT 160. Crossed I got extremely dark negs, and E6 processed by lab the the slides were extremely bright. I guess the films are fogged like hell. I always see that with long expired color film, the mask becomes a dark brown thing and the image is quite faint.

Francois · « **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2016, 12:51:12 PM »

I think I know what happened.
Since the box was taped shut, somebody probably pulled the entire roll out to see what was there and then proceeded to roll it back in all the way. Hence the missing edge markings and high density overall.

Indofunk · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2016, 12:25:10 AM »

Second roll (sealed in box) shot and developed. Half the roll at EI25 and half at EI50. Once again, came out completely blank, sans edge markings. Thick and blue. I developed this roll along with a roll of normal C41 film, which came out fine.

James, you want the other 3?

Are you at the same Westonhill address?

jharr · « **Reply #15 on:** November 03, 2016, 12:59:57 AM »

Quote from: Indofunk on November 03, 2016, 12:25:10 AM

Second roll (sealed in box) shot and developed. Half the roll at EI25 and half at EI50. Once again, came out completely blank, sans edge markings. Thick and blue. I developed this roll along with a roll of normal C41 film, which came out fine.

James, you want the other 3? Are you at the same Westonhill address?

Yes and yes! Did you happen to shoot these in either London or San Francisco? They are both notoriously foggy.

Indofunk · « **Reply #16 on:** November 03, 2016, 01:09:42 AM »

Quote from: jharr on November 03, 2016, 12:59:57 AM

Quote from: Indofunk on November 03, 2016, 12:25:10 AM
Second roll (sealed in box) shot and developed. Half the roll at EI25 and half at EI50. Once again, came out completely blank, sans edge markings. Thick and blue. I developed this roll along with a roll of normal C41 film, which came out fine.

James, you want the other 3? Are you at the same Westonhill address?
Yes and yes! Did you happen to shoot these in either London or San Francisco? They are both notoriously foggy.

Francois · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2016, 02:21:42 PM »

Francois · « **Reply #18 on:** November 03, 2016, 07:50:10 PM »

The film could have been stored in a glove box for a long time...

jharr · « **Reply #19 on:** November 03, 2016, 08:21:21 PM »

Quote from: Francois on November 03, 2016, 07:50:10 PM

The film could have been stored in a glove box for a long time...

...or a hat box... or a shoe box.

Indofunk · « **Reply #20 on:** November 03, 2016, 09:41:56 PM »

Or in a glove ... in a shoe ... in a hat

... in a desert

Francois · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2016, 10:07:45 PM »

Was the film slightly crispy from being stored in the oven over Thanksgiving?

Bryan · « **Reply #22 on:** November 04, 2016, 12:43:10 AM »

James or Satish, want to trade for some Black and white film? I don't think it was stored in the desert but it is expired. One of the Elite Chrome expired 03/2000 and the other 01/2001. The Provia expired 01/2004. The boxes have not been opened.

jharr · « **Reply #23 on:** November 04, 2016, 02:33:20 PM »

I'll give Satish first dibs, but if he passes, I have Dacomatic, Aerecon II, FP4 Plus and some Tmax (all expired to varying degrees). I can't remember if you use sheet film for anything, but I have some x-ray and some ortho-litho that I can cut to size for you (not expired). I also still have the 70mm Vericolor III if you want a couple 116 lengths of that.