Old film

[wsuffa]

As most of you know, I've been diligently scanning the old negatives and slides that I found at my parents' house. Some of them - the ones from the 40's and 50's - were pretty deteriorated, though the slides were in far better shape than the negatives. I don't think any of the film was nitrate (most was clearly labeled as "safety film") but it deteriorates none the less.

Some of the negatives were stored in rolls, in film cans (which is about the worst way to store them, although the photo shops of the era returned the film in rolls rather than the strips that have been commonplace for the last 40-50 years or so). I opened one of the last cans left to scan the other night to a very distinctive smell of vinegar. Rut-row.

If any of you have old negatives that might have "interesting" pictures from the past, now's the time to get them scanned..... before they rot any further.

 

[rottydaddy]

Question: how do you remove the orange tint from the negatives? I've done a little research on various ways to do this (in addition to color reversing), but I'm curious about what method you use.

 

[Matthew]

My wife just finished getting old home movies transferred onto DVD. We found a case of 8mm films when we were cleaning out her mom's house. They went back from the early/mid 50s to the late 60s.

Fashion has changed a bit.

 

[wsuffa]

Question: how do you remove the orange tint from the negatives? I've done a little research on various ways to do this (in addition to color reversing), but I'm curious about what method you use.

What kind of negatives? Color negs? That's the base color of the film. Typically the scanning software will correct it out during the scan automagically. In the old analog process of enlarging negatives and printing them on photo paper then processing, the color paper & chemicals offset the base color.

I am using Vuescan Professional (Hamrick Software) to drive the scanner. Works well, and offers a multitude of options for various types of film.... Very well worth the low cost.

Using either Vuescan or the package that came with the scanner I've not had any color issues vis the base color of the film. But if you set the color settings wrong in the scan software you can get some really weird effects.

On older film, you can get color fading or (in the case of B&W) density changes. I use a photo package like Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP or Irfanview. Vuescan has a function to correct fading, but I prefer to save the raw scans and manipulate the "keepers" with a photo package.

 

[Henning]

Question: how do you remove the orange tint from the negatives? I've done a little research on various ways to do this (in addition to color reversing), but I'm curious about what method you use.

You don't, you just account for it in the filter pack as you print. Chrome (slide) film has a clear base stock. If you want chromes from negatives, there is a special film made for doing that called "Interchrome" film. You can also make negs from chromes using "Interneg" film. Both of these processes need a color correctable light source same as you use for a color enlarger. Once the film goes through the fixer in processing, you can no longer "reverse" the film between negs and positives. For chrome film, after developing, the film either goes into a chemical "reversal" solution or is exposed to light (depending on the machine) to reverse the halides.