al olson
11-Feb-2008, 20:09
A friend has some b&w 4x5 negatives that she wants to scan. Although not relevant, I am curious about the types and origins of these negatives. She was a young tyke at the time, but remembers that her father had a 4x5 Kodak camera during that era.
The first, identified from the notches, is identifiable as Kodak Royal Ortho Sheet Film that first appears in the Kodak Data Book, Kodak Films, 7th edition (1956). The index "for meters marked for American Standard Expoxure Indexes" is 200 (daylight) and 125 (tungsten). Sensitometry shows to be around 360-585 nm.
The next two negative types have similar large square notch patterns and presumably come from the same manufacturer. One film has three large squares, uniformly spaced, and the other has four squares, probably to indicate different speeds. She recalls living in Europe in 1956 so this is likely a European brand. Agfa? Ilford? Other?
The last negatives appear to be cut from 4 mil roll film or maybe from film packs? They are 4x5.25 that includes an extra quarter inch of rebate for the Kodak imprint and frame number. There is no identification of the film type. (By elimination, the only likely candidate I find in the Kodak Data book is Tri-X and it would have an identifier like TX520, TX518, TX541, or TX523?) Is anyone familiar with a four inch Kodak roll film? Did Kodak have roll film backs for their 4x5 cameras back in the 50s? Was there more than one film available?
If anyone has information or recollection about these films, your assistance is appreciated.
The first, identified from the notches, is identifiable as Kodak Royal Ortho Sheet Film that first appears in the Kodak Data Book, Kodak Films, 7th edition (1956). The index "for meters marked for American Standard Expoxure Indexes" is 200 (daylight) and 125 (tungsten). Sensitometry shows to be around 360-585 nm.
The next two negative types have similar large square notch patterns and presumably come from the same manufacturer. One film has three large squares, uniformly spaced, and the other has four squares, probably to indicate different speeds. She recalls living in Europe in 1956 so this is likely a European brand. Agfa? Ilford? Other?
The last negatives appear to be cut from 4 mil roll film or maybe from film packs? They are 4x5.25 that includes an extra quarter inch of rebate for the Kodak imprint and frame number. There is no identification of the film type. (By elimination, the only likely candidate I find in the Kodak Data book is Tri-X and it would have an identifier like TX520, TX518, TX541, or TX523?) Is anyone familiar with a four inch Kodak roll film? Did Kodak have roll film backs for their 4x5 cameras back in the 50s? Was there more than one film available?
If anyone has information or recollection about these films, your assistance is appreciated.