Film Identification Notches...

[RJM]

OK first let me say hello to you all.

I am a photographer based in the southwest UK. For the last few years I have been working digitally in order to pay the bills. However, I now work at a university and have the opportunity to use film equipment again., while I toy with the idea of trying for my masters in a year or two. In particular, I now have access to some 5x4 gear. I'm excited about this, as the last time I used large format was when I was doing my photography degree four years ago.

So I've borrowed a Wista, and I'm keen to get to work with it. I've found some of my darkslides in our film fridge, along with all the film that has shamefully sat unused since I graduated.

The darkslides look like they have film in them, but apart from some brief descriptions on the darkslides, I have no idea what films they contain!

So my question is this: is there a reference page of 5x4 film notches, so I can go through these darkslides and work out what films are in them.

I understand that the film is not going to be its best anymore. However, it's been refridgerated, and rather than just throwing it away, I may as well try the film out anyway, at least on some test shots while I get back into things.

I apologise if this is a really obvious question - feel free to berate this newbie at will. :-D

Thanks again. Great place you have, here.

[lenser]

Perhaps this will help:

http://photondetector.com/tools_ref/filmdata/

Tim

[RJM]

Very helpful, Tim. Thank you.

[Lenny Eiger]

Perhaps this will help:

http://photondetector.com/tools_ref/filmdata/

Tim

Great resource. It bugs me that some films have only one notch for all their different film! I wish an Efke rep was on here so I could scream at him/her.

Lenny

[Glenn Thoreson]

Not as bad as Kodalith, which has no notches at all. :D

[RJM]

Thanks guys. I have managed to work out that, of the five darkslides in question, two were empty, two contain Provia, and one has Provia on one side, and T64 on the other.

So I'm going to load up the empty ones with some HP5, and have a play with this Wista. :-D

One more question. All the film has been refrigerated since 2004, and I'm not expected miracles. Any suggestions what alterations I should consider in order to expose this film correctly?

[Jiri Vasina]

I'd try rating it a bit faster (0.5EV). It might have a slight cast (magenta?).

But if it sat in the fridge for all those years, I would expect it to be perfectly usable as is.

[RJM]

Thanks Jiri. I'll probably take your advice and give one of them a go as is, and take it from there.