eBay film holders came with film in them - what to do?

[Liquid Artist]

I am the opposite, I like trying a few shots and seeing what happens with mystery film.
Although I haven't lucked out and captured anything decent on LF I have on 35mm.

[Roger Thoms]

Well, the holders look clean, they are in Ziploc bags, and the seller identified the film as good FP4. I would definitely shoot a couple sheets and see for myself if the film was any good.

Roger

[DG 3313]

I would shoot the (E) film and replace it with my current film. The holders were what you paid for...the film in them was a bonus. You may find a very special image as an unexpected extra..........

But, I would never shoot a job with unknown film or film handling....

[Light Guru]

why risk it. are your photos not worth the effort you put in to them to risk with unknown film? Maybe the PO did not know how to load?
Buy new film, support the industry, keep the ball rolling - this is how you do it.

Yea the film could be messed up by heat, age, etc. I would not shoot anything important in it.

You can use the sheets to practice loading holders.

I keep some sheets that came in some holders to show people who want to know what the film looks like.

[koh303]

You may want to wait until you've seen my photos, but no, they're not. Total 4x5 sheets exposed by yours truly to date: 14. I need the practice.



I'm willing to take that chance to get 60 'free' shots. The ones I've checked in the darkroom seem to be loaded fine.



Ah yes, support the corporations that continue to mismanage their film businesses (often to the point of bankruptcy), failed to anticipate or navigate the transition of amateur photography to digital media, consequently damaging their core consumer business segments to the point that they can no longer support professional and large format film production, and continue to shut down plants, cease production of excellent products, and otherwise disappoint photographers? I think you're right - the wasteful action of throwing $70 of film in the toilet would certainly be in the spirit of the industry.

if we do not buy new film, there will be none sooner then later. Ilford Adox and Efke and Bergger are not evil, some are even employee owned. Kodak film production is now owned by the UK workers union. Fuji? they make the best (and only in most cases) film available. if you do not by the little they make, they will not make it. its a simple equation.

[BrianShaw]

Bergger?? I thought they stopped distributing film a long time ago. Did they resume?

[Sevo]

Bergger?? I thought they stopped distributing film a long time ago. Did they resume?

They still list one slow ortho film on their site. Positively a niche product, the German distributors of their paper don't appear to be selling it.

[jnantz]

i wouldn't bother with the seller ... he or she obviously doesn't know or doesn't care
about the film in the holders
maybe just exposing a few sheets at a time on a whim* and processing it on a whim ..
you could always remove all the film from your film holders
cut it up into small pieces and use them to test your fixer to see when it is exhausted.

* whim meaning on things that don't matter just for fun without a care if the film does or doesn't work out..

[TXFZ1]

Use the film as a test the holders for light leaks.

David

[scheinfluger_77]

I agree with this acually. I've had the same experience with film holder purchase and spent more time trying to figure out what is what than just unloading them and putting in my film in instead.

why risk it. are your photos not worth the effort you put in to them to risk with unknown film? Maybe the PO did not know how to load?
Buy new film, support the industry, keep the ball rolling - this is how you do it.