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Author Topic: A camera loaded with "mystery film." Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-21-2010 11:43 PM                     If you remember, I was talking about getting my old camera repaired, just last week. It's a Pentax Super Program. I did some looking around and I couldn't find any place in town that would even touch it. If I sent it out of town it would cost a minimum of $130 to $150, plus parts, to do the work. That assumes they can get parts, even. Pentax does not support this camera anymore. Just on a hunch, I looked on eBay. I found one being offered for $40. I bid on it and won! I figured, even if the thing doesn't work, I can use it as a source of parts to build one working camera out of. Right? Anyhow, the package came today. I fiddled around with it after dinner, this evening. As luck would have it, the camera seems to be in working condition! But a funny thing happened. I cocked the shutter and the film rewind knob turned! Holy shit! There's film still in it! The frame counter says, "18." There must be at least 6 more frames of film left. There might even be 18 frames left. That's half a roll! Just to be safe, I sent a message to the seller. Turns out she's one of those consignment stores like "iSold-It." She says, that's the way it was when she got it. She says I can throw the film out. So, here I am. I've got half a roll of "mystery film" in this camera. I think I'm going to shoot up the rest of the roll and develop the negatives. I won't make prints. I'll just scan them. God knows what's on that film! What do you think I'll find?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-22-2010 12:19 AM                     Go for it...you might find some intereting history that someone took on that roll .... -Monte  |  IP: Logged Sean Weitzel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Vacaville, CA (1790 miles west of Rockwall) Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-22-2010 12:46 AM                     What was the ASA set to? if anything we would have a tiny clue as to what is loaded in the camera. I'd be curious if it is negative film or reversal - (Kodachrome a bonus!) If I were in your shoes and had absolutely no clue what was in it, I would just assume a film of 100 or 160asa and expose accordingly. Then rewind and pop the back open and see what was actually loaded and process accordingly. Be sure to keep us posted!  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 01-22-2010 01:09 AM                     They have to be juicy photographs. No-one takes pictures of boring stuff like landscapes, weddings, holidays, family and kids anymore. Maybe you have some Area 51 top Secret photos!....or how about NBC's documents on programming cock-ups....insider photos of Technicolor's 3D system.....snapshots of the latest chips from Intel.... or Tiger Wood's sex romps!!! More than the mind is boggling here.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-22-2010 07:28 AM                     The speed dial was set for 200 ASA. I suppose it's negative film because I don't remember any transparency film that's 200 ASA. Kodachrome and Ektachrome both come in 32/64/100. Right? I don't know any black and white that's 200 ASA. It's likely color print film. My bet is Kodak "Max-200" or Kodak "Gold-200." Shot about a half dozen frames with it, last night, just around the house. Nothing special. Just wanted to see how the camera works. Seems to be in good condition! I'll try to finish it up today and then I'll take it in to the photo store. I'll tell them to develop but not print. I'll let you know what I find.  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-22-2010 07:43 AM                     Hopefully some awesome porn!!!! Not what you shot, the other stuff.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-22-2010 08:54 AM                     I thought there might be some really gritty pics from a murder scene or something. But the camera is fairly clean. There are hardly any marks on the bottom plate except for a few light scratches around the tripod screw. There's almost no dirt around the dials and controls. There was some dust on the mirror inside but the camera came without the lens. (I used the lens off the camera I already own. Why bother buying a new one?) Since the camera is so clean, I don't think it was used very much. Personally, I wouldn't use 200 ASA film. I would use either 100 or 400. I'm going to guess by the condition, the fact that there is still film in the camera and by the 200 ASA film that whoever owned it before didn't know how to use it very well. Consequently, my guess would be that there are random family photos on the film. If it was a birthday party or a vacation of some kind, the person would have had the film developed.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-22-2010 09:58 AM                        You do realize that you are required to post the mystery pics in this thread, right?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-22-2010 11:41 AM                        I don't remember an ASA 32 for either Kodachrome or Ektachrome, but there was an ASA 25 for at least Kodachrome. Seems like the only time I ever shot ASA 200 was if I had run out of film during a trip and just bought whatever I could get my hands on. Like Randy, for everyday stuff I used to shoot mostly ASA 100, 125 or 400 for prints, and ASA 64 for slides. I'm trying to find someone to take all of my old film cameras, a couple of Canon 35mm bodies with several FD mount lenses, plus a Mamiya 645. Seems they're not even worth what it costs to ship them anywhere nowadays. So sad - in their day, even the non-pro stuff was rather finely crafted.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-22-2010 12:18 PM                     Paul, you should keep at least one film camera. I don't care how good the digital camera, you can't surpass film! I finished up the roll in the camera. It is Kodacolor "Gold-200." I'll take it to be processed on the way home from work. If there's anything on the film, of course I'll post the shots.  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 01-22-2010 12:26 PM                     quote: Randy Stankey If there's anything on the film, of course I'll post the shots Assuming your not in jail, perv.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 01-22-2010 01:14 PM                        I'm guessing it'll be pictures of a minivan.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-22-2010 01:15 PM                        quote: Randy Stankey If there's anything on the film, of course I'll post the shots. Heh well the OCD part of my brain would be worried that there's something "unlawful" on that roll of film that could lead to trouble. Unlikely but hey you never know!  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 퍼항시, 경상푹도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 01-22-2010 01:16 PM                     If they're juicy you should run the film back through to re-expose them and strategically place yourself in. It's like the time I went camping and someone decided to take a picture of me standing by the bathroom for no reason but the camera jammed so when I developed the pictures that was superimposed with a shot I took of our campsite. It was the weirdest looking shot ever.  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-22-2010 04:41 PM                     I know it's too late now but, if you wanted to find out what type film was in the camera, make note of how many pictures had been taken. Then rewind the film, being careful to stop just as you feel the film come off the take-up. This will leave leader sticking out of the can, so you can rethread the camera. Attach the film to the take-up, close the camera, and with the lens cover on the lens (so you don't expose the film), "take" the same number of shots, plus two, that was on the film to begin with. I have done this when I wanted to shoot two different types of film, with the same camera.  |  IP: Logged

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