Ensign E29 with 1957 film!

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ianjmatt

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I picked up an old Ensign E29 box camera for a few quid from a vintage store. When I opened up the back there was a roll of unexposed film (still foil wrapped and boxed) with an expiry date of 1957.

Two questions - what do you think. Would the film be useable. Any idea where I could get it developed? Also - it uses the now extinct 129 film. Any thoughts on what I could do to use it a bit - just out of interest really :D
 
ianjmatt said:
I picked up an old Ensign E29 box camera for a few quid from a vintage store. When I opened up the back there was a roll of unexposed film (still foil wrapped and boxed) with an expiry date of 1957.

Two questions - what do you think. Would the film be useable. Any idea where I could get it developed? Also - it uses the now extinct 129 film. Any thoughts on what I could do to use it a bit - just out of interest really :D
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Sounds like fun! There are some sites about that detail found films they've developed in various solutions.

Killing two birds with one stone, I'd say your best bet will be to get some kind soul to develop the film and then respool some 127 or 35mm film by reusing the backing paper from the roll you've got. I'd volunteer to do it, but maybe someone with more experience will offer their services.

Is there an empty spool still in the camera? I'm guessing it works like 127 or 120 film, I've only quickly glanced through the wikipedia page.
 
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What is the film? If it's boxed i imagine it would have more than just the expiry date on it... if it's C41 or E6 (or any B&W film really) process then it would be relatively easy to get souped. If it's something else... well then it gets harder.

If/when you do shoot it though, whatever happens - make it special. Odds are that's one of the, if not the last unexposed examples of that particular film/emulsion. That's a whole team of chemists, designers, workers etc. who likely produced it for a good few years of their life, and that legacy lives on in that one roll.
 
I think a film that had an expiry date of 1957 might be a little early for C41 - wasn't it launched in the early 70's, and E6 a few years later ('72 and '76 iirc)
 
Process C-22 seem to not be operating or in business at the moment as I wrote a reply to a question about Kodachrome processing in Amateur Photographer saying that Process C-22 could do it in B&W. Amateur Photographer printed my reply but added that they had tried emailing Process C-22 and got no reply and the phone numbers listed seemed to be disconected so they might be out of business.

They suggested trying Film Rescue International instead:

http://www.filmrescue.com/

(The other possible place might be the Rocky Mountain Film Laboratory also in the USA, but I would avoid it as its been widely rumoured to have gone bankrupt despite what its owner may say and there are loads of complaints online about film never coming back or never getting any replies to inquires about where people film is)

Its unlikely to be colour film as theres no record the C-22 process original Kodacolour (1942 - 1963) being produced in 129 and I doubt that its Ektachrome as I couldn't find any record of E-2 or E-3 process films being produced in 129 either, so its likely to be B&W. Of course it could be something like Anscochrome.

BTW, the C-41 process was released in 1972 for 110 film and 1974 for all other formats so that labs around the world could prepare for the new process.
 
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Think I'd just keep it as a curiosity if it's still in the original, sealed, packaging. There can't be very many of these left. You might be able to get usable results from it, but I doubt if they'll be anything to get excited about.
 
s162216 said:
Process C-22 seem to not be operating or in business at the moment as I wrote a reply to a question about Kodachrome processing in Amateur Photographer saying that Process C-22 could do it in B&W. Amateur Photographer printed my reply but added that they had tried emailing Process C-22 and got no reply and the phone numbers listed seemed to be disconected so they might be out of business.
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I saw that exchange in AP and you just reminded me that I should add a note to the Film Developing in the UK sticky.
 
I'd have a look on ebay and see if it's worth selling as a collector's item.
 
Its actually cheaper to send stuff to Film Rescue International in the USA than it is to them! Talk about about way way over priced! I can get a 110/126/127 film developed, printed and on CD by Fuji Digital in Burnley for about £12 whilst they want £34.99 for 110/126 and £64.99 for 127!

Not to mention that Peak Imaging will actually develop 127 anyway for their 120 film prices...
 
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