Tweet
Out of Date Svema 16mm film. Best developer?
I have some 100 foot rolls of Svema 16mm B & W reversal film well OOD. I intend to use this film but have a query about a developer ie would Kodak D19 be suitable as this is high contrast. This film is was nominally rated 200asa when manufactured but the first roll I will reduce by 0.5 stop every 10 feet to gauge the present rating.
-
-
Sounds like a good start. I don't know how your film was stored, but B+W film stored in a freezer lasts incredibly long and still produces good imagery. Testing the exposure like you said is the way to go. You can also shoot the film at an ASA (I would add some exposure, maybe up to 1 stop = 100ASA) and then do snip tests from the end of the roll to test your development times and adjust that to get the exposure you want. A couple of 5 foot strips each tested at a different development time should get you in the ballpark. Then develop the rest of the role at the desired development time. Good luck. Shooting 16mm is fun. -
Hi David, Thank you for the reply. Not been on this forum for a few weeks so sorry for the delay in reply. Pleased you agree with my technique for ascertaining the current speed of the film. I have no idea of the films previous storage as I bought it from Russia. Seemed like a good film to experiment with and a bit of a challenge. The developer to use was the first issue so pleased you agree it is a good start. Yes, snip tests a good idea and one I had been considering. I used 16mm some years ago but like many went over to digital but am finding the 'too perfect' result a little boring. I will post the result of the tests on here but the actual film also on 'YouTube' once scanned. Time allowing the result should be known in a month or so. Whilst in Russia I also bought a Krasnogorsk 3 which I will before using I will seal, as best I can, against the well known light leaks that are exist with most of these cameras. Once again thanks for the response.Comment
Comment