OLD film!!?

Question

I found 40yr old fim spools from a Ansco Cadet. They have been in the case all this time. Would they be any good? If I open them, will I see the negatives or do they have to be processed to see them? Sorry, I'm clueless about this stuff.

They have to be family pictures that I took and I would like to just see if they are worth trying to save. Thanks

Answer 1

If you open it, you'll ruin the film.  It has to be kept in absolute darkness until it's developed.

I'd recommend not taking it to a 1 hour developer like Walmart or the sort.  Take them to a camera shop, and they'll be able to tell you who to take it to.

Answer 2

Try Rocky Mountain Film Laboratory. They specialize in obsolete types of film. Here's the URL:

http://www.rockymountainfilm.com/

When I worked in the camera industry, we sent them old stuff such Kodachrome II. Sometimes they get images, sometimes not. It depends on the film type, the storage it had and plain luck. Their web site is quite clear about this and their policy about payment, which basically is that you pay up front and that you understand that there is no guarantee you will get a thing from your old film.

Unprocessed film is perishable, particularly color film, and yours is decades beyond its expiration date, so you'll need a dose of luck. Hope you have it!