SIFTING THROUGH THE NEGATIVE TO DISCOVER A POTENTIAL POSITIVE.

Back in the middle of 2019, I was in the beginning stages of buying and selling cameras online. I came across a camera that intrigued me and I ended up asking the seller for a lower price, due to the amount of wear on the thing. They said yeah, and I got it; waiting about a week till it came tucked in a box, loosely wrapped and able to complete a full slide, side to side, edge to edge. I opened it up, eager and nervous, finding that the viewfinder glass was loose, the lens wouldn’t move to the proper points to complete full focus (closest to infinity) and the aperture was barely able to budge. I reached out to them and they were understanding, after apologizing they offered me my money back or some expired canned bulk color film. They couldn’t remember what film it was, but I was just beginning that part of my photographic journey as well, the pouring over and into the depths and seashore rushes of color films' whimsical fancy, so nudging any hope of getting to the bottom of it before receiving the film, I said yep! I set the Camera aside and waited again.

Pentax k1000 40mm f2.8, Unedited Kodak 5071 film

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

It came and I tore that box open and found a few loose rolls and set them aside. There were two bulk film cans stuffed into some bunched-up papers, I took them and looked them over, they were taped well and the one that had a bit more weight to it had more mystery film, but the labels were worn and I wasn’t sure how accurate they had become over time. What film was in these cans? When would I find out?

Pentax K1000 40mm F2.8, Unedited Kodak 5071 film

Pentax K1000 40mm F2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

A few months ago I did pull out the two cans into my dark bag and snipped the ends of both. Taking them out and looking at the ends in the light, I noticed one had a much brighter orange emulsion side, which I decided was some kind of slide film. The other looked much closer in color to a basic Kodak color film, nothing fancy. I took the one I decided was maybe Kodak Vision 3 and loaded up my empty bulk loader and thought, maybe I will use this someday, put it in the fridge, and there it stayed until one brave version of myself stepped forward a few days ago, loaded up a plastic canister and plopped it into my K1000…trying to load it right without it slipping out of the take-up spool, hahaha, I still haven’t gotten it just right.

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Unedited Kodak 5071 film

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

Anyway, the verdict is out! The film is coded as Kodak 5071 Ektachrome slide film.

Over three years later, having fridged it and periodically looking at it in the back of my fridge and not ever fully biting the film canister and just committing, I did what I had to do. I walked around my living room and made photos of whatever caught my eye. Nothing serious, just objects near the window and corner lamp with whatever end-of-the-day or soft home light there was. Since making these few images I have read some articles about this film, some with very rigorous developing practices and notes. I didn’t read these articles beforehand, I just went for it and went with what I know. Developing this roll with Cinestills simplified 2 chemical kit, at the usual 102 degrees for the standard time, 3.5 min dev./8 min. blix/and I wash for about 5-8 minutes, depending, sometimes using the stabilizer for 1 minute after it all. Looking at the images on the negative, there was a purple cast to the base, the emulsion looked slightly clouded, which happens, and cleared up just fine throughout its drying.

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Unedited Kodak 5071 film

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

I truly didn’t know what to expect from the scans, but the moment even the preview popped up on the screen, I was both confused and amazed, I didn’t think these scanned like slide film, there wasn’t the massive color separation I had been reading about or one green for the greens and one red for reds and so on. This scanned like regular, expired c41 color film! What is the deal with the code being one thing, and the negative looking another way? There was no remjet layer, and no super clarity of the negative to lead me to believe that I was handling a slide film. All that I have read and seen online about cross-processing is also strange; this film, although shot indoors and with no photos of humans, so no “strange” skin tones, doesn’t have any color cast or super-blown-out saturated colors. Strangely enough, it looks almost like a cooler version of expired Kodak gold or something.

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Unedited Kodak 5071 film

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

As you can see, I'm showing both the original scans and the ones that are very lightly edited. I only slightly boosted contrast, a lot of the shadows were very soft, gray, and spotty looking, I didn’t Photoshop out any of the blemishes either, these are as true as they can get. There is some info about this film being very very slow, iso 25 or even 10, and being able to be developed in E-6 chemistry for slide or even C-22 or C-41. It is a duplicating film, and it has so many specifics, but honestly, I like how parts of these images turned out and want to shoot it more. I plan for the next shoot to be outdoors and in a few different situations, with better light and maybe more uncertainty. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, It’s all for fun, who cares, just go and do it and try to keep learning! I aim to do it, and I will, maybe I will never fully know what to do with this film, but I will develop it the same way I did it last time and see what comes of it.

Pentax K1000 40mm f2.8, Edited Kodak 5071 film

Have you ever experienced this? What’s a film you have had issues with or have enjoyed? Have you ever used a mystery film, developed it, or had it developed and been pleased with the results it gave? I hope you are all having a great time out there with whatever camera(s) and film(s) you are using. The weather is changing and newness is on its way again, a clean slate! May all your shooting adventures be fun, expansive, and fulfilled.