Kodak Disc Film Development

HobieMarty · 12-02-2025, 08:37 AM

I have 8 disc film cartridges with each having 15 exposures that I am looking into having developed. I understand that the quality issues with developing older film such as this and have reached out to a place I found online called filmrescue.com. Does anyone here have any experience with having such vintage film developed?

Sidenote, I know there are pictures of my TR6 when it was in a Christmas parade and had black wheels in the assortment of undeveloped discs, but I have no idea what the others are. Lol.
And yes, I still have the camera and surprisingly, when I opened the little lens door and pushed the button the thing came to life!!! I would have thought the battery would be dead by now.

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GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

I worked in a professional photo lab for 35 years and processed untold mega thousands or rolls of film.

If that film has been kept at room temperature for all those years a "fog" comes up from age. Normal C-41 negatives have a orange base color. The older the film is the less orange and more of a brown tone arises. I don't think the disc format came out in the C-22 film days so that will help your cause.

Finding someone to process disc film will be challenge one. We never processed it, as we did sheet film and roll film only. The negatives on the disc are just tiny, and a 4x6 inch print is about as big as you would ever want as anything bigger will be grainy. And the grain gets worse with age on undeveloped film.

Don't expect a good photo, anything close to what your cell phone shoots is way better. If you can find a place to process the film, maybe you can find someone to scan the negatives. Once it is digital, Photoshop can help a little.

We processed a lot of old film found in the back of a drawer at the grandparents houses of various customers. If it had been in the attic, it was almost always just a fogged useless image. If it was in the house and not over 20 years old, you might see a usable image, but don't bet on it. Even B&W film had the same fog issue.

Even at the best, the disc film made rather poor quality 4x6 prints.

HobieMarty · 12-02-2025, 09:16 AM

Filmrescue.com emailed me back fairly quickly and the cost for developing all 8 discs would be a little more than 500 bucks!!! 29 bucks processing per disc and an additional $2.25 per visible image. Now, the 500 bucks would be only if every single image was visible. They first develope the film into a BW image and if the image is good, then they colorize the image. I understand the disc film doesn't make for a super sharp image, and these are not going to be a museum quality image but dang, I would love to see what is on the discs, but may have to rethink this a bit.

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Steve Carlton · 12-02-2025, 09:16 AM

Worth a try, at least on one disc to start. I'd expect what Glen says, but have higher hopes for digital restoration/Photoshop kinds of tools. You can't hop in a time machine. Call Seawood Photo and see what they think. They were super helpful when I wanted to sell my Contax G2 kit.

https://www.seawood.shop/

HobieMarty · 12-02-2025, 09:18 AM

I will look into that. Thanks.

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Zeke · 12-02-2025, 10:10 AM

Seawood looks like an alternative to throwing out 2 old SLR 35mm cameras that I have with lots of accessories. Thanks for that.

Steve Carlton · 12-02-2025, 02:23 PM

Cool. What might you be selling them?

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by HobieMarty

Filmrescue.com emailed me back fairly quickly and the cost for developing all 8 discs would be a little more than 500 bucks!!! 29 bucks processing per disc and an additional $2.25 per visible image. Now, the 500 bucks would be only if every single image was visible. They first develope the film into a BW image and if the image is good, then they colorize the image. I understand the disc film doesn't make for a super sharp image, and these are not going to be a museum quality image but dang, I would love to see what is on the discs, but may have to rethink this a bit.

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Interesting. They don't even try to develop the disc in C-41, they just process it in B&W developer. Not a bad idea to get something at all. And they "colorize" it in Photoshop, and just guess at colors. Once the film is developed in B&W developer and fixer, they can't magically finish developing it in the color chemicals.

Pick one disc and have them develop it only. That is not a bad price to develop the film.

HobieMarty · 12-02-2025, 05:55 PM

That's the thing, I want all of them developed lol.

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GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Do one and see how good or bad they come out. Then if acceptable, send the rest.

Steve Carlton · 12-02-2025, 07:54 PM

I'd send one disc to Film Rescue and another to a place that will develop it in color and use Photoshop (or whatever software) to bring it back. From B&W, it's just going to be a guess at actual colors, like your TR6. I suppose you could give them examples of the color to match...

I guess if you could see a proof sheet of each disc to know what's worth further work.