FAQ

Q?Can I pay by check?
A.Yes, except if you have still film for developing. Because final prices are variable, depending on the number of images ordered, MasterCard or Visa payment is the preferred method. Payment by check cannot exceed $100. No refunds will be made for amounts less than $5.
Q?What should I know about paying by credit card?
A.If you are paying with a Visa or MasterCard issued outside of Canada (e.g. U.S.A.), you may be charged “international transaction” service fees by your financial institution. This has nothing to do with foreign exchange rates. We have no control over these fees and do not refund these fees should they occur. Please contact your card issuer to confirm their policy on transactions originating in Canada if you are unsure.
Q?I Have Expired Film…Do I Need Your Service?
A.As a rule of thumb…
  • Color film that is less than 5 years past its best before date and has been stored in excessive heat: you should be able to drop off any local photo finishers with a good reputation and get at least some OK prints.
  • Color film 5 to 10 years beyond the “process before” date that has not been stored in excessive heat: if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you fully recognizable though possibly poor quality images.
  • B&W film in cassettes (126/35mm) approximately 20 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast.
  • B&W roll film (120/620) approximately 30 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast.
  • Color film that has been in excessive heat over an extended period (i.e. a film left in a car parked outside for an entire summer season): if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you recognizable though poor quality images.
Q?What Type of Film Does Film Rescue Process and what can I expect?
A.

At Film Rescue we process any and all old, expired, deleted and antiquated films. It’s what we do.

If you approach us with a film that is a current process we will first determine from you whether you need us or not. Most films that are only expired by 5 or 6 years or so will come out ok processed by a reputable local provider. If your film is older than this we will want to have a conversation on exactly what you have, how important it is to you and how you think it was stored. With this information we can normally give some useful guidance on how you might want to proceed. We honestly don’t want to be selling our premium service to people that don’t need us. Our lab notes which give us guidance on the best way to process a given film has a database with an excess of 350 unique film types. The following is a list of the most common films that we develop on a regular basis. Following the film is a percentage of this type of film that comes out as recognizable and the quality trend for that film. Keep in mind, the quality trend is only a trend – some will be better and some worse.

Scale:

  • Very Poor — You can for the most part make out what is on the film but identifying people can be a challenge.
  • Poor — You can easily identify people and places but the images are very harsh and grainy.
  • Fair — Pictures are clear and easy to look at but not perfect. They may be lower contrast and have problems with blemishes and edge fogging.
  • Good — The pictures aren’t perfect but they are completely acceptable. They may appear grainier than a normal new film.
  • Very Good — Little difference between it and the quality of the pictures from a brand new film.
Film Type Percentage Recognizable Quality Trend
Kodacolor 97% Fair
Kodacolor-x 99% Fair
Kodacolor II 89% Poor
Kodacolor HR 100% Fair
Kodacolor VR 100% Fair
Kodacolor Gold 100% Good
Kodachrome (Motion and Still) 55% Very Poor
Kodachrome-x 97% Fair
Kodachrome II (Motion and Still) 80% Poor
Kodachrome 40 (Motion and Still) 100% Fair
Verichrome 88% Fair
Verichrome Pan 98% Very Good
Ektachrome 80% Poor
Ektachrome-x 93% Fair
Ektachrome 160 95% Fair
Ektachrome 7244 90% Poor
Ektachrome 7242 80% Poor
Moviechrome – all brands including Anso, Agfa, GAF, Boot’s 90% Poor
Triple Print (Black and White Label) 95% Poor
Triple Print (Blue and White Label) 58% Fair
Triple Print (Red and White Label) 92% Poor
Triple Print (Green and White Label) 80% Poor
Triple Print (Pink/Magenta and White Label) 95% Fair
Triple Print (Roman Numeral “VI” or “V”) 100% Good
Triple Print (Swiss Cross in Circle or Flower Shapes) 90% Poor
GAF Color Negative and Color Slide in cassettes 126 & 35mm 38% Very Poor
Agfachrome 90% Fair
Agfacolor 100% Fair
Ansco All-Weather 100% Fair
Ansco Moviechrome 70% Poor
Ansco/Agfa Plenachrome 95% Fair
Fotomat Color Print 95% Fair
Fotomat SR-V 100% Fair
Fotomat E-4 100% Fair
Fujichrome R100 60% Very Poor
Fujichrome N100 100% Fair
Fujicolor 100% Good
Fujichrome RT25, RT50 & RT200 70% Poor
Seattle Filmworks 100% Good
Signature Brand 100% Good
Famous Brand (Green Label) 90% Poor
RGB 100% Good
All Disc Film (Highly variable between brands and generations — check with us for more exact details) 90% Fair
Any and all out dated film that may require special handling N / A N / A
Q?How are your processing techniques different than a normal lab?
A.We keep very careful records on how a specific film is responding in a specific process. None of our processes are the same as what was originally intended for the film. All have been modified and tailored to our past experience with each film type, brand and format. The original process is not at all appropriate for salvaging images from long expired film. In order to salvage the best possible image from a film, many of these processes result in a Black & White image even though it may be a color film. In our opinion it is better to get a higher quality image in Black & White than a lower one in color or alternately to get something recognizable in Black & White than nothing in color.
Q?Why does it take so long to get my pictures or film back?
A.

Normal turn around time is as short as 4 weeks and as long 10 weeks during a particularly busy cycle . We have found nothing more difficult to improve on and nothing that has caused more client dissatisfaction.

Unlike a normal processing lab that may have one or two large volume processes under their roof we have 12 small volume processes. This creates the need to complete one process before we move onto another. Mixing chemical and preparing for each before we move to the next. It is not until all the film is developed that scanning and transferring begins. Once that step is complete then the digital work is done and then the uploading begins.

Please do not wait until near the beginning of a cycle to send us your film.  This not only slows down the lengthy administration process that we must do at the beginning of each cycle thus ultimately slowing down our turn-around time, but you also risk missing the cycle altogether.

Doing this well and proper at a reasonable price takes time. We encourage you to have a look at and consider others offering this service.
Q?Do you offer rush processing?
A.Rushes are not encouraged but are available. Unlike a conventional photo lab that deals with larger volumes of a single film format of only one process type, Film Rescue is processing smaller volumes of film, multiple formats and has 12 unique processes. This creates the need to process in batches — first completing the processing of all film in house before moving onto scanning and transferring. To break from this cycle is not always possible please contact us if you wish to arrange for rush processing.

 

Rush charges

  • Still film processing – 200 dollars plus all other charges
  • Motion picture film processing – 600 dollars plus all other charges
  • All other services – We do our best to accommodate when possible with no extra charges – please enquire.
Q?I want to shop around – who else is doing this type of work?
A.There are a small handful of other labs out there that do many of the same services as we do. We encourage our customers to shop around and choose who they feel best provides for their needs. Here they are, in no particular order:
Q?Do you return spools, boxes or cassettes?
A.We are happy to return film spools and cassettes that are identical in their function. For instance…if you send us a 127 spool we will send you a 127 spool back. We will try to get your original film spools and/or cassettes back to you but this is not guaranteed. We have found it exceedingly difficult to have a working system of keeping track of peoples film packaging while dealing with hundreds of rolls of film in the dark. A very effective system is in place for keeping track of who’s film belongs to who but within the system there is no practical way to also include the film packaging. Most often we will get you your precise packaging back but this is not guaranteed. The film spools, cassettes and boxes are of little or no monitory value. We often simply give them away to people who need them.
Q?What are “traditional style snapshot prints”
A.We emulate the look of the past with wide borders and glossy paper. The short dimension of your image is 4 inches. Example — images from 126 film are square so the print is 4 x 4 inches – 35mm is printed onto 4 x 6 inch paper. Our B&W prints are done on special printers (Epson K3) designed to give high quality B&W images. Most photo finishers are printing onto light sensitive color paper. When a B&W white image is printed onto light sensitive color paper, there is a color difference between the dark parts of your picture and the light. Normally the shadows being green and the highlight magenta. Our printers eliminate this problem with consistent tone across the gray scale. If you have primarily color images or prefer a borderless matte print, we encourage you to simply have us make you a CD and have them prints done at a local service provider.
Q?What is included with the final hands on fix-up
A.After scanning, images are adjusted for brightness and contrast. This is an automated process. The point of this step is to create a presentable image for client preview without increasing the initial development and preview cost. If an image is ordered by the customer, it is further improved manually, before copying to CD or printing. With many of the photos, the automated process creates a near best possible image.  The final hands on fix-up includes manual adjustments for brightness, contrast, edge fogging, spot removal, grain reduction and sharpening.
Q?What can I expect of images uploaded to me for downloading?
A.When ordering images from your gallery you will be prompted upon checkout to choose either a physical return of your scans, prints (if ordered) and negatives or to simply download the pictures. If you choose to download, there will be no shipping charges but the image sizes are smaller than what you’d get on a cd. They are fine for 4 x 6 prints and for viewing on a computer large enough to fill your average screen. If you choose this option, nothing is physically returned to you including negatives.  Once we do our final hands on fix-up of your pictures you will receive a link from Dropbox.com where we will have parked the images for you to pick up.  There is no charge for that part of the service.
Q?What can I expect of my images copied to cd
A. A final hands on fix-up is done to each picture that you select before copying to CD. Images are 8 inches by 300 DPI on the short dimension or your frame. Example — a 35mm frame would be 8 x 12 inches at 300 DPI — a 110 frame would be 8 x 10 inches at 300 DPI. Large orders are copied to DVDs unless CDs are specifically requested. By default the images will be in the JPEG file format but PSD and TIFF are available.
Q?Do you offer “process only” for still film?
A.We do offer process only for still film at a price of 21.60 per roll. However there are some things you should know:
  • With some negatives that have edge fogging, the effect is greatly reduced by doing yellow light scans which required optical grade yellow filtration within the scanner.
  • Some negatives after processing are as dense as welding glass and conventional scanners can not see through them.
  • Some negatives have such an extremely faint image on them they can not be recognized with the preview scan on a conventional scanner making them very difficult to locate your marquee correctly during preview. Auto frame selection will not work on these negatives. Do not assume if you don’t see images upon a quick inspection, there is nothing there.
  • Some films such as GAF cassettes and Triple Print blue label films are processed into an unstable reflective negative that begins fading after processing. Not only do they need to be scanned right away, they are scanned wet because the contrast on the film is much higher when wet and they can not be scanned on a normal scanner because light will not pass through them.
  • The no detectable image guarantee does still apply but that determination is to what we are able to salvage from a film and not to your capabilities or the limitation of your scanner.  If the film is returned to us to scan our per image scan price of 2.40 per image is charge and no client preview will be offered.
We are happy to advise you whether home scanning is a reasonable option given the type of film you are sending in. Please contact us.
Q?How do you define “detectable images”?
A.When we are deciding whether to scan or not scan a client’s film we are doing this upon visual inspection of the processed negative. Often times it is difficult to tell what the end quality will be without scanning and enhancing the negative. We therefore will continue with scanning and enhancing any film that we see anything on, whether that be a person, animal or object. We don’t want to be put into the position of trying to make a subjective determination of what may or may not be important to a person. What is one mans trash is another’s treasure.
Q?What is the “client preview” and on-line shopping cart?
A.Once we have scanned and done a quick digital fix-up to your pictures we create a gallery on our website for your images. We then send you a link via email to your gallery where you can see your pictures. From there, you can pick and choose the images that you want to be copied to CD and/or uploaded to you.  There is no obligation to place an order and your online gallery will remain active for one full year.  It is a fairly standard on-line shopping cart though the payment feature has been disabled as we will already have collected you payment details. Please note — the preview pictures are watermarked. The watermark is removed from the ordered images.
Q?What is the “quick digital fix-up” included in the base price of the still film processing service?
A.After scanning, images are adjusted for brightness and contrast. This is an automated process. The point of this step is to create a presentable image for client preview without increasing the initial development and preview cost. If an image is ordered by the customer, it is further improved manually, before copying to CD or printing. With many of the photos, the automated process creates a near best possible image.
Q?What size of still film scan do you provide?
A.Our scans result in an image that is 8 inches by 300 DPI on the short dimension or your frame. Example — a 35mm frame would be 8 x 12 inches at 300 DPI — a 110 frame would be 8 x 10 inches at 300 DPI. Because we are so often dealing with very low contrast negatives the scans are done at a high bit rate, then adjusted for brightness and contrast before down converting to 8 bit JPEGs. This creates a smoother grain scale than would be possible had the images been adjusted for brightness and contrast at 8 bit.
Q?What are my options with EM-25 process Ektachrome 160 movie films?
A.These films were manufactured pre-1984 and are a minimum of 25 years beyond the process before date on the original packaging. The availability of one of the chemical components required to process these films properly into color is dwindling (worldwide). In an effort to conserve our reserve of the chemical, we have had to raise the price per roll. If you are confident that your film has been stored consistently in cool temperatures and/or color is extremely important to you, specify that you would like color processing on our order form. If you know that your film was not stored properly or if you are unsure of the storage conditions, the black & white negative process we offer is the safer approach to salvaging something from your film. Transfer from a negative to positive (Black and White) will allow you to view it from video. You can tell if you have EM-25 process Ektachrome film by looking at where Ektachrome is written on the film cassette. EM-25 process film is written in white in a small blue box. With EM-26 process film Ektachrome is written in blue in a small white box or on top of yellow with a blue border around it.
Q?How will my old movie film be processed and what can I expect?
A.

Please keep in mind that your film may be decades beyond its process before date and what we are doing here is a salvage job.  We do our best to get good quality images from these very old films but the results are highly variable.  The quality we get range from good to just barely discernable.

  • Kodachrome — Can only be processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to a black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. There is no color processing option for this film anywhere on earth.
  • Ektachrome process EM-26 – By default, this is the only vintage movie film that we are processing into color. You can request on the order form that it be processed into a B&W negative instead of color if you wish to take the safest possible approach to salvaging something from the film.  They almost always do turn out at least as recognizable in color but the B&W version of the image can often be better quality.
  • Ektachrome process EM-25 — By default this is processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. Color process is possible, if requested, but there is a $14 surcharge (for 50’) and the film is less likely to turn out. More information on EM-25 film, including identification. In color the chance of a recognizable image is about 80%, while black and white is near 100%.
  • All other movie film - By default these are processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. Color process is possible, if requested, but there is a $14 surcharge (for 50’) and the film is less likely to turn out. B&W film is of course processed into B&W but this has stood up much better over time than color film and if your film is less than 20 years old you may want to consider using another provider who can do it faster and at less expense.
Typical chance of recognizable image on properly exposed and stored film:
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s+
30% trend: very poor 50% trend: very poor to poor 60% trend: poor to fair 70% trend:poor to fair near 100% trend fair to good
 
Q?What can you tell me about your transfer?
A.
  • Our 8mm and Super 8 transfers are top quality and comparable with the best transfers available. Our 16mm film transfers are of average quality and at a reasonable price. If a top quality 16mm transfer is required we are happy to give referrals.
  • When clients supply small reels, they are not spliced onto larger reels (which is common with most transfer providers). Each reel becomes its own chapter title or digital file. The client is encouraged to number the reels in the order they wish their film to be transferred. Chapter titles or file names up to 18 characters can be supplied with each reel as well.
  • With all options, film is cleaned before transfer. Cleaning will remove the worst of the dirt but usually some will still remain.
  • Minor damage to film is repaired without additional charge. If damage is more severe the client will be contacted and quoted as to the cost of the repair before the transfer proceeds.
  • Color correction is done digitally following projection/recording. Color correction is virtually frame accurate and applied when moderate to extreme color shifts occur. New corrections are not applied for minor shifts and very short scenes with any transfer option. Color correction is subjective and severely altered colors may only be able to be corrected so much. If color shift is very extreme, film can be converted to black and white.
Full Frame HD Image from our transfer (thumbnail). Full Frame HD Image from our transfer (thumbnail).
Click image for Full-Size image from one of our transfers. Click image for Full-Size image from one of our transfers.
Q?What’s better to transfer home movies to HD or SD?
A.The first home movie transfers available to consumers were to Betamax and VHS. With the advent of DVD and its quality advantage over VHS, many people chose to re-transfer their home movies to DVD. Now, with the availability of HD video, is it worth considering re-transferring your home movies once again and is there more to consider than just resolution? The resolution of HD video exceeds the resolution of super 8 and regular 8 film and it is unlikely that any future technology will significantly surpass the quality of HD transfers. However, HD transfer may not be appropriate in all cases. For example, film shot on a poor quality camera or by an unskilled operator may to some, look better as SD than HD once transferred. This because the grain or other flaws are somewhat softened in an SD transfer but will be made more obvious in HD. If within your budget, opting for the HD transfer will allow you the option in the future of down converting it to SD if the look is preferable. On the other hand the SD transfer is clear and sharp and the difference between the two could only be described as very significant if the original 8mm film footage is of stellar quality. There are other considerations as important as the SD vs HD question. The video capture device that is used on modern transfer equipment does a much better job than those available even only 10 years ago. These capture a more pleasant and clearer transfer without the glaring highlights and no detail shadows of the past. Also, the video files on a home player compatible DVD are no match to the usefulness and quality of the digital master files that are now provided along with the convenience of a DVD.
Q?How should I have my film organized for transfer?
A.At Film Rescue International, each film reel you give us becomes a single editable computer file and on the DVD or Blu-ray we provide you, its own chapter title (accessible from the DVD menu) . Due to the fact that you may edit and reorganize your movies in anyway you like on your home computer from the editable computer files we provide you, order and titling is not nearly as important as it was in the past. Once you’ve done so you may then burn as many DVDs as you like, also on your home computer. We still encourage you to number your reels in the order that you wish them transferred so you have a somewhat organized transfer. If you like a chapter title of up to 18 characters can also be supplied with each reel, which will then appear as the chapter title name on the DVD menu or the file name in the case of  your digital files. Unlike many providers, all films are returned on their original reels and in their original boxes or cans, maintaining the integrity of your family archive.
Q?Why is it so important that I keep a computer file master of my home movie transfer?
A.

When we capture your home movie film onto our computers, a very large high quality computer video file is created. This is used in our editing software to adjust speed, color, brightness and contrast . These files are the best quality master of your film transfer. For the convenience of home viewing, we must compress them to a fraction of their size in order for them to fit onto space- restricted DVDs for viewing on a DVD player. With the advance in technology, the transfer we are now able to provide you may well be the last necessary transfer of your home movie film you will ever have to do.

The way people approach home entertainment has evolved and more and more of our clientele now request these master files. They are much better than a DVD for…

  • Being a high quality master
  • Home computer editing
  • Copying and creating multiple DVDs
  • Versatility
  • File conversions for iPod, home entertainment networks and various devices
  • Remaining current with whatever the latest media is
  • For simply looking better

Even if you don’t understand the technology, it is definitely worthwhile keeping a high quality digital master for family members that do or that will. DVD is slowly becoming what VHS was in the 90s – robust computer files will remain relevant and are expandable into the future.

Q?Do I need to supply a Hard drive for my movie transfer and if so what size?
A.A general rule of thumb is if you have more than 100′ of film to transfer to HD or 200′ of film to transfer to SD, you will need an external hard drive or USB flash drive. If you have less than this, the files can be provided to you on data DVDs. These will not play in most DVD decks that are hooked to your TV set and will need to be dragged and dropped to you computer for playing or editing on your computer.  If you like we can supply a brand new hard drive for you but you will likely find better pricing for the drive at another provider.

Please note:  Any used drive provided to us must be reformatted and all previous data on the drive will be eliminated.

          To find out the size of hard drive you’ll need, please refer to this chart:
File Type Standard Definition (per 50′) High Definition(per 50′)
MOV 700 MB 1 GB
AVI 1 GB 2.5 GB
Q?What is the “Simple Service”
A.

We added this service for those that do not have internet access or are not interested in online previews to pick and choose the images they want a final hands on fix-up done to.  It also makes it possible to pay by check.

Your film will be processed in the same manner as with our Standard Comprehensive service.  Once processed it is scanned and an automated digital enhancement is done to all pictures. All images are then copied to CD and sent back to you.

Advantages

  • Simplicity – You need only send us the film and we will do the rest.  No figuring out online galleries and ordering.
  • Possible to pay by check – Unlike with our Standard comprehensive service it is easy to calculate a likely end price so payment by check is possible.  No personal checks over 100 dollars.
  • Price – In cases where you will want every single exposure on your film the end price can be lower than with our Standard Comprehensive service

Disadvantages

  • No online preview – It will take longer before you see the results.
  • No online shopping cart of your pictures – People opting for our Standard Comprehensive Service get to see their pictures two or three weeks before we actually send them back to you.
  • No option for a final hands on fix-up of your desired pictures – It is by having an on-line shopping cart of your images that we know which pictures you want so we can spend some extra time on those pictures fixing them up.
  • Price – If you end up not ordering most of your pictures the end cost or the Standard Comprehensive service will be less than our simple service.
 

You will not get the on-line preview of your images that comes with our Standard Comprehensive service.  You will also not have the additional hands on fix up of your pictures that comes with every picture that you add to your shopping cart from your on-line preview with our standard comprehensive service.  You will not be able to pick and choose only the pictures you want.  This is a simpler service for both us and our client and that is reflected in the price.

As with all of our still film developing services the no image no charge guarantee will still apply.

Prices
12    exposure or less 30.00
20 & 24 exposure rolls 36.00
27 & 36 exposure rolls 42.00
Disc Film 26.00
Any film with 2 or less recognizable pictures 20.00

Completely blank film is not charged for.

Q?What is the “Museum Service for color film”
A.

Our Museum Service is not only for archivists, researchers, law enforcement and museums, but for anyone that  wishes to have the most premium service we are able to offer.  Keep in mind though that it isn’t necessary in most situations and with our standard comprehensive service you will get the best quality versions of your pictures.

The difference between our standard comprehensive service and our museum service is as follows

 
Standard Comprehensive Museum

Color and B&W

 With the exception of Kodachrome type film,  most color film is first processed into a B&W negative. This is the safest approach to processing long expired film.  It is inspected and negatives that are of stellar quality are separated out to go through an additional chemical process that produces a color negative to work from.  This is only worthwhile with a small number of expired films that we get in and is done at no additional charge. With the exeption of Kodachrome type film, color film is first processed into a B&W negative and then scanned.  It is then, regardless of the B&W results, run through a further chemical process that produces a color version of the image. The color negative is then scanned.  Even if the color version comes out entirely blank the full initial processing fee is still charged for.
On-line previews and image ordering Only one version of the images are presented. Both B&W and color are presented if the color version was successful

Price

Initial processing into B&W and color    48.00

per image ordered from on-line shopping cart   .99 

shipping charges apply when applicable.