Do your old films have vinegar syndrome?
Sep 23, 2016 at 04:23PM If you have an old film collection of 8mm, 16mm, Pathe or 35mm then you should check it regularly for "vinegar syndrome" - You do this by opening the can and if you can smell a vinegar like odour then that's a definite sign that a chemical reaction is underway with your film collection.
What is happening?
Essentially this means that your film stock is beginning to deteriorate and the film is starting to decompose. Usually at this time we start to see a "snowflake" type of effect on the pictures, This is where the emulsion layer is starting to get really damaged (this is irretrieveable at this stage).
What should I do?
If you detect this vinegar smell we recommend that you remove the affected films from the rest of your collection and store them separately in a cool location until you can have it digisited.
You will get the best copy of your films if they are digitised before this process has started to occur. With Larger libraries of content a proactive programme of digitising should be put in to place.
What next?
Call us on 08 9375 3902 to discuss your film collection, or email enquiriers to [email protected]