How to read film type from DX code

[danmc]

Since the topic of identifying the maker and type of film from markings on the negatives has come up here before (I've asked the question too), I thought this may be of interest.

On the edge of 35mm film, there is a bar code called a DX bar code. There is a java app on the following web site:

http://www.imageaircraft.com.au/DXsim/

that allows you to enter the bar code from the edge of the negative by way of clicking on the graphic. Then the maker and type of the film is displayed.

This is how I was able to figure out that the negatives I had labeled "N63A" were in fact fuji superia 200.

Hope this is useful to others.

-Dan

[LSI_Ketelhohn]

Dear Dan,

thank you this surly is very helpful.

kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

[dylanhayhay]

hat allows you to enter the bar code from the edge of the negative by way of clicking on the graphic. Then the maker and type of the film is displayed.

how do i do this, any detailes, sounds interesting

[LSI_Ketelhohn]

Dear customer,

This is an tool from an external website.
In case you have any questions please refer to http://www.imageaircraft.com.au/.

Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn.

[Exspextations]

Like a number of people on this forum I am struggling to identify film types for my old colour negative films. I have found a reference to a URL for a DX code reader app on this forum (http://www.imageaircraft.com.au/DXsim/) - but it uses a version of the JAVA plugin that is no longer supported and doesn't work anymore. Furthermore, most of the info seems to related to the DX codes on the film canisters an extensive listing of these can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfil ... 429783414/. There also a good guide from Fuji: https://www.fujifilmusa.com/shared/bin/ ... aGuide.pdf.

I have a number of films that are clearly Fuji ASA 100. They are probably Superia Reala, Superia, or Reala and should have an emulsion code J51, E51 or F51 on the negative edge strip, but the only code on the edge strip is 905, 906 or 972 which, according to the Fuji document, is used on Fuji PRO 160C films. Choosing this colour calibration produces terrible scans. Like many Fuji films it has three strips (red - green - red) running through one set of perforations.

I also have a number of films with the code 2154 and 2177 - these looked like Kodak film emulsion codes, but these number don't exist and lie in the range of b/w films (http://www.taphilo.com/photo/kodakfilmnumxref.shtml). They have a solid green strip through one set of perforations.

Does anybody know what these films are or know of an app / program that will decode the DX film edge codes that should give film make and type, but I can't find any information on how to read these?

Grateful for any pointers.

[LSI_Ketelhohn]

Dear user,

thank you for the feedback.
Too bad that tool does not work anymore.
Unfortunately so far I have not discovered another one.

Kind regards,
Arne Ketelhohn

[Holger88]

I think I found out how to decode the DX code. But this works only for the basic code which contains 13 digits.
I had several OEM films and I was very curious which film it could be.

I found a pdf with some codes but was not sure whether these codes were the ones on the film stripe (the coding pages start at page 182):

http://integraply.dlinkddns.com/CustDownloads/Documentation/Agfa%20Equipment/MSC%20Series/MSC%20Digital%20Printing.pdf

I was scanning several older films and tried to find a match and I believe that I got it.
The 13 digit binar number has to be splitted into ones with the length of 7, 1, 4 and 1.
In the example you would get
0101000-0-1001-0
The 8th Digit is in my films always a 0 - so i am not sure whether I have to split 7-5-1
0101000-01001-0

In either way - decoding the binar value to decimal will give me a 40-9 (in the pdf they talk about 5 Digit decimal - so I have a 040-09)
The 040-09 is standing for Polaroid HDR 200

I tried with several DX code of known films:
KODAK Gold 100-3
1010010-0-0110-1
=> 082-06
FUJI G-200
0001100-0-0011-0
=> 012-03
KONICA Color Super SR 200
0101000-0-1011-1
=> 040-11
Fuji HG100 CN-1
0001010-0-1101-1
=> 010-13

I have no clue for what the last digit could stand. I have sometimes a 0 and sometimes a 1.

But I think that it is worth to share the other information.
I would appreciate some feedback whether it worked for you or not.

There is a starting sequence of 6 Digits and an end sequence of 4 Digits. These Digits you have to ignore. They are only on the film for automatic reading. (upside down recognition)

[peer]

Thanks for posting this. I think it works for me. Here are the dx code edge markings from one of my rolls:

0100100 00010 (36-2)

Using this document:
http://www.i3a.org/wp-content/uploads/d ... n_2009.pdf

That maps to FUJICOLOR SUPER G PLUS 400, which is correct.

In fact, the edge marking is longer than I've listed above, and there is one on each side of a frame number. Here are the markings for frames 1, 2, 3:

0100100 00010 000000100 (36-2-4)
0100100 00010 000001000 (36-2-8)

0100100 00010 000001101 (36-2-13)
0100100 00010 000010000 (36-2-16)

0100100 00010 000010101 (36-2-21)
0100100 00010 000011001 (36-2-25)

Presumably the last number somehow correlates to the frame number, or length along the strip.

This doesn't quite work for a second roll, which should be Fuji Reala. The dx code from the edge is 36-6 and that document says it should be 36-7. But perhaps the roll I have is an older version of Reala.

[Holger88]

In the pdf which I used (and which is linked) there is also no code 36-6 mentioned.
Unfortunately the link is dead now.

[LSI_Ketelhohn]

Dear user,

That site has moved. the new one is:
http://www.imageaircraft.portfairy.town/DXsim/

Kind regards,
Arne