joachim
Convicted Ektachome user
Hi,
I am wondering how long one can keep colour slide film in the freezer? I am mostly interested in ISO 100-200 colour slide film. If I buy some which is to expire in 1/2 year. If I freeze it today, how long does its live time get expanded?
Ta, Joachim
I am wondering how long one can keep colour slide film in the freezer? I am mostly interested in ISO 100-200 colour slide film. If I buy some which is to expire in 1/2 year. If I freeze it today, how long does its live time get expanded?
Ta, Joachim
navilluspm
Well-known
The lower the ISO the longer film should keep. I have shot 800 NPZ 2 years after expiration. I think I was pushing the limit. I have also shot 1 1/2 year old Velvia 100F with no problems.
Ken Rockwell claims that he claims that he has used Velvia 50 up to 10 years past expiration.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/film.htm#expiration
I guess no one can predict when the film will break down. I am shooting Kodak Gold which expired 2003 and PanF+ which expired 2006. Absolutely no problems with the PanF+. The Gold is just on the verge of showing its age - no fogging, but seems to underexpose a little. Shot at 80, no problems.
Ken Rockwell claims that he claims that he has used Velvia 50 up to 10 years past expiration.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/film.htm#expiration
I guess no one can predict when the film will break down. I am shooting Kodak Gold which expired 2003 and PanF+ which expired 2006. Absolutely no problems with the PanF+. The Gold is just on the verge of showing its age - no fogging, but seems to underexpose a little. Shot at 80, no problems.
RF-Addict
Well-known
Am I correct assuming that you are using expired film that had not been frozen? Fresh film frozen and then used years after expiration date should still behave like fresh film! Even with slide film, the break-down of the chemicals should be stopped (or almost stopped) as soon as you freeze the film.
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
I have used and still have film in my freezer that`s 10+years old and still going strong, both exposed and unexposed
Tom
Tom
navilluspm
Well-known
My film was sort of frozen. It was kept the freezer during the summer, and the cold attic in the winter. The attic is about 40F these days, so I might have to move the film.
The Kodak gold I just purchased recently, so I don't know how well it was stored. I still use it and there is no fogging, but I think I notice a little graininess to the negatives when shot at 100 instead of 80 (but maybe it is my camera meter).
With the 800 speed film, I think it was age, but then again, the Walgreens that developed it did a horrible job. They allowed light leaks on early frames (and I am certain it was not my camera, because I tested it, and there were hard clumps of stuff certain frames). It was jsut these last rolls that I had the problems with, but they were still usable.
The Kodak gold I just purchased recently, so I don't know how well it was stored. I still use it and there is no fogging, but I think I notice a little graininess to the negatives when shot at 100 instead of 80 (but maybe it is my camera meter).
With the 800 speed film, I think it was age, but then again, the Walgreens that developed it did a horrible job. They allowed light leaks on early frames (and I am certain it was not my camera, because I tested it, and there were hard clumps of stuff certain frames). It was jsut these last rolls that I had the problems with, but they were still usable.
fernandez_diez
Member
Hello. I developed a few days ago a Ilford BW 125 ASA ,frozzen during 7 years ago. ,..... The photograph was enlonged at30x40 cm and perfect.
Don,t worry. Many people appears frozzen in High mountains.... in good condition
Don,t worry. Many people appears frozzen in High mountains.... in good condition
P
PhotoJim
Guest
Freezers won't stop cosmic rays. This is why fast films age less gracefully than slow films. Cosmic rays fog film, but slow film suffers much less from this fogging.
Really fast films (ISO 1000+) will not keep long even if frozen.
Conversely, really slow films (APX 25, Panatomic-X, Ilford Pan-F or Pan-F Plus) will keep for many years if frozen.
The temperature matters too. Film keeps longer in a chest freezer at -17 than it will keep in a fridge freezer at -1.
Ronald_H
Don't call me Ron
What part of the electromagnetic spectrum are you referring to? First you will have to determine which wavelengths film is susceptible to under what temperatures and after that what actually penetrates into a metal box and a film can. Will be fun.
I'm no expert, but 'cosmic rays', please.
lZr
L&M
I don't have cosmic rays in my freezer, so I'll keep my Velvia for 5 years more
joachim
Convicted Ektachome user
Hi there,
first of all a big thanks for everyone who replied. So the answer seems to be several years for low(ish) ISO stuff.
That damage by cosmic rays and natural radioactivity is not reduced by lowering the temperature is well known to me. How bad it is, will depend on where you live (e.g. Bikini Atoll) and how much lead you can afford to put around your freezer
P
PhotoJim
Guest
From Kodak:
Ambient gamma radiation is composed of two sources: a low energy component which arises from the decay of radionuclides and a high energy component which is the product of the interaction of cosmic rays with the earth's upper atmosphere. The radionuclides responsible for the low-energy photons exist in soil and rock and are carried into earth derived building materials such as concrete. Lead shielding or storage deep underground may be helpful, but for long-term raw stock storage, radiation will still be a factor. Upon exposure to ambient-background radiation, photographic materials can exhibit an increase in minimum density, a loss in contrast and speed in the toe, and an increase in granularity.
The change in film performance is determined by several factors, such as the film speed and length of time exposed to the radiation before the film is processed. A film with an Exposure Index (El) of 500 can exhibit about three times the change in performance as a film with an El of 125. While this effect on a film product isn't immediate, we still suggest exposing and processing the film soon after purchase. We recommend a period of no more than six months from the time of film purchase before exposure and processing, provided it has been kept under specified conditions. Films kept for extended periods beyond six months may be affected, especially the faster films, even if they have been frozen. The only way to determine the specific effect of ambient-background radiation is to make actual tests or measurements by placing a detector in the location where the film is stored. The most obvious clue is the observance of increased granularity, especially in the light areas of the scene.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/technical/storage_cond.jhtml#radiation for the original citation.
Don't believe me? Test it for yourself. Buy some slow film and some really fast film. Freeze both for a few years. Shoot and process.
At one time (and perhaps still), Kodak had storage facilities deep underground (in abandoned mines, if memory serves) for film storage. Hundreds of metres of rock stop cosmic rays to some degree (but not completely), so the effects on the film are reduced versus storage near the surface.
A freezer does not stop cosmic rays. Loading the freezer with food does not stop cosmic rays.
It might sound like a joke, but cosmic rays and background radiation have noticeable effects on film, especially faster film, over periods of time that we are likely to care about.
Ambient gamma radiation is composed of two sources: a low energy component which arises from the decay of radionuclides and a high energy component which is the product of the interaction of cosmic rays with the earth's upper atmosphere. The radionuclides responsible for the low-energy photons exist in soil and rock and are carried into earth derived building materials such as concrete. Lead shielding or storage deep underground may be helpful, but for long-term raw stock storage, radiation will still be a factor. Upon exposure to ambient-background radiation, photographic materials can exhibit an increase in minimum density, a loss in contrast and speed in the toe, and an increase in granularity.
The change in film performance is determined by several factors, such as the film speed and length of time exposed to the radiation before the film is processed. A film with an Exposure Index (El) of 500 can exhibit about three times the change in performance as a film with an El of 125. While this effect on a film product isn't immediate, we still suggest exposing and processing the film soon after purchase. We recommend a period of no more than six months from the time of film purchase before exposure and processing, provided it has been kept under specified conditions. Films kept for extended periods beyond six months may be affected, especially the faster films, even if they have been frozen. The only way to determine the specific effect of ambient-background radiation is to make actual tests or measurements by placing a detector in the location where the film is stored. The most obvious clue is the observance of increased granularity, especially in the light areas of the scene.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/technical/storage_cond.jhtml#radiation for the original citation.
Don't believe me? Test it for yourself. Buy some slow film and some really fast film. Freeze both for a few years. Shoot and process.
At one time (and perhaps still), Kodak had storage facilities deep underground (in abandoned mines, if memory serves) for film storage. Hundreds of metres of rock stop cosmic rays to some degree (but not completely), so the effects on the film are reduced versus storage near the surface.
A freezer does not stop cosmic rays. Loading the freezer with food does not stop cosmic rays.
It might sound like a joke, but cosmic rays and background radiation have noticeable effects on film, especially faster film, over periods of time that we are likely to care about.
Praxis Unitas
Established
Water stops cosmic rays too...
Water stops cosmic rays too...
Hello, all.
When I monitored radioactive exposure to the crew of my nuclear submarine, I couldn't help but notice that cosmic background radiation became negligible when our ship dove deep enough. Here's my solution: store your film on a submarine, but not too close to the nuclear reactor.
Cheers!
-Christopher
Water stops cosmic rays too...
Hello, all.
When I monitored radioactive exposure to the crew of my nuclear submarine, I couldn't help but notice that cosmic background radiation became negligible when our ship dove deep enough. Here's my solution: store your film on a submarine, but not too close to the nuclear reactor.
Cheers!
-Christopher
kaiyen
local man of mystery
Ronald - if you're no expert, then why denounce the concept of cosmic rays affecting film? Is it because cosmic rays, to you, is a humorous term? You do realize that, in a literal sense, it's a perfectly valid term, right?
And, as mentioned above, you'd need so much protective material around your freezer as to be ridiculous. Truly.
And remember also that you do not "freeze" film. You store it at freezing temperatures.
And, as mentioned above, you'd need so much protective material around your freezer as to be ridiculous. Truly.
And remember also that you do not "freeze" film. You store it at freezing temperatures.
raid
Dad Photographer
As a general rule, I expose outdated film at 50% of the original ASA, and sometimes, I set the ASA at 25% of very old ASA 400 film. It works.
KenD
Film Shooter
Film kept in the freezer will last a long time - 10 years is not out of range. This assumes that the film was in good shape when it went into cryo-storage. It has been said (photo legends suggest) that thawed old film will deteriorate faster once it is out of cold storage.
My suggestion: freeze, use oldest stock first, and test asa/ iso and performance before any critical use. Be careful of overexposure; negative film has good latitude to overexposure, but reversal film has little latitude to overexposure.
KenD
My suggestion: freeze, use oldest stock first, and test asa/ iso and performance before any critical use. Be careful of overexposure; negative film has good latitude to overexposure, but reversal film has little latitude to overexposure.
KenD
jmilkins
Digited User
Dang! My 33 rolls of 1993 Konica SRG 3200 may not fare that well out of the freezer then.
I better use one of them new fangled high iso digital compacts.
I better use one of them new fangled high iso digital compacts.