A (possibly) unusual question about out-of-date film...

[tbhv55]

As per the thread title, I have a question about developing out-of-date film. Maybe the question has has been answered before on RFF, but I haven't found it. I know that there are many RFF members who are very savvy on the subject of developing, so I thought I'd ask here. 🙂

I have 'unearthed' a film camera which I haven't used in six or seven years. Around half of the roll of film in it was exposed at that time. Developing out-of-date film usually requires adjustment to the processing, but here's my question: If I expose the frames on the remainder of the film, will the developing affect the newly-exposed frames differently to the frames which were exposed six or seven years ago?

While pondering what to do with the camera and film, I fell to wondering whether the multi-year gap between the earlier exposures, and any later exposures, might change things from a chemistry point of view. Or am I just over-thinking this? 😀

I'm expecting some of the advice to be: Sacrifice the unexposed frames, and develop the film without further exposures - thereby avoiding the risk. In reality, that's probably what I'll do.

However, my curiosity has been piqued by what might (would?) happen if I went ahead and exposed the remainder of the roll, before developing it. Anyone know?

 

[santino]

I think it depends on the film. Pan F eg is notorious for losing it’s latent images when stored for too long. I‘d probably remove the film from the camera in a dark bag, develop the exposed part, shoot the unexposed part and compare the results.

 

[Freakscene]

Six or seven years? There will be a difference no matter what the film is. What the film is will determine is how big the difference is. Of commercially available films, Tri-X 400 has the best latency, Pan F is poor and TMZ and D3200 are very poor. Everything else lies inbetween.

You can shoot the unexposed portion of the film, just don’t expect it to look like the older portion.

Syrup HC-110 (old Kodak formula or Adox HC-110 Pro) has a very high concentration of synergistic developing agents and substantial restrainers to keep things sensible. It is by far the best developer for old film.

 

[Muggins]

I agree with Freakscene - last year I finished and developed a roll that turned out to have been part-shot 30+ years ago (in a camera I was given). The (colour) film shot back then had held the latent image well with very little degradation, but the last 10-12 frames, shot in 2024, had wild colour shifts.

Yours may have less, depending on the film and the conditions it's been stored in, but I'd be very surprised if you don't have funky shifts of some sort.

 

[Freakscene]

I agree with Freakscene - last year I finished and developed a roll that turned out to have been part-shot 30+ years ago (in a camera I was given). The (colour) film shot back then had held the latent image well with very little degradation, but the last 10-12 frames, shot in 2024, had wild colour shifts.

Yours may have less, depending on the film and the conditions it's been stored in, but I'd be very surprised if you don't have funky shifts of some sort.

I assumed the film was black-and-white. If it is C41 or E6, what @Muggins describes is typical, depending on storage conditions.

Edit: and I would add that there is no modification to the C41 or E6 process that can make the colour balance in the historically and newly exposed parts the same.

 

[tbhv55]

Thanks everyone, for your replies - very interesting information. BTW, your assumption was right @Freakscene, it is a black-and-white film (T-Max 400). 🙂

The rather prosaic reality is that I'll probably just develop the film without making any further exposures.

 

[Glenn2]

Marty, when using HC-110 on old exposed film do you recommend standard developing times or push a little bit to increase contrast?
I’ll have to pick up some HC-110 as all that’s on hand is D-76. About 15 years ago during a difficult period in life several rolls were forgotten, nothing important but am now curious. Besides I’d like to use the Leitz cassettes. It’s TX and HP5 so hopefully something remains to make it worth the effort.

Glenn

 

[bensyverson]

Just sharing a relevant data point... I recently developed a roll of Portra 400 in 35mm that I shot over the course of seven years—the first shots are baby pics, and the last shots are from when my kid was seven. As far as I can tell, there's no color shift when comparing the oldest shots to the newest. I gave the roll some extra time in the developer given how old the film was.

The other roll in the tank was also about the same age, but had an extremely heavy level of base fog. I haven't seen that before with expired C-41, and would have assumed it was a development error, except that the other roll came out fine.

 

[Freakscene]

Marty, when using HC-110 on old exposed film do you recommend standard developing times or push a little bit to increase contrast?
I’ll have to pick up some HC-110 as all that’s on hand is D-76. About 15 years ago during a difficult period in life several rolls were forgotten, nothing important but am now curious. Besides I’d like to use the Leitz cassettes. It’s TX and HP5 so hopefully something remains to make it worth the effort.

Glenn

If you have multiple rolls shot around the same time I recommend a clip test. Otherwise start by developing one and adjust from there. So much depends on storage. It is often over 40C/110F here in summer, and film that sits around in that is . . . interesting.

If you only have one roll, use Dilution B for the normal time and cross your fingers.