Best way to prolong Film

[capitalK]

I think about baseball.

 

[zuiko85]

This is interesting. I just rediscovered two 100 foot bulk rolls of Arista ASA 50 B&W (yeah, it's old enough to say ASA 50) lost in my fridge. The carton says "made in England" so maybe it is Pan F. The exp. date is 7/2006 so this month it is 6 years expired. I just stuck it in the loader and spooled off 25 shots and plan to use HC-110 at 1:60 dilution, 20C, for 8 minutes with initial 10 sec. agitation and 5 sec. every 2 minutes.


We shall see what we shall see.

 

[David Murphy]

The freezer is a dry environment of low humidity.

If you store film in the freezer and take it out, make sure the warming environment is free of humidity because it is on the thermal break where the moisture will form. The moisture will not come from within the film canister or foil, but from the ambient air.

I find that the plastic film containers are effectively moisture-free from the factory, so about 1/2 to 1 hour warming inside them before exposing works for 135, and the foils around 120 are similarly protective. Not a perfect vacuum, but of so low humidity that the effect on the film is negligible.

Freezers are good storage because they are a controlled environment both for moisture and against heat. Heat is far more destructive of organic compounds than cold. What you want to avoid with film is BOTH the variable of temperature AND moisture.

Yes agreed that the freezer has zero moisture content in the air since it is frozen, however the film is warmed up outside the freezer and the air there, does indeed have moisture (for instance 35-60% RH being common in Southern California, a relatively dry place).

If you are right that factory sealed film is sealed in dry air that might deal with the problem, but not all film is factory sealed - many rolls are delivered in bulk lots unsealed, bulk loaded by users, put back for storage after opening, etc.

I think warming the film up in a container with a dry air positive pressure or in a vacuum jar might be a feasible solution.

 

[Godfrey]

I put film in the freezer either in the factory issued boxes. I've had zero problems just taking rolls out of the freezer and letting them sit on my desk for a day or so before opening the box. Been doing this for thirty five years ...

 

[mfogiel]

As a general rule: freezer before you shoot, and freezer after the shoot till you develop.

 

[Jaans]

As a general rule: freezer before you shoot, and freezer after the shoot till you develop.

In general this is a good rule, however if you intend to develop within a few weeks after you have exposed the film then freezing won't make any difference. Having said that, if it is summer and your house or storage area is hot, then freezing would be good. So in essence it all depends on the ambient conditions.

I think that using nice fresh film and chemicals along with a good consistent developing regime will have much more of a noticeable effect on the film than freezing straight after exposing, especially if you develop quite soon.

 

[thereabouts]

Do you folks take the film out of the cardboard boxes before you put them in the fridge/freezer? I don't mean the plastic film canister, just the cardboard packaging.

I just got a load of film and my plan was to take them out of the cardboard packaging and store each type in a ziplock bag in the fridge with the date written on the outside.

 

[mfogiel]

It does not make any difference, if the film is in the plastic canisters inside.

 

[thereabouts]

Ah OK, thanks. I just thought that the cardboard might attract condensation.

 

[pitadotcom]

what about rolls in a loader. is that safe to put in a freezer/fridge?

 

[znapper]

You don't need days to get a film to ambient temperatures, come on. 🙂


I usually wait 30 min to 1 hour after I take the film out of the freezer, in it's original packaging the film has enough protection from condensation.

And to the guy asking if he should loose the 35mm cardboard; why take it off? It makes it easier to see the film type, it's stamped with the expiration date, it protects the canister inside a little from opening AND the film is easier to stack when the cardboard is intact. 🙂

I keep all my films in tupperware boxes and ice-cream boxes, to prevent them from accumulating ice, labeled and sorted and ready to go.