Film in a hot car

[kshapero]

How much heat can film handle? I sometimes leave my rig in the car for a few minutes (hidden, of course). Temps in the summer can approach 100 F. in a locked car in the summer. How long can film handle this before there is degradation or some other problem?😕

 

[Keith]

You mean like this: 😀

 

[Rayt]

I usually don't leave film in that condition so my experience is limited. With b/w no visible effect. Color film will have color shift depending on various factors, i.e. temp, time.

 

[sevo]

YMMV. It really depends on the film (fast and colour slide film often suffer more), fresh vs. exposed (latent images are more affected than film itself, exposed Pan F may even lose all its latent image in one hot car trip) and temperature (somewhere above 70°C actual coating damage can occur).

 

[oftheherd]

I've been pretty lucky in that I haven't noticed much of a problem, but then I take precautions not to let film get too hot for too long. I make sure it is in something that can insulate it. Same with cameras. I keep a cooler in my truck, with cameras and film inside another container. Still, on those rare occasions I haven't taken sufficient precautions, I have on noticed color shifts or extra grain maybe 50% of the time. I would question your belief that inside a car would only go to 100 degrees F. Even with windows cracked a bit, especially in Florida. I live in northern Virginia, The inside of a car will go easily to 125 or greater.

Repeated expusre to that kind of heat will take a toll on film.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I read about a bloke who did environmental photography in the middle east for a government department. He kept all his film in the large Thermos flasks that are designed for soup. The flasks were cooled in the film refrigerator overnight with film inside. When he took out the flasks, he popped on the lids and dropped them in the back of his Land Rover. He claimed that this prevented any problems even at air temperatures of 40C.

Personally, I don't think I'd be taking many pictures at that temperature!

😀

 

[Chris101]

In Arizona interior car temps can easily top 50C, even an hour can cook film such as trix. The heat darkens film, robbing it of contrast so that it does not show any shadow detail. Color (and chromite mic B&W) film seems to be affected to a lesser extent, although color shifting does occur.

 

[Sparrow]

... when I'm in Greece I park in the shade

 

[Highway 61]

I sometimes leave my rig in the car for a few minutes (hidden, of course). Temps in the summer can approach 100 F. in a locked car in the summer. How long can film handle this before there is degradation or some other problem?

The films will really face any short 50C (average temp. in a locked car if not shadow parked in the summer) periods with no problem - for more than a few minutes, that's another story, as Chris101 wrote - but your lenses helicals greases won't ! 😱

For the same reasons, nobody sensible should use any black photo bag in the summer...

 

[kshapero]

Thanks all.