How expired is too expired?

[Pirate]

Not film but photo paper- I have two boxes of 5x7 fibre paper from 1974, both completely unopened and factory sealed. I'm really tempted to open one and try it.

 

[Gary E]

The last of my chrome stash is about 6 years old now. Looks fine, but seems to have lost 1/3-2/3 of a stop sensitivity; the Provia 400F has a slight reddish hue if light is too low or underexposed.

 

[Oldskewl808]

My Dad just gave me a sweet old Konica FS-1 during a recent visit. In the camera bag was a roll of Kodak 400 that expired in 1990. I decided to shoot it just for kicks. This is a shot from that roll.

 

[l.mar]

Verichrome Pan, process before 8/1965, run through a 1933 Target 620 Hawkeye a couple of winters back (processed in D-76 straight).

 

[valdas]

well, I was never disappointed with expired film... but recently I bought a bulk loader on *bay which came with loaded FP4 (best before 1984). you can see this nice mold all over... But I still confident about the content of my own fridge.

 

[md2008]

With the ease of color correction with a hybrid workflow, my tolerance for expired film has been getting longer and longer. Most of the photos from my Hexar thread have been with color neg film expired 3-4 years ago (which isn't too far gone compared to some films in this thread).

 

[rjbuzzclick]

Konica IR 750 (expired 1992):

Kodak Verichrome Pan (expired 1969):

 

[whitecat]

I usually have no problem with BW expired film but watch the color film.

 

[Ronald_H]

Very expired Agfa APX-400 (Jan-2001), shot in a Yashica Mat 124 @ ISO100, developed in Kodak HC-110 'B'.


East Anglian railway museum by Ronald_H, on Flickr

 

[mllanos1111]

I have several rolls of Panatomic-X thats over 20 years expired. Processed it in Rodinal and it looks amazing and no fogging.
I also have many rolls of Fuji NPH that is about 8 years expired and it also looks fine.

 

[kuzano]

Hey..

Hey..

I don't get the fascination with shooting expired film. Or putting junk lenses on fine cameras. I try always to get the best results I can, and for me that means fresh film, the best lens I can afford and a light-tight camera with an accurate shutter and focusing. Why throw stumbling blocks in front of myself?

Good on Moneybags. This is just a hobby for me, and getting great results is NOT about spending more money than one NEEDS to in order to acquire some pretty spectacular results.

In fact, being a Non Conspicuous Consumer has it's own moral, ethical and financial rewards.

Furthermore, I am not above helping out others more unfortunate than I am with the money I save.

Given any extra change to someone needing a helping hand on the street, lately?

However, in keeping with your line of reasoning, I do not shoot digital with expired memory cards or camera sensors. Now that would be foolish, wouldn't it? It's also come to light that freezing memory cards and camera sensors does not lengthen their useful life. as with film.😀

 

[tunalegs]

1966 Verichrome Pan run through a 1920s Vest Pocket Kodak:

I bought a lot of old 127 on ebay a few years ago because it was the cheapest way to get some film to try out my 127 cams. Most of it was from the late 60s and early 70s. Lots of base fog, but since it was evenly fogged decent prints were still obtainable.

 

[smk]

Here is a color slide film that expired in 1977, but exposed and developed in 2011 in the wrong chemistry (Rodinal instead of E4).

You can see the whole set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30227240@N04/sets/72157626211843126/with/5504524248/

 

[defconfunk]

I'm shooting a 400' can of Plus-X which expired in 1996. Thankfully it's been in a freezer the whole time, so no problems for me.

 

[Jaans]

I don't get the fascination with shooting expired film. Or putting junk lenses on fine cameras. I try always to get the best results I can, and for me that means fresh film, the best lens I can afford and a light-tight camera with an accurate shutter and focusing. Why throw stumbling blocks in front of myself?

Agreed. I have nothing against people who shoot expired film for whatever reason they do - the effect or its cheap etc

However, in my case I just don't want to add another variable to my routine. Good photos are hard enough to procure without then worrying if the quality of that potentially great shot is fogged or degraded due to the film being kept in a hot cupboard from that ebay seller. A lot of the time you really can't be 100% sure of the conditions the film was kept from ebay sellers - not saying all, but some>

 

[Jaans]

Here is a color slide film that expired in 1977, but exposed and developed in 2011 in the wrong chemistry (Rodinal instead of E4).

You can see the whole set here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30227240@N04/sets/72157626211843126/with/5504524248/

I had a look through your flickr set - I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed them. The grain was also minimal from the Rodinal.

 

[gb hill]

Exp. 2001 Fuji Reala 100 I picked up in a film bin @ Wolf Camera. I shot this in 2010 with the Bessa R & J3 50/1.5 lens. Shooting exp. film is fun.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

How the film will be affected by a long storage is dependent of temperature, speed of film and athmospheric radiation. I bought a couple years ago a LOT of 70mm Aerocon II surveillance film from NASA surplus sale in UTAH. The "past date" is 7/1965. It was stored inside a underground warehouse ( no radiation) then I stored it in a freezer. It is just as perfect as today`s plus X or TRI-X, absolutely no fogging... I am looking it to serve me till "end of my days" in hasselblad 70mm backs. 6 ea of 500ft cans ! that is 1000 metres of 70mm stock ! ( something like 1500 rolls of 120 film)

 

[Tom A]

Another "oldie" with expired film. I found a 50ft roll of Panatomix X in the darkroom (darkrooms are just that - and things do go away and hide). Expiry date was 1979/80 - stored in room temperature for decades! Shot it at the local "Hippie" days festival. Leica M6 and Leica Summicron 75mm f2.0 Apo - Asph. Film rated at 40 iso and developed in Beutler.

 

[paulfish4570]

expired film that is free is especially fun. i shot a couple of rolls of kodak 200 c-41 film that was nine years old. it was a bit grainy with a slight blue cast easily fixed in PP. i liked the effect very much. two 10-year-old rolls of kodak uc 400 were fun, too ...

uc 400: