Long expired film. Useable?

[johnf04]

A camera I bought today came with two unexposed rolls of film - A roll of Agfa Isopan ISS, expiry Jan 1973, and a roll of Kodak Tri-X, expiry Aug 1974. Are these likely to be useable? What ISO should they be exposed at?

 

[x-ray]

Very likely it's extremely fogged. If you just want to give it a try I'd suggest rating it 2 or 3 stops lover like 100 for the TX. There's an anti fog product that might still be available called orthoozite. It might help if you can find some. I'd try a developer like HC110 dilution B. It's a low fog developer but won't prevent fog.

I recently found a partial box of Ektalure G paper. I loved Ektalure G back in the day so I thought I'd give it a try. I guess it was at least 30 years old. Unfortunately it was heavily fogged from age and unusable. Your film I over 40 years old so unless it's been frozen since it was manufactured it'll be pretty badly fogged. Higher speed films fog fader than slow also. In cleaning out my freezer a couple of months ago I found a dozen rolls of Delta 3200 in 120. It was 9 or 10 years out of date and had been frozen since purchasing from the dealer. Sadly it too had age fog and was totally unusable.

 

[CMur12]

I've read (though I don't remember the source) that gamma radiation gradually fogs film, regardless of how it is stored. This is especially true of faster film. Freezing does significantly extend the life of film, especially slower film, but ultimately the limiting factor appears to be this radiation.

Perhaps a more knowledgeable member could confirm or dismiss this.

- Murray

 

[x-ray]

I've read (though I don't remember the source) that gamma radiation gradually fogs film, regardless of how it is stored. This is especially true of faster film. Freezing does significantly extend the life of film, especially slower film, but ultimately the limiting factor appears to be this radiation.

Perhaps a more knowledgeable member could confirm or dismiss this.

- Murray

It's a combination of chemical activity occurring and environmental radiation. As you mention it's especially a problem with faster film.

I have quite a few rolls of Fuji 1600 and fear it's fogged from age.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

I found a roll of something in a camera I bought from Ukraine, who knows what it was? This was the best one.

Most of them were like this.

 

[Huss]

Use it. It took about 10 seconds to turn that into this using Lightroom

 

[Tom A]

Iu depends a bit on how the film was stored - but if it wasn't exposed to high heat and humidity - you can probably get some images on them.
The Isopan ISS seems pretty stable in storage. I would rate it halt the indicated iso and develop in Rodinal 1:50 for maybe 10-11 min.
The TriX is most likely more fogged, but scanning the images helps cutting through the fog - wet darkroom can be a bit trickier - unless you have some Agfa #6 paper! I would do the TriX, rated at 200 in the Rodinal too but for 12-14 min (1:50) dilution and reduced agitation.
Worth trying anyway. Oldes film like that That I processed was Kodak Black and White, expired in July 1931. Rodinal 1:50/10 min and rated at 0.5 and 1 iso. Nominally it was about 32 in 1931. Kind of works.

 

[johnf04]

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. The Kodak film is in an unopened box, and the Agfa is in screwtopped aluminium container. The films look to have spent the last few decades in the front pocket of a camera bag.

 

[John Bragg]

Don't waste your time with them for image making unless to satisfy curiosity, as they are almost certainly useless by now. Had they been exposed, then it is a different story, as even a very poor latent image is a window on hidden history and deserves to be rescued.

 

[largedrink]

Expired (1974) Ilford FP4 125

Expired (1974) Ilford FP4 125

Two summers ago I saw some bulk rolls of expired film in a second hand shop near my home town, but didn't purchase them until a year later when I saw they were still sitting in the shop, unloved and unrefrigerated. They cost the equivalent of around US$15. The films were also from 1974: 2 bulk rolls of Ilford FP4 125, 2 of Tri-X and one Agfa Pan 100. All had been opened at some point but were re-sealed.

And last week I finally got around to trying out my daylight film loader with one (the FP4) and made 24 shots on a short walk from my home, using a suitable vintage camera (1972 Nikon F2). The local camera shop developed the film and I was very pleased to see the results look great: quite a lot of grain in dark areas but overall a really nice mood. I didn't make any exposure compensation. Here are some examples.

Number 52 (1974 expired film) by Hugh B, on Flickr

Arounf the fence (1974 expired film) by Hugh B, on Flickr

Pylon (1974 expired film) by Hugh B, on Flickr