out of date film

[aniMal]

Just bought a huge load of film, both chrome and colour negative.

For years I have used old film, and for the most part it has been OK. Sometimes a tint or somewhat strange colours, but as I scan everything these days it has not been the slightest of problems.

But this time around it is loads of 4X5... All sealed, things like ektachrome that exired in 98. Some expired around 2004, and I guess those will be just as new. All stored in a freezer.

Just those 50 sheets of 4X5 would save me a fortune, and probably last a couple of years if they are OK!

So, would you trust this batch? I will of course make tests, but that will take some days to get done...

There is also chemistry, and perhaps I will develop colour for the first time since the early nineties.. Went really well back then, and if there is some tint it will not matter if I am just a little of on developing it. (Although last time I used to be spot on...)

(There is also 60 sheets of tungsten 8x10 fuji negative colour sheets, I ponder if I could cut those down to 4X5... But they are old...)

 

[SolaresLarrave]

The Ektachrome may show some color cast... but I don't think the 2004 film would be a problem.

My only encounter with color cast in old film came when I bought a small batch of old Kodachrome, expired who-knows-when (I used once film expired in 1992, and, believe me, it was fine). The two entire rolls of K-25 had a blue cast. Again, as you said, it was a cinch removing it in Photoshop... in fact, had I known I would have tried my hand at using it as tungsten film! 🙂

In any case, I'd trust this batch... at least for your non-significant work.

Have fun! 🙂

 

[KenD]

If it has been stored in a freezer it is likely as good as the day it hit the dealer's shelf. Yes, test, but my bet is it will be fine.

 

[aniMal]

Really hope so!

I have a rule of using new or recently expired when I travel or do shoots that are important one-offs. For odd things in between, I really use whatever - and find that I still learn a lot about colour rendition and different styles of films.

Half a year ago I did some macros on a roll of 120 kodak that expired sometime like 93, and that had blocked shadows. That means that the shadows were lighter than what had had just a little exposure.

Another time around 92 I used kodak highspeed that expired in the early eighties, and that was just a waste.

I guess it follows speed and storage for the most part...

Will be really interesting to see, these days I really want to get into 4X5 in order to do work on film that blows digital out of the water 🙂

 

[JohnTF]

I had some frozen 120 film, ISO 100, for 25 years, which was fogged to the point of ruin-- Cosmic Rays I suppose.

My guess is that lots of us are going to be "testing" film.

I bought some Government surplus paper, and the batch notice remarked that the paper had been regularly tested and passed.

I have had some paper that held up, and some that did not. It would be of interest to have more data on what emulsions lasted longer than others. As an extreme, I had a box of Kodak MC RC paper stored in the worst of conditions, garage, forgotten for ten years, heat, humidity, and I had some high contrast negatives someone gave me that printed fine on it.

Am looking to buy a new freezer, one is dying and the other has more film and paper than food. ;-)

I would like to see your documentation of your tests.

Perhaps more of us should be donating types of films we are not going to use to the cause.

Regards, John

 

[Al Kaplan]

Cutting 8x10 to 4x5 or 5x7 is no problem at all.

When trimming sheet film to a smaller size you need to remember that the film holder is designed for slightly undersized film. Tape a ruler or the like to your paper cutter as a guide bar. Cut all your sheets length wise and put them in a light tight box. Lights on and move the guide bar so you can cut the strips to length. Use a factory sheet of film, an old negative, to determine where your guide bar should be.

Since you won't have notches to go by when loading your holders just cut off the upper right corner of each sheet.

 

[venchka]

I shoot a lot of old film. I bought a cooler full from a wedding/portrait studio going all digital. So far, I have had no trouble with C-41 & B&W film. I just took some late 90s Ektachrome & Kodachrome out of the M5s. I'll know in 2 weeks.

You may have more trouble with the E-6 chemistry. Unconfirmed, internet rumors say that the chemistry goes off rather quickly. Good luck!

 

[aniMal]

I have only seen really heavy fogging once on film, that was the kodak hispeed that was 20 years past the date. On cheap paper I have seen it a few times.

The best I can remember was agfa paper from before the silver crisis, what an incredible d-max!

Thanks for the tips on cutting the 8x10, was thinking of something like that - but the idea with the corner is perfect...

The chemistry is C-41, will probably do some experiments with it 🙂

 

[raid]

I still have a freezer loaded with slide film from about 10 years ago. I expect the film to have elevated contrast, but it will do fine otherwise.

On the other hand, I bought an old TLR that came with three rolls of 120 film from the 70's. I have my suspicions whether the film be OK or not.

 

[JohnTF]

I still have a freezer loaded with slide film from about 10 years ago. I expect the film to have elevated contrast, but it will do fine otherwise.

On the other hand, I bought an old TLR that came with three rolls of 120 film from the 70's. I have my suspicions whether the film be OK or not.

If they came exposed, I would recommend prompt processing. ;-)

There was a project as I recall where someone was accepting orphan films, from old cameras, and processing them as a long term project.

I do know people who left a disposable camera in the glove box of a car for many years and got printable shots, kids had grown up since.

I am sorry now I opened up the old Kodak with the 828 roll of color neg.

My regular shop in Kent puts all 120 in the freezer now as they get it in.

We used to worry about gray market film's shipping environment.

RA4 seems to be relative bullet proof, I know some labs who just top it up for very long times before swapping it out. In Kent they have a regular schedule for changing it, and their set up is tested daily. I have no idea how dark stored full hi density plastic containers of color chemistry will hold up.

The b&w roll I was speaking of was a roll of Luminous 120 which I was using to test spacing and focus on an old East German camera. Film was fogged edge to edge, though I could make out the image enough to see it was in focus. Very grainy fog.

It might be of interest to process some of that old film, unexposed, or with a couple shots of a color chart to see what is left. Most stores used to have supplies of old film around just to check to see if cameras were working.
Plenty used to come in with old cameras.

Regards, John

 

[dmr]

I used once film expired in 1992, and, believe me, it was fine

YMMV!

As I reported here, I found a couple of rolls of ca. 2001-ish film which had been stored most of the time in a cool cellar. The gang here said that it should be fine with reservations.

I tried one of the rolls, fortuntately not on anything important. The results were totally 144! 🙁 Boocoo fog and ugly greenish color shift! 🙁

I ash-canned the other roll! 🙁

 

[JohnTF]

YMMV!

As I reported here, I found a couple of rolls of ca. 2001-ish film which had been stored most of the time in a cool cellar. The gang here said that it should be fine with reservations.

I tried one of the rolls, fortuntately not on anything important. The results were totally 144! 🙁 Boocoo fog and ugly greenish color shift! 🙁

I ash-canned the other roll! 🙁

I found a lot of variation in aging effects on photographic paper.

Best case is if you have say some older B&W film of the same lot to test the stuff, and then think about a project you can use it for.

I have some Ektachrome a few years out of date, but always in the fridge, and a friend just got back from vacation, and he tested it for me. ;-)

Fresh cold stored film is generally the best, though I heard some of the amateur color negative was designed to sit around a bit before shooting.

I stockpiled some films when they went out of production in the freezer, I think I have a brick of APX 25 in 120, frozen from the day I got it.


Regards, John

 

[aniMal]

Come to think of it, I had some old exposed 120 E6 developed last year. It was from the mid 90s, and was probably outdated even then...

It was a little fogged at the edges, red fog probably coming from light seeping in.

Was fine after photoshopping though!

Now, I got one old roll that has been lying in various cars over the years, probably from the same period. Will try to have it developed soon I think, this is rather fun after all!