plus-x expired in 1983

[refinder]

just having fun with old film. have wierd questions, will appreciate all inputs?

- plus-x expired in 1983
- sunny afternoon, in shadow
- EI25
- HC-110 1+100 22C 60min, agitation first 30sec
- everything auto at scanning
- image resizing and nothing else in Photoshop

questions:
- why does it look as if taken at night?
- are all slow films like this?
- still underexposed?
- possible to make it look normal?
- possible improvements on using this film?

thank you for any thoughts on these!

- refinder

 

[sf]

I like it! Why bother trying to make it look normal? It's old film. It should look like old film!

 

[wlewisiii]

My guess is that this elderly Plus-X wasn't stored in a freezer... IIUC, as film gets older heat and cosmic rays cause the Base Fog* to increase so that it takes a longer exposure to get the same image level. So yes, the film actually was underexposed for where it is at now.

Another way to look at it is that the films speed gets lower. If you have more of that film, try rating it at EI64 and see how it looks or get some Diafine or other compensating developer.

Good luck!

William

Footnote:
*The PhotoNotes.org Dictionary of Film and Digital Photography.
--Base fog.
The lowest density (most transparent state the film gets, basically) of a film emulsion after developing. The threshold exposure is the minimum exposure required to form an image on the emulsion visible above the base fog.

 

[kaiyen]

Yeah, base fog. So it's underexposed - you should've probably exposed it at about 64.

allan

 

[refinder]

thank you guys for your inputs!

yes there is fog, it was rather obvious too. my guess is that is has never been stored in a fridge.

sorry for my typing in the original post, which probably was not clear. i rated it at ASA25. (EI25, should have typed EI - 25).

i still have some of it, can't tell exactly how much though. but i'll try rate it even slower than ASA25 next time.

old film does look old. strange. good point ShuterFlower! the old look is interesting to me too. i'm trying to understand it first, than either trying to best utilize the old look, or be free to make the new look.

- refinder