recommendations for film and storage in 50 degree plus conditions

[emraphoto]

mods, please feel free to move if this is placed incorrectly

i am looking for recommendations on a particular film (low iso) that will hold up well in prolonged exposure to intense temperature swings. from the freezing mark up into the 50's in the course of 24 hours. does such a film exist? preferably b+w however the emulsions stability will trump this preference.

as well, any tips on being able to store/package over the course of a week when what you can carry is the limit of what you can bring. water being the bulk of that weight. maybe some of the folks back from Iraq can provide some insight?

thank you in advance for your tips.

 

[marcr1230]

I wonder if they make tropical film - like tropical chocolate?

 

[lilmsmaggie]

DISCLAIMER:

I'm no expert, but I'll give it an educated guess. My guess would be temperature swings from freezing to aprox. 50 degrees +/- 5 degrees, or even higher would be similar to you taking film out of your freezer at home and allowing the film to come up to room temperature before use to avoid fogging. As long as the film remains in its original packaging and canister un-opened, going back down in temperature to freezing probably wouldn't affect the film that much per se either.

 

[ZeissFan]

Are you talking about 50C?

 

[mwooten]

Are you talking 50c or 50f?

 

[emraphoto]

50c (plus)

 

[monochromejrnl]

John - I don't know the specific answer to your question, however from my experience (Sahara, Kilimanjaro and 850km across Spain in the summer) - the best way to store the film is in the original plastic canisters (135) and foil wrappers (120) inside a foil lined cooler bag.

During my travels the most extreme temp swings have been between -10/-15C - summit of Kilimanjaro to 38-40C during the day, in the Sahara between 40C+ during the day to 0C at night and 35C+ for as long as 30 days continuously and I have never had any issues with B&W (PlusX and TXP) film fogging on me when stored in the foil lined cooler bag.

Good luck and safe travels.

 

[emraphoto]

you are getting warm (ha ha) with the Sahara. i cannot really discuss in any detail right now.

plus x was the number 1 contender in 135. i am glad to hear you have had some experience with it. the big issue for me is that i am off the grid for a good few weeks with only what i can carry on my back. i have been traipsing through a bit of Africa but never sustained temps. into the mid 50's and as "in the wild" as this particular situation will present.

it would be a particular blow to find the emulsion all melted after the endeavor. it will not be repeatable.

 

[emraphoto]

thanx for the ideas PKR.

sadly, no lunchbox or thermal anything. water, cameras, film, thurya, gps and more water. all outside.

 

[emraphoto]

Ken, can we chat via email?

i will forward you a note if that is ok

 

[monochromejrnl]

Ken, can we chat via email?

i will forward you a note if that is ok

sure thing

 

[emraphoto]

the cooler bags are a good idea. i will check them out.

i have a broad selection of "not a camera bag" bags. i have been known to carry my stuff in a shopping bag when in particularly delicate environments.

i won't be able to bring suitcases though. it will be on foot.

 

[rxmd]

There are some questions that you have to see for yourself. Is there any significant amount of humidity (so that condensation will be a problem)? Will temperatures drop below zero or not (unlikely but then I don't know where you're going)? How much time overall will you be spending in those kinds of conditions?

I've had good experience with XP2 under harsh temperature conditions - over 50 has been rare admittedly, but it's come close a few times. It seems like it's quite a robust film. You can also get it developed everywhere in the world (again, talking experience here), it scans well, and it also prints well in a darkroom.

 

[emraphoto]

you are a good man PKR.

anyone have experience leaving a country without an entry stamp?

 

[emraphoto]

definite chance of below zero and absolutely zero humidity. if all goes well about 30 days time.

xp2 is not a bad idea but it i was hoping for something slower.

 

[rxmd]

you are a good man PKR.

anyone have experience leaving a country without an entry stamp?

Yes, here, twice. There are three factors to consider: (a) the country (do they care about this thing at all?), (b) what kind of border crossing you leave by - air, land, sea?, and (c) whether you have to expect random passport checks while you're in the country. In the case of (c) the problem is not in leaving the country, but that random policemen on the street might notice that you entered the country illegally.

Over here bypassing the border control post on exit (or on entry for that matter) will cost you around $20. That's of course unofficial money and applicable only on overland crossings. If you leave by plane I'd expect it to be more difficult. If your fashion of entering the country is not too problematic, you might send a letter to your embassy in your target country and ask them whether they can recommend anything. Maybe there is an established procedure in your country for that sort of thing - there are countries, for example, where if you enter the country through the desert you can simply walk into the police station of the first town after the border and get the stamp.

 

[rxmd]

definite chance of below zero and absolutely zero humidity. if all goes well about 30 days time.

OK. It's not too long after all. The thermal lunch bag seems like a good idea. There will still be some humidity from perspiration, so don't keep it too close around your body. Keep one or two of these little cushions of desiccant silica gel in there to take care of residual humidity. I wouldn't worry about the temperature changes too much, as someone else pointed out it's not that different from putting it into the freezer and taking it out again.

xp2 is not a bad idea but it i was hoping for something slower.

Hm. The obvious choices would have been APX25 and Kodachrome, but those are gone. Another choice would be Pan F, but with that I have no experience in hot conditions; maybe someone from a more tropical climate can chime in here.

 

[emraphoto]

Yes, here, twice. There are three factors to consider: (a) the country (do they care about this thing at all?), (b) what kind of border crossing you leave by - air, land, sea?, and (c) whether you have to expect random passport checks while you're in the country. In the case of (c) the problem is not in leaving the country, but that random policemen on the street might notice that you entered the country illegally.

Over here bypassing the border control post on exit (or on entry for that matter) will cost you around $20. That's of course unofficial money and applicable only on overland crossings. If you leave by plane I'd expect it to be more difficult. If your fashion of entering the country is not too problematic, you might send a letter to your embassy in your target country and ask them whether they can recommend anything. Maybe there is an established procedure in your country for that sort of thing - there are countries, for example, where if you enter the country through the desert you can simply walk into the police station of the first town after the border and get the stamp.

thanx my friend! i appreciate the advice.

 

[rxmd]

Try not to let your film freeze and freezing - thawing and refreezing is worse. Film likes to be stored cold, not frozen. Freezing will make the base brittle and it will snap in a motorized camera if it was stored badly. I've been through this a few times until I learned. I think Kodak has a paper on film storage. Check their Pro web site.

If the film is cold, keep it in it's plastic can until it's warmed up or the same temp as the camera. Water will condense on the out-most surface, and you want that surface to be the plastic film can not the film cassette.

I'd say the probability of the film actually freezing is pretty low if we're talking about normal nighttime conditions in the desert. Ambient temperatures might be around zero for a few hours every now and then, but if you keep the film tucked inside your baggage in any kind of lightly insulated container the cold simply won't get there in time.