storing bulk film?

[newfilm]

Hi guys,

I'm about to have my first roll (or two) of bulk film. I wonder do you guys stick a pack of silica gel inside the bulk film loader to combat the moisture for some what long-ish (a year or two) storing of the bulk film inside the loader?

Of course some might suggest I roll everything into smaller roll and store them in cold but I don't have enough cassette (I have 3 generic looking metal cassette) and also would like to at lease have the option for less or more frame for individual roll as when I needed.

I'm also looking for metal cassette (the kind that don't have felt) that can fit zorki, the popular-auction-site don't have them it seems (I know the different of kmz and fed type cassette), where else do you guys get your cassette? My local photolab break the top off the film so no luck asking them to give me spent film cassette as well.

as always, thanks for any hint! 🙂

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Zorki will take regular cassette.
Check label on original package of film.
Usually, it is at least two years.
Put loader in plastic bag and store it in the fridge if you like.
Give it sometime after taking from the fridge before loading.

 

[mwoenv]

I roll what I want, remove the film from the loader and store the remainder of the bulk roll in its original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Prior to making more rolls, I leave the bulk roll at room temperature for 4-5 hours if it's been in the refrigerator and about 12 hours if it's been in the freezer. Haven't had any problems doing this.

 

[ashfaque]

I do the same as mwoeny. But I wait a bit longer to reach a room temperature (around 22-25 Celsius*) inside aAir conditioned room before opening the fridged films. No problem what so ever since I started using bulk films.

The actual temperature now is around 30+ Celsius in Dhaka now, with a humidity above 80%. Hence, I'm a bit too careful.

You already know the followings...
Not directly related, but I thought I'd share this here:
(1) I keep all films (both 35mm and 120) in zip lock plastic bags. I personally prefer 5 rolls in each ziplock. Bulk films stays inside zip lock bags with all the original packaging. It's a bit annoying to take in and out (of the fridge, changing bag, etc.) but it's worth the trouble. Films are simply not available in here. 🙁
(2) I remove as much air out of those plastic bags as possible. If you want to go completely crazy like me, then you could use a straw! 🙂
(3) I then put them inside air tight plastic box - B&W and colour films go to separate boxes of different sizes.
(4) For Colour films (both negatives and slides), everything goes inside the freezer as they can be quite prone colour shifts.
(5) For B&W: I keep only a few rolls outside. Then about 1-2 months' stock stays in the fridge and the rest goes to the freezer.
(6) Freezer stuffs 1st go to fridge -> then outside

Bests,

Ashfaque

 

[Ronald M]

I roll what I want, remove the film from the loader and store the remainder of the bulk roll in its original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Prior to making more rolls, I leave the bulk roll at room temperature for 4-5 hours if it's been in the refrigerator and about 12 hours if it's been in the freezer. Haven't had any problems doing this.

Perfect procedure. Been doing it for 50+ years.

Seal the can with tape

 

[Fotohuis]

Indeed, perfect procedure. Roll films only freeze when they have a complete sealed foil and 35mm in their plastic cannister and as told in a zip-lock bag. Try as less possible air in it. Depending on the local humidity it will take more time to let the materials come on room temperature.
About re-loadable cassettes: Efke 35mm cassettes and Foma production before 2004 you can re-load.

 

[bsdunek]

I roll what I want, remove the film from the loader and store the remainder of the bulk roll in its original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Prior to making more rolls, I leave the bulk roll at room temperature for 4-5 hours if it's been in the refrigerator and about 12 hours if it's been in the freezer. Haven't had any problems doing this.

Yep, fully agree. Been doing it for more that 50 years also. Never a problem.

 

[rfaspen]

I roll what I want, remove the film from the loader and store the remainder of the bulk roll in its original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Prior to making more rolls, I leave the bulk roll at room temperature for 4-5 hours if it's been in the refrigerator and about 12 hours if it's been in the freezer. Haven't had any problems doing this.

+1 Another person doing this.

However, this thread made me realize for the first time in a long while, I don't have a bulk roll of anything in the freezer.🙁

 

[Fotohuis]

Well, is it handy for you? And can you get a good price?
My last bulk roll in color was Agfa Photo Optima 400 30,5m/100ft for Eur. 8,00.
Eur. 0,44 each roll.

But now I have Fuji Superia 100 (complete original finished, exp. 2016) in a forgotten freezer at the Fuji factory in Tilburg for less then Eur. 0,40 each roll.

For B&W good prices you can get for cine film and then in a large amount: 122m/400ft. But around Eur. 0,40 each roll only crappy TSF or copy film Polypan etc.
Double X (Kodak/Alaris) is even expensive in Europe, OrWo Filmotec UN54 or N74+ is then a better alternative.
In regular film Fomapan is also OK and available in the 30,5m/100ft configuration.

 

[michaelwj]

I roll what I want, remove the film from the loader and store the remainder of the bulk roll in its original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Prior to making more rolls, I leave the bulk roll at room temperature for 4-5 hours if it's been in the refrigerator and about 12 hours if it's been in the freezer. Haven't had any problems doing this.

I'm pretty new to film (<3 years), and I've never heard of, or thought of doing this. I have a few questions.
Is it a PITA?
How long does it take you to get through 100 ft? It takes me about 4 months.
I just leave it in the loader on a shelf, I roll 5 or so rolls at a time, which I keep at room temp. How much would I gain from putting it back in the fridge?
Can you put the whole loader in a ziplock bag in the fridge?
The only stuff I put in the fridge is some rolls or FP4 which I use less of.

 

[Fotohuis]

It is just a matter of time. If you are using the whole bulk film roll within a year I would only keep the whole loader with film in a dry, cooler place (<20C) in the house and that's it.

But if you are buying more 30,5m or 122m for a very good price and for a longer storage, freezing film is the right way, and the way to go. BTW. slower speed film you can keep for a very long time. When Efke/Fotokemika went out of business in 2012 I bought some extra Efke 25 film. In a freezer you can keep them for 20 years, without any noticable loss of quality. However high speed film you can not keep very long because it is fogging due to earth radiation which is everywhere. So any Delta 3200 film you need to use up before expiration date.
However there are some tricks to suppress base fog by adding some (extra) KBr or Benzotriazole to the developer, which has disadvantages that the film speed is going down. But for getting an antique film with some usable pictures it is a way to go. However all non available films are coming to an end somehow. My stock (original) APX-100 from 2005/2006 when Agfa Photo in Leverkusen went belly up is also coming to an end now. Over 250 films I had. Time for a new choice: Fomapan 100 and Fuji Acros 100. For the existing manufacturers it will be better no expired films in freezers are worldwide around available. 🙂