Take it out and shoot it.

And so i go to the lab today to pick up some scans and am given two bricks of Agfa Arista. exp 2008.

Yet another timely thread:angel:
regards
CW
 
I'm currently working on 10+ rolls of Kodak PlusX that came to me this way. Actually the previous owner hadn't used any and wasn't sure of it. So far, it's been decent, but not great.

Roger Hicks said:
That is indeed the honorable thing to do. But as Juan says, outdated film is seldom totally useless, and people do have uses for it. The most honourable thing is probably to give it to someone else, with full disclosure of its shortcomings (insofar as they are known). As I've never bought or sold anything via the Bay, I have to admit that I did not think this through fully.

Cheers,

R.
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Ive got some 400+ rolls of B&W film in the freezer. Bought new back in 2004 and all past its expiry date by now. Its always been frozen barr 4x now its been defrosted for a couple of days each time with moving. No problems with any of this film so far...
 
On account of a chronic shortage of proper storage space (no room even for a mini-fridge, although I'm working on that one), I've always been a just-in-time-plus film buyer. By "plus", I mean buying a handful more rolls than I know I'll need for a given project, especially if the film in question is used regularly by me (i.e. Tri-X/HP5, BW400NC/XP2, and almost anything in Portra). The only thing I ever bought in bulk was a 100' roll of Agfa 200 Professional slide film, which I bought in the mid-90s when I was working in a lab with a Refrema E6 processor. I loaded it in a Watson bulk-loader, which I thought I'd lost until stumbling across it six months ago. Yep, most of that roll is still in it...


- Barrett
 
While I completely agree with Roger (Not-Rog...:p) that one needs fresh film to replicate earlier results, I still have a 5mtr roll of 1971-expired Tri-X and some 1980-ish expired 100ft roll of Panatomic lying about, that I will start to use shortly. See how it comes out, just for the fun of it.

Currently I'm shooting expired Delta100Pro as my main B&W film and it does great in Rodinal when exposed @ 80ASA. YMMV.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Addendum from Frances: "But, of course, you might get something you really like."

Reply from me: "Pity you'll never get any more that's exactly the same thing." ..
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Does it really matter that you'll never get any more that's exactly the same thing?

Will the subject and light that you're shooting ever be exactly the same as well?

I've taken some of my better landscape shots with an Olympus MjuII that I happened to have in my pockets. Going back to the same place, the same time, but now with a 6x6 to get an 'even better shot' never paid off. The 'magic' that made those P&S pictures was always gone.. I wouldn't even have been able to replicate them had I used the same camera with identical film from the same batch..

So I guess that yes, with expired film you take some chances, but it may also lead to a pleasant discovery or that one 'super keeper'. And if you make that 'super keeper' it's one to be cherished even if it's never reproducible..
 
7434682-lg.jpg


Verichrome Pan, 620 film format, expired in 8/1965, shot with a circa 1930 Target Hawkeye.
(D-76, 1:1).
 
I bought most of my film from expired film bins @ camera stores. So cheap I couldn't dare pass it up. I've shot Konica color film 8 & 9 years old never refrigerated & I couldn't tell it from fresh film I bought from Walgreens. If I were a pro I wouldn't shoot it but since I do this for enjoyment then why not?
 
I have expired 35mm, 70mm, 120 and 220, and sheet film, in color and B&W, in my deep freeze. I never hesitate using it up, and except for a roll of 70mm that had the emulsion come off in the fixer (!) I have not been disappointed.
 
pvdhaar said:
Does it really matter that you'll never get any more that's exactly the same thing?

Will the subject and light that you're shooting ever be exactly the same as well?

I've taken some of my better landscape shots with an Olympus MjuII that I happened to have in my pockets. Going back to the same place, the same time, but now with a 6x6 to get an 'even better shot' never paid off. The 'magic' that made those P&S pictures was always gone.. I wouldn't even have been able to replicate them had I used the same camera with identical film from the same batch..

So I guess that yes, with expired film you take some chances, but it may also lead to a pleasant discovery or that one 'super keeper'. And if you make that 'super keeper' it's one to be cherished even if it's never reproducible..
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree with this more. Most rangefinder shooters are not trying to be Ansel Adams (to my knowledge) and most of us do not use a densitometer on our film when done developing. I have never actually had an expired roll of film give poor results. Maybe not reproducible, but isn't that some of the fun of shooting film?
 
hipsterdufus said:
I couldn't agree with this more. Most rangefinder shooters are not trying to be Ansel Adams (to my knowledge) and most of us do not use a densitometer on our film when done developing. I have never actually had an expired roll of film give poor results. Maybe not reproducible, but isn't that some of the fun of shooting film?
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Not as far as I am concerned, but then, I started in advertising where quality really matters. Clearly there are those who revel in not knowing what they're going to get, and those who reckon there are enough other variables without having to worry about imprecise speeds, fog and duff colours.

Over the years I've shot a lot of outdated film, but I'd NEVER rely on something I'd not previously tested -- unless, of course, I had no alternative. Hence the title of the thread...

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Not as far as I am concerned, but then, I started in advertising where quality really matters.
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Ah, that makes perfect sense. If I were shooting something where I was actually getting paid, I would NEVER use expired film. Actually, even for my own "serious" work, I only use unexpired film. However, if I am just shooting for fun, I will use just about anything. :D
 
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