..6 years is not the industry standard expire date. Scala film is not a very hearty film to begin with. The DMAX in scala film runs around 3.10 in the dr5 line, for fresh film. The film you buy today is outdated, there is no question about this fact. To boast a 6+ year fresh date for scala film when Agfa only gave it a 3 year fresh date is stupid and deceiving.
We keep very tight controls on such things and all I can do is express our knowledge on the subject, one can take it or leave it i suppose.
If well kept, a shooter should see acceptable results with scala film for a few more years, even out dated.
There is alternatives to the scala film. We are about to post up new film pages for the SUPERPAN-ROLLEI film, which has a scala-esc look, not exact, but close. We are finding the normal iso to be 100, not 200.
Compliments of Hartmuth @ MACO, we give free roll samples to our clients. So far the reviews are 'positive' [pun intended].
There is also the ROLLEI IR-400. We tell our clients to use this as a normal film. Its like an extra contrast scala with a TechPan tonal range, personally I think this is the best new film out there for general shooting!
http://www.blackandwhiteslide.com/rolleiir.html
regards
dw
BTW we have many clients in the UK
There is a thread on Kodachrome where Photo Engineer explained why films from the same master roll might have different expiry dates and emulsion numbers, e.g. packing for different markets.
I've bought in-date Agfachrome and Agfa B&W 100 ASA earlier this year on Ebay, with the packing by Lupus Imaging....I assumed that they had bought the remaining stock coated by Agfa before the latter finished production?
Presumably they, and Maco, etc., test the stock and the Expiry Dates can be taken as reliable, whenever it was actually coated?