This random Ilfocolor thread takes me to a recent conversation about expired film. There's a shop in Budapest specialising in camera repair and expired films from way back. Therefore, the guy is a pro developing all sorts of old emulsions, like this Ilfocolor 100, which, of course is Ferrania. He told me the following:
Ilfocolor 100 after all these years is still decent shot at 100.
Fuji is way worse, but an expired Superia 400 at 50 will be okay.
Kodak is a no-no. Kodak is so bad when expired, it doesn't even deserve a cheap C41 process.
Of course, that's his experience, probably fortified by a bad roll. Many people shoot expired Kodak negatives without much trouble. However, this shop stocks films that are 20+ years past due date, so I guess the takeaway is that ancient Ferrania and Agfa emulsions are more stable than Fuji, and much more stable than Kodak stocks.
I can also add that I recently shot both very old Kodak UC100 with a compact and flash during a party, and 160VC in 120 format with my Bronica. Both were fine.
I’ve got a film freezer full of about 350 rolls of 35mm Agfa, Ferrania, Fuji, Konica, Kodak and others from the past 25-30 years. Been stored the entire time since bought fresh, well before expiration date, at -15F unopened in original packaging inside freezer bags with silica gel. Most of the films are lower ISO (below 200) color films which have have long since been discontinued.
Over the years, there were some of all brands that I’ve left out of the freezer for various reason: I planned to use but didn’t, just never put them in the freezer in the first place, never bothered out of sheer laziness…whatever. All were bought fresh and subjected to the same conditions, more or less, which were not extreme: room temperature, still sealed inside plastic tub, usually in a desk drawer, etc. Here’s my experience. Please keep in mind this is not scientific, only my personal observations:
Konica: The worst keeping quality by far. The films quickly deteriorate to a strong magenta cast soon after expiration.
Kodak: Better than Konica, but some films, not by much. Kodak’s 400 ISO and above emulsions seem very sensitive to gamma radiation, more so than those of Fuji, quickly showing increased grain and loss of d-max.
Agfa (original rhombus Agfa): Real Agfa, not the AgfaPhoto stuff. Hardy. Maybe a bit of exposure compensation needed and a very slight tinge of magenta may creep in years past expiration.
Fuji: Pretty tough stuff. Even sitting around 5-10 years past expiration, with a little exposure compensation you can get normal results with spot on colors.
Ferrania: Bulletproof. For a budget film, I don’t know what secret the science guys at Ferrania knew that the big guys didn’t, but 10 and even 15 years out past expiration, stored at room temperature, with no compensation, Ferrania FG 100 shoots as new.
Agfa (original rhombus Agfa): Real Agfa, not the AgfaPhoto stuff. Hardy. Maybe a bit of exposure compensation needed and a very slight tinge of magenta may creep in years past expiration.
Are those observations relevant to the accidentally not-frozen film, or the frozen film? I'm unsure reading this.
I’ve got a film freezer full of about 350 rolls of 35mm Agfa, Ferrania, Fuji, Konica, Kodak and others from the past 25-30 years. Been stored the entire time since bought fresh, well before expiration date, at -15F unopened in original packaging inside freezer bags with silica gel. Most of the films are lower ISO (below 200) color films which have have long since been discontinued.
Over the years, there were some of all brands that I’ve left out of the freezer for various reason: I planned to use but didn’t, just never put them in the freezer in the first place, never bothered out of sheer laziness…whatever. All were bought fresh and subjected to the same conditions, more or less, which were not extreme: room temperature, still sealed inside plastic tub, usually in a desk drawer, etc. Here’s my experience. Please keep in mind this is not scientific, only my personal observations:
Konica: The worst keeping quality by far. The films quickly deteriorate to a strong magenta cast soon after expiration.
Kodak: Better than Konica, but some films, not by much. Kodak’s 400 ISO and above emulsions seem very sensitive to gamma radiation, more so than those of Fuji, quickly showing increased grain and loss of d-max.
Agfa (original rhombus Agfa): Real Agfa, not the AgfaPhoto stuff. Hardy. Maybe a bit of exposure compensation needed and a very slight tinge of magenta may creep in years past expiration.
Fuji: Pretty tough stuff. Even sitting around 5-10 years past expiration, with a little exposure compensation you can get normal results with spot on colors.
Ferrania: Bulletproof. For a budget film, I don’t know what secret the science guys at Ferrania knew that the big guys didn’t, but 10 and even 15 years out past expiration, stored at room temperature, with no compensation, Ferrania FG 100 shoots as new.
What I was (rather sloppily) attempting to put into context was how these various rolls managed to languish for years in desk drawers in my office. I have hobbies, two in particular, and have for years. Although an amateur, one is photography (the cameras are another story!), the other is a particular theme of board game. All very neat, preserved and stored for use. Hobbies with a mix of OCD. Whatever, we all have our very own weirdness.
I should have clarified in my OP: while the film in my freezer is approximately 75% C41 25% E6, I was referring to unfrozen, left out color negative film, 100/200 ISO, along with additional 400 ISO Kodak.
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