Does film need to be kept in the freezer?

[Q.G.]

I did not know this. I always thought that if the film were allowed to get warm, that the colors would shift and bad things could happen LOL. I guess that makes sense though; film stays warm the entire time it is in the camera body, which in my case can be weeks/months sometimes.

How warm is warm?
And how long do you want to keep the film at its best?

Keep your film in the almost proverbial glove box of your car baking in the sun, and it will go off rapidly.

Keep it in the camera for months, and it will go off faster then when in the freezer.

 

[hrst]

At 25C, several months mean nothing.
At 5C, a year or two means nothing.
At -18C, several years mean nothing.

And with "nothing", I mean absolutely nothing. Usually film that has been a year or two in room temp is completely usable, though, with very little effects.

You can extrapolate a little. At car window it can reach 50C and it may survive this shock but will deteriorate quite quickly, if you keep it there for days (or weeks).

 

[Anscojohn]

Or is a refrigerator good enough? I've been keeping mine in the refrigerator.

Jared

******
Except for Pro emulsions, no need to fridge it, as long as it is kept cool and free from extreme high temp. I keep film in the fridge as much because it means I know where it is as for any other reason.

Some stuff I really want to keep well past expiration date is in a freezer in the basement, though; along with Boesplug, et Cie Zone VI Brilliant, original Seagull, and maybe some Agfa Record Rapid. I guess I should do an inventory.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I keep my film in the freezer because I have some discontinued emulsions. And I have the space for the film. Freezing keeps it as fresh as I possibly can. [Especially the HIE]

Steve

 

[jphendren]

"How warm is warm?"

Room temp, inside my house. Probably 75-78F or so.

Jared