EFKE/ADOX 100 ages fast and fogs? Should I freeze?

Scott Peters · Sep 7, 2006

Recently purchased a 'bunch' of EFKE/ADOX 100 sheet film from J and C. I have heard others on APUG post that it ages quickly and can fog. So, you should buy 'fresh' and use quickly.

How quickly is quickly? The boxes expire about a year from now. And will freezing it slow down the aging / fog issue? and if so, should I freeze it? Have others experienced this problem and how have you approched it?

Thanks!

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 7, 2006

I generally keep a box that I'm using in the refrigerator, or if I'm shooting a lot on the shelf, and additional boxes in the freezer. I try not to buy more than I'll use in a year or so.

jandc · Sep 7, 2006

Scott Peters said:
Recently purchased a 'bunch' of EFKE/ADOX 100 sheet film from J and C. I have heard others on APUG post that it ages quickly and can fog. So, you should buy 'fresh' and use quickly.

How quickly is quickly? The boxes expire about a year from now. And will freezing it slow down the aging / fog issue? and if so, should I freeze it? Have others experienced this problem and how have you approched it?

Thanks!

Cold storage/Freezing will extend the life and limit fog for a couple or more years. Problems arise when stored at room temperature over time. High temperatures will fog the film fairly quickly. All of our films are cold stored which should give you maximum life.

Mark Layne · Sep 7, 2006

I have R100 rollfilm which is 40 years old and shows no fog in Xtol
Mark

Scott Peters · Sep 8, 2006

Thanks guys, perhaps I panicked after buying a 'bunch'. Most is in the freezer as I type....

Alex Hawley · Sep 20, 2006

Scott, just an update with my own very recent experience. I tested a couple sheets of PL 25 from a box I was given nearly two years ago. Its been refrigerated, but not frozen during the time I have had it. I exposed and developed two sheets and found no evidence of fogging. I'm not sure how old this bunch is, but probably 3 if not 4 years since original purchase.

Scott Peters · Sep 21, 2006

Alex, thanks. And thanks to all that posted with assurance that I should be ok!

Mark Layne · Sep 21, 2006

The old R100 I have (40+yrs) is foggy in developers such as Rodinal but shows almost no fog in Xtol
Mark

Dave Krueger · Sep 21, 2006

Condensation?

David A. Goldfarb said:
I generally keep a box that I'm using in the refrigerator, or if I'm shooting a lot on the shelf, and additional boxes in the freezer. I try not to buy more than I'll use in a year or so.

How is it packed? Just in the box it came in? How do you keep condensation from forming when you first pull some out? I would like to refrigerate the Adox PL100 I just got, but am afraid that once opened, it can't be refrigerated.

sanking · Sep 21, 2006

Dave Krueger said:
How is it packed? Just in the box it came in? How do you keep condensation from forming when you first pull some out? I would like to refrigerate the Adox PL100 I just got, but am afraid that once opened, it can't be refrigerated.

I have some of this film frozen but don't recall how it is packed.

However, there is no question in my mind but that film that is packed in sealed envelopes, as Kodak usually packs its film, has a much longer life, even at room temperaure, than film that is boxed open to ambient air. This is IMHO a major advantage of Kodak film over Ilford, and especially if one plans cold storage.

And of course, if packed in sealed envelopes there should be no problem with freezing and thawing out.

Sandy

Dave Krueger · Sep 22, 2006

sanking said:
I have some of this film frozen but don't recall how it is packed.

However, there is no question in my mind but that film that is packed in sealed envelopes, as Kodak usually packs its film, has a much longer life, even at room temperaure, than film that is boxed open to ambient air. This is IMHO a major advantage of Kodak film over Ilford, and especially if one plans cold storage.

And of course, if packed in sealed envelopes there should be no problem with freezing and thawing out.

Sandy

I'm not really too concerned about film in unopened packages since it would probably be air tight until it warms up, but David said he keeps film he was using in the fridge, which I assume means it's been opened and he pulls sheets out as needed.

juan · Sep 22, 2006

The Efke//Adox sheet film comes wrapped in plastic inside the boxes. I freeze my unopened boxes as they come from JandC, then transfer them to the fridge after I have opened them. The film remains in the plastic within the box. When I'm ready to load filmholders, I take the box out of the fridge a few hours before I'm going to load. I've never had a problem with condensation with this method, and I'm in a very humid place.
juan

Dave Krueger · Sep 22, 2006

juan said:
The Efke//Adox sheet film comes wrapped in plastic inside the boxes. I freeze my unopened boxes as they come from JandC, then transfer them to the fridge after I have opened them. The film remains in the plastic within the box. When I'm ready to load filmholders, I take the box out of the fridge a few hours before I'm going to load. I've never had a problem with condensation with this method, and I'm in a very humid place.
juan

Great! That's good to know. I've been keeping my opened boxes of sheet film out of the fridge, but it takes me a long time to use up a box, so it would be good to keep it in the fridge.

EFKE/ADOX 100 ages fast and fogs? Should I freeze?

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