Expired 110 film with 1974 date

mtnbkr · Jan 24, 2023

Along with a recent purchase of a NIB Kodak Instamatic 110 camera was a 12-shot roll of film that expired back in 1974. Because it's only 12 exposures and because it's nearly 50 years out of date, I thought about using it to try color developing at home for the first time with Cinestill's 2-bath kit. Low risk if it doesn't come out, unlike paying The Darkroom to develop it for me...

Box rating is 80, so what sort of ISO should I expect? I can't control exposure via the camera, but maybe I can push process it?

I'm thinking of treating it like 25 and push-processing to 80 or so. I've pushed B&W film in home development a couple stops, would color work in the same way?

I'm not expecting miracles...

Chris

Paul Howell · Jan 24, 2023

I would shoot even lower, like 10, process normal and see what turns out. Double check to make it is C41, although released in 1972 if your film expired 1974 it might be older C22.

mtnbkr · Jan 24, 2023

Good point on confirming C41. I assumed it was, but it doesn't specifically say. It's Kodacolor II with a "part number" of C110-12 (presumably the 12 means 12 exposures).

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodacolor_(still_photography) Kodacolor II is C41.

Chris

Paul Howell · Jan 24, 2023

It is C 41, from Wiki but if not then there is chance if it is C22 you have risk of the emulsion coming off due to the lower temp than C 41. I would still shoot as ISO 10, or lowest ISO you can meter. I don't think pushing will work at all.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Introduced by Kodak in the 1956,[1] C-22 is an obsolete process for developing color film, superseded by the C-41 process in 1972 for the launch of 110 film and in 1974 for all other formats.[2]
The development of the film material is carried out at temperatures of around 75°F (24°C), making the process incompatible with the more modern C-41 process, which uses a temperature of 100°F (38°C). C-22 uses Color Developing Agent 3, unlike C-41 which uses Color Developing Agent 4.
The most common film requiring this process is Kodacolor-X.
C-22 film can still (as of 2020) be developed in black and white.[3]

mtnbkr · Jan 24, 2023

Paul Howell said:
It is C 41, from Wiki but if not then there is chance if it is C22 you have risk of the emulsion coming off due to the lower temp than C 41. I would still shoot as ISO 10, or lowest ISO you can meter. I don't think pushing will work at all.

None of my 110 cameras allow for manual exposure control (one doesn't even have a meter).

Chris

Paul Howell · Jan 24, 2023

mtnbkr said:
None of my 110 cameras allow for manual exposure control (one doesn't even have a meter).

Chris

I guess your right, push maybe 2 full stops? I've never pushed C 41 more than a stop, not even sure if you can push 2 stops.

mtnbkr · Jan 24, 2023

Paul Howell said:
I guess your right, push maybe 2 full stops? I've never pushed C 41 more than a stop, not even sure if you can push 2 stops.

I suppose we'll find out.

First time with color, 50yo film, and a 2x push. What could go wrong?

Chris

Paul Howell · Jan 24, 2023

On 110 film, why not.

cmacd123 · Jan 24, 2023

Yes, the last C-22 film was "kodacolor-X, and it was repleced by the C-41 Kodacolor II Since it is 110,Kodak ONLY made Kodacolor II in 110. The only C-22 film I ever saw for 110 was made by GAF. Agfa did make a CNS film in 110.

Huss · Jan 25, 2023

I had a bunch of C41 110 film that came in the batch of Kodak Fling disposable cameras I bought. I developed one roll. These were from 1984. Blank. The cameras work because for fun I put a fresh 'roll' in one.

Paul Howell · Jan 25, 2023

50 years is long time for color film, I doubt the owners of 110 cameras bothered or cared about freezing film. It might worth saving the cartridge and paper backing as I think they can be reused by cutting down 35mm film and taping the cartridge back together, not sure if it work the worth the cost.

Cholentpot · Jan 25, 2023

I'm gonna agree with Huss here.

I've shot some old 110 and it doesn't age well. You can fool some 110 cameras if they have a metering eye like the Instamatic 60. But if it's a standard dumb camera it'll shoot what it shoots.

foc · Jan 25, 2023

I think that Kodakcolor II film was the last of C41 films at 80ASA (like the C22 Kodacolor X) before they changed to 100ASA and the label had "process C41"

Agulliver · Jan 26, 2023

I am sure that the first photos I ever took were on Kodacolor II, albeit 120 and not 110. It was introduced right at the beginning of the C41 era, indeed may have been the first C41 film. It was still available into the early 80s. Wasn't Kodacolor II specifically intended originally for the then new 110 format?

Any 50 year old C41 film is going to be a crap shoot. I'd suggest shooting in bright sun, and even possibly developing as B&W negative as you're not really going to learn much about the art or science of C41 processing with such old film. You might get lucky and find some frames are salvageable in colour, but it's unlikely. You'll probably end up converting to B&W anyway.

Expired 110 film with 1974 date

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