expired E6

[vedmak]

should I buy a E6 Kodak kit that expired in 2007? If I do buy it what most likely to be trashed?

 

[Mike Wilde]

The kit will likely still be viable , but use with adjustments.

Extended development time will likely be required for the first developer. I am working my way though a jug of good for 25L of FD syrup concentrate that expired in 2006. I now need to use 7:15 for my first developer time to make up for lost developer activity as it ages.

The reversal bath component may have aged. Mine has. I take the lid off the tank and fire a flash gun in a couple of times during the reversal stage just to be sure the undeveloped silver is optically fully re-exposed if the chemical fogging is in doubt.

The colour developer should still be viable. It will be obvious if it is gone off; the concentrate will be black ink like black in colour. So look at it if you can before buying.

Pre bleach should still be viable.

The Bleach should still be viable.

The fixer may have sulfated out, although mine are older than 06 and are still showing no sign of decline. A b&w alkaline fixer may be substuted here.

 

[vedmak]

thank you for the insight Mike, I think that with my 20 rolls off film, it is just not worth the hassle. Main concern was if there is something else besides developer that can go bad, and seems like there is plenty of other variables that I will have to control, I think in my case Freestyle kit will work out better that trying to adjust the times at various stages.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Should be good especially if it was stored in the fridge. I've shot E6 film over 10 years old and it's still pretty good.

 

[warrennn]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your information about the use of expired E6 chems. I currently use 6:30 for the FD (with fresh Kodak chemicals); my understanding is that the other stages go to completion and could probably be extended slightly with no risk. How did you determine that your FD time needed to be extended to 7:15?

I have stocked up on about 7 5L kits with expirations in late 2011. I hope these kits see me through the next decade, but obviously I will need to think about ways of dealing with expired materials after 2011.

Warren Nagourney

 

[Mike Wilde]

I shoot a test card slide under repeatable lighting conditions using a slide duper rig I have. Then I can access the activity of the FD by the density visually of the Macbeth white to black chips , or with a densitometer. I also use it fo figure if an expired slide film needs colour correction, and what the adjusted EI needs to be when the film has lost speed or colur drifted after expiry.

I am presently working out the parameters of 100' of 160T ektachome that expisred in 1999 that someone gifted to me a few months ago. It is looking like it is down arouf EI 50-40 by now, but only a tiny bit blue, once colour correction for source is figured in