Expired Ektachrome 4x5 from 1988

mrcvideo · Apr 27, 2014

Just got a free box of Ektachrome 100 4x5 daylight film from my photography teacher. It expired in 1988 but he informed me that It had been frozen since purchase (don't know whether or not that's true haha). I shot a test image today and developed it in a yankee daylight tank and got these results. I'm curious if this effect is from improper processing or if the film is just too old, so I thought I'd ask all of you! I've developed a large amount of E6 120 myself but never color 4x5. Any help would be appreciated!

wildbill · Apr 27, 2014

that's a serious processing error.

mrcvideo · Apr 27, 2014

wildbill said:
that's a serious processing error.

yeah I figured as much. any suggestions? I'm not sure if I agitated too much, I know those Yankee tanks aren't the most stable. I've never had any issues with the 120 rolls I process. I know the temps were fine throughout. where do you think I could have gone wrong?

Wayne · Apr 28, 2014

Was the box open?

mrcvideo · Apr 28, 2014

Wayne said:
Was the box open?

nope. it was sealed when I got it. I did shoot another one today and tried tray processing instead of the Yankee tank. I had some issues keeping the trays at the proper temp so the negative doesn't look great. I got semi better results with this method, and it ruled out the possibility of the film being too expired in my opinion.

wildbill · Apr 28, 2014

get a mod54 or a jobo 2500 series tank with the 4x5 reels. otherwise I think you'd be better off with a lab. not a lot of room for error when it comes to transparency film.

Wayne · May 4, 2014

mrcvideo said:
nope. it was sealed when I got it. I did shoot another one today and tried tray processing instead of the Yankee tank. I had some issues keeping the trays at the proper temp so the negative doesn't look great. I got semi better results with this method, and it ruled out the possibility of the film being too expired in my opinion.

View attachment 87067

Hey, not bad for 26 year old Ektachrome. It still has that Ektachrome blue. ;-) Kind of nostalgic for me, my first color 4x5 trannies were shot on Ektachrome in about 1988. Although that slide has issues it still captures some of the same "feel" that I remember well.

Expired Ektachrome 4x5 from 1988

mrcvideo

wildbill

mrcvideo

Wayne

mrcvideo

wildbill

Wayne

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