Expired Films

[suedgar]

I just happened to stumble across some 40-50 rolls of 120mm black and white and slide films.

It had been kept in an airconditioned room all the time and had already expired 2-4 years ago.

Are these film still usable?

 

[Rob Archer]

Try them and see! I've been using APX100 (120) that's about 2 years out of date. It's been kept in a fridge and I can't see any problems. I've also used 5-year old HP5+ that had sat in a shop window for years. I reckon it has 'lost a stop' and was fairly low in contrast. I got usable images by giving about 20% more development. Just experiment.

Rob

 

[Mick Fagan]

I'm leaving for Germany in 2 days time and I've just bulk loaded some HP5+ which I bought in 1998.

I've been using it lately, I recently shot a test roll and came to the conclusion that at 320 ASA with my camera and developing it performs quite well.

With B&W I find film that is so out of date but still eminently usable all over the place.

I'm also taking some APX100 that I bought in 1993 on the trip. I tested it and at 64ASA with my camera and developing, I'm laughing.

By B&W slide film I assume you mean Agfa Scala. Maybe you should do a proper test, get it developed and go from there.

I'm led to believe that you can develop Agfa Scala at home, as a normal B&W film, but I haven't done it.

Give it a go!

Mick.

 

[colrehogan]

I think suedegar meant 120 black and white film and 120 slide film. And as far as Scala goes, I've heard that it can be developed via some process or other at home, but I don't plan to try it. I'll stick with having a lab develop it as long as I can.

 

[Brac]

I just happened to stumble across some 40-50 rolls of 120mm black and white and slide films.

It had been kept in an airconditioned room all the time and had already expired 2-4 years ago.

Are these film still usable?

You shouldn't have any problem with old black & white films provided they haven't been exposed to damp or heat and often they are usable even a decade after expiry though very fast films can see a rise in the base fog. Colour is more iffy but worth experimenting with.

 

[removed account4]

80-90% of the film i shoot is expired ... ( 1990s )
i don't think you will have any problems

good luck!
john

 

[127]

I bought a ton of "negrapan 21", expFeb 89. The price was right.

It definatly wasn't optimally stored: Some of the spools were actually rusted!
However it works absolutly fine most of the time. Occasionally theres some spotting on the image, so I tend to avoid using if for anything important, but as I got several bricks of the stuff for the price of a couple of new films it's perfect for casual shooting - burning film without having to worry about the cost.

2-4 years shoudl be absolutly fine for B&W. Don't shoot anyones wedding with it, but go out and have fun.

Colour I would be more sceptical off - Should still be OK, but the numbers don't add up as well... Colour goes off faster so the results won't be as good, and the developing costs are FAR higher, so the savings are less (BW: £0.50+£0.50 Vs £5.00+$0.50=worth shooting to see what comes out. Colour: £0.50+$5.00 Vs £5.00+$5.00=less atractive for a film which might no come out).

Ian

 

[Brac]

I bought a ton of "negrapan 21", expFeb 89. The price was right.

Ian as a side issue from this thread, what developing times and developer do you use for this film as I have a mini-mountain of it sitting in the freezer? I do remember using Agfa Atomal but that was 15 years or more ago ago but can't remember the timing. I would like to start using this stuff then I will have some room for food! Thanks.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

3-4 years not a problem as long as it's been stored under reasonable conditions. I used some Kodak Tri-X that expired in 1983 without major problems. Had been cold stored, however.
If you're looking at using color film, especially professional film, I would be much more sceptical. Consumer films tend to be more forgiving.

Hope that helps.

- Thom

 

[htmlguru4242]

Definietely go ahead with the B&W stuff. Black and white films tend to survive for a long time; two, for, even 5 years isn't too much of a difference. So long as it wasn't stored next to a source of heat or in the extreme damp, yourre still good.

Color stuff, I'd be more worried about, though I've shot 5 year old consumer color stuff with no discernable problems.

Color slide film that's four years old may show some color shifts (exact nature depends on the film) but it's not going to be too bad.

I just developed a roll of film expired in '75, and the pictures are good. I've also developed one roll of Kodak B&W (vericrhome perhaps) from the 1930's or 1940s and there were images on it.

So in a nutshell: it's no big deal if it's a few years out of date.

 

[127]

, what developing times and developer do you use for this (negra-pan)

I generally give it the same time as I would Efke 100, and the results are close enough for a starting point (I'm not particularly scientific in my darkroom work, but then I'm not very scientific about my exposure either).

Atomol A49(stock): 8mins
R09 (40-1): 13mins

Ian

 

[Brac]

I generally give it the same time as I would Efke 100, and the results are close enough for a starting point (I'm not particularly scientific in my darkroom work, but then I'm not very scientific about my exposure either).

Atomol A49(stock): 8mins
R09 (40-1): 13mins

Ian

Thanks very much.

 

[LeonardT]

I just happened to stumble across some 40-50 rolls of 120mm black and white and slide films.

It had been kept in an airconditioned room all the time and had already expired 2-4 years ago.

Are these film still usable?

I have been using Plus-X that has been sitting in a Daylight loader for 24 years. It has been in the basement in a cardboard box at about 65 deg F. I expose the film at ISO 64 and develop it in X-tol 1:1 as if it were pushed to ISO 500. The negatives and prints are very good. I would expect B&W that's only 4 years expired to be like new. Not too sure about the slide film though.

Try it. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Len