Expired Kodam E100VS - still good?

[Klainmeister]

Hi Guys,

Unfortunately, my order of film will arrive after I head out this weekend for an forway with an old friend into Utah. I do have, however, 5 rolls of Kodak E100VS that was given to me by the local lab to shoot. It's marked 2007....

Has anyone had bad luck with this? I have some Velvia as well, but I just am wondering if I should even bother shooting it at all?

Thanks

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Try one , if you are lucky , continue with others. Use velvia for the important ones and use 100vs after test. 100vs is the best film in the world and I wish your luck continues.

Best ,

Umut

 

[Klainmeister]

Thanks for the reply. My only concern was that I didn't have time to test it....guess I'll take my chances..

 

[BradleyK]

My first inclination would be to call your lab and enquire re previous storage conditions. If the film has been stored at ambient temperatures I would only use it for Cross-Pro or maybe resign it to the Holga. If it has been frozen or refrigerated it may still be salvageable for "regular" use (i.e. correctable during scanning). Nonetheless, I would hesitate to use it for anything really important.

 

[hpulley]

2007 isn't _that_ old really. If refrigerated it is probably fine but I know most shops around here that used to refrigerate slide film now have it sitting on the counter for cheap and my experience with Velvia kept on the counter is that it comes out like crap unfortunately with a magenta cast that makes it useless for projection.

Must it be slides? Can you not pick up a few rolls of Fuji or Kodak C-41 film or something like that at the drug store? Might be better safe than sorry for an important trip even if it means not shooting slides.

 

[CGW]

Low temp 'fridged or <50F should make it OK. I'm shooting 07-09 Ektachromes that look fine. These days, though, crap E6 processing can ruin your results regardless of your film's freshness.
Frankly, though, I found VS to be freaky stuff and stopped shooting in favor of GX or G.

 

[hpulley]

Yes, it is too bad you don't do your own E6. You could shoot a few frames and develop it yourself to see how the film is...

 

[Roger Cole]

If frozen it will be as good as new.

If refrigerated I'd expect it to be fine but I'd be less certain of it.

If room temperature - well it isn't all that old but I'd be much more suspicious of it.

 

[brucemuir]

I've had better luck with expired Ektachrome than I do with Fuji products.
Most know velvia can shift quicker than other stuff.

I have some EPP that expired in the late 90's that shoots fine.

 

[brucemuir]

Frankly, though, I found VS to be freaky stuff and stopped shooting in favor of GX or G.

I actually like VS better than velvia.
But it's personal taste thing.
For reds VS blows my mind buy you may not want that.