Freezing color film - exposed but not developed.

Hi, I have some 50 or 100 speed color slide film. They expired in 2007 or 2008, they have been freezed from the day I got them and been in the freezer after I shot with them. 5 of the 6 rolls were shot 12 months ago. The 6th roll been in the camera for a year.

It is $$ to process here so I export them to the USA, they now have a set shipping fee for 10 rolls (up from 6 rolls), so it will be in my interest to shoot my other 3 rolls of Provia 400F and process together which have been in the freezer ever since.

Am I ok with this?

If they're already frozen leave them how they are.

From my own experience, you should be fine, particularly as the films are lower speed.

Theoretically there can be image deterioration, but in practice this is likely to be very minor, and probably easily correctable if scanning or printing.

OTOH, if the process and shipping charges are way excessive, I guess you'd have to think whether the images taken so far are, in fact, worth the cost? Are they important or irreplaceable, or can they be reshot on fresh film to take away any slight risk.

the film's age isn't an issue, other things like moisture could have it's effects. Color slide film is very resiliant if frozen, I'm shooting a box of fuji velvia from 1993 right now.

railwayman3 said:

From my own experience, you should be fine, particularly as the films are lower speed.

Theoretically there can be image deterioration, but in practice this is likely to be very minor, and probably easily correctable if scanning or printing.

OTOH, if the process and shipping charges are way excessive, I guess you'd have to think whether the images taken so far are, in fact, worth the cost? Are they important or irreplaceable, or can they be reshot on fresh film to take away any slight risk.

Click to expand...

They were from the 2010/11 Xmas trip that we went to the national park etc ... you know hills, lakes, sunset/rises.

Locally the lab charge $22US at today's exchange rate to process a roll of slides (135 format) and another $7US for mounting. So it's a no brainer to import film from the USA and export for development.

I am looking at maybe shoot the next 3 rolls of Provia 400F and ship together. That's all my slides. I should not have gotten fast slides, some yrs ago I thought I use them for my EU trip but took up photo neg film instead as it was easier, haha. Looking at sending them over in July since June/July is winter for us here (NZL). So get that earlier sunset when peak traffic is still outside.

Then I would probably get a pro pack of Velvia 50 and/or E100G for 135 and maybe head towards 120 format

I do this all the time, for the same reason as you (discount for processing over 15 rolls, so they sit in the freezer until I have enough), and I've never noticed and problems. Problems can arise with frequent thawing and freezing, but just sitting frozen will not create any problems.

I have done this when I needed to have 12 to 16 rolls of exposed color negative film to run for a batch of chemicals. I have never had a problem with doing it.

Steve