freezing film

Ces1um · May 29, 2018

I was wondering if there's a particular way people do this other than just simply throwing the film into a bag and tossing it into the freezer. Are there any "best practices" for freezing film? I have some superia 1600 that has been stored in my fridge for about 8 months and will be hitting its expiration date in August. I likely won't get it all shot by then. I was thinking just putting it all in a Ziploc and then maybe inside a plastic container. Is there any other advice?

Konical · May 29, 2018

Good Morning, Ces1um,
Film in its factory packaging can normally be put into a freezer as is. After the factory-sealed packaging is broken, it's a good idea to use something like a Ziploc bag. It probably helps to have about-to-be frozen film spend some time in a very low-humidity environment before freezing it..

Konical

bsdunek · May 29, 2018

I recently used some Minox film my Dad bought in the early 80's that has been in the freezer. Wish today's film was that good! Maybe it gets better with age, like good wine.

Ces1um · May 29, 2018

Konical said:
Good Morning, Ces1um,
Film in its factory packaging can normally be put into a freezer as is. After the factory-sealed packaging is broken, it's a good idea to use something like a Ziploc bag. It probably helps to have about-to-be frozen film spend some time in a very low-humidity environment before freezing it..

Konical

Thanks for the advice! I'm thinking that my refrigerator would not qualify as a low humidity environment so I'll find someplace dry for them for a few days and then pop them into the freezer.

GRHazelton · May 29, 2018

Even better than a Ziploc bag would be one of the Seal a Meal devices. They evacuate much of the air, then heat seal the bag. Our experience is that food stores frozen in them much better than in ziplocks, which admit enough moisture to form visible ice crystals. The seal a meal bags would tend to get expensive, though. Original film packaging probably the best idea. Of course if you could store at absolute zero....

Alan9940 · May 29, 2018

For nearly 40 years, I've frozen LF film in/out of Ziplock bags (sheets are in the plastic bag as provided by manufacturer) and done the same with roll film. Over the years, I've read that you shouldn't remove film from the freezer, thaw, load (in the case of sheet film), then return the box to the freezer. I've done this very thing repeatedly and never had an issue. In my case, I've never been too concerned about how I handle the film; others may have had issues and that's why they do something different.

Mainecoonmaniac · May 29, 2018

With most film, you don't have to do anything special with freezing film if it's unopened. Color transparency films are the most sensitive film where freezing is a good idea to hold the color balance. When I shot professionally, I would test a batch of chrome film and if the colors look good, I'd buy what I can and freeze it. Special handling is required when shooting frozen film. It's a good idea to let the film warm up to room temperature as to avoid condensation when it's loaded in film holders or your camera, especially in humid environments.

Sirius Glass · May 29, 2018

Unopened films do not require anything special. If the package has been opened, I put it in a ZipLock bag and refrigerate it.

Andrew O'Neill · May 29, 2018

Plastic freezer bag.

Agulliver · May 30, 2018

echoing most of the advice here, film that is factory sealed and which has not been opened can just be placed in the freezer "as is". That said, I usually toss a bundle of films in a freezer bag (ZipLoc is a brand not readily available here). As much as anything, it's convenient to have my films in one bag.

Defrost by selecting the films you wish to use, and (preferably still sealed) placing at room temperature for several hours before opening and loading.

you can freeze film which has been unsealed too, in which case I would definitely use a freezer bag and try to squish most of the air out....and take extra care defrosting to avoid any chance of there being moisture on the film when I load it. Say...overnight thawing.

I've personally frozen B&W and CN film for over a decade using these techniques. Others have gone much longer.

macfred · May 30, 2018

I freeze my film in freezer bags for decades - no problems so far.
I had some bad results with colour negative film when freezing 'thawed' films again.

guangong · May 30, 2018

Knowing that I would no longer be able to buy movie film with faculty discount I filled my freezer with Kodak triX 16mm as packaged...film wrapped in plastic foil inside plastic case inside paper carton.
There are several examples of frozen film from the real world. Exposed but not developed film left in Antarctica in early 20th century was just fine when developed many decades later. While not raw film, a theater in northern Alaska tossed reels of movies out back window into freezing cold because studios did not consider retrievable silver worth return shipping. Films dating back to silent period preserved, however assembly of scattered films a big job.
For nonprofessional films I look at expiration dates on film similar to expiration dates on patent medicine. The only expiration dare I considered critical was for unaged professional Kodachrome.

Ces1um · May 30, 2018

Thanks everyone for the replies. Much appreciated. My film is unopened, still in their original canisters and boxes. I'll probably throw it in a labelled Ziploc bag anyways just to keep it all together in one spot.

freezing film

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