How do repackagers give their exp date?

[MFstooges]

I have been reading some threads about X or Y film and once in a while few members will mention that X film is actually repackaged B film from old stock etc.
I've never been knowingly bought such films. Most of my purchases were from Rochester or Cheshire so they were OG products. Now my question is how do the repackagers give expiration date on their "new" film box?
Is there a hard numbers (researched) related to film aging/degradation that not known to the public? Let's say the repackager bought a 2 years old frozen stock, will they date their exp date as Z date minus 2 years?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Why would you buy repackaged stock rather than new from the original manufacturer?

 

[pentaxuser]

MFstooges, it's a legitimate question but I fear the answer is that due to omission or commission the repackagers will not be able to or have no desire to give you the information you require. You are taking a chance which has risks hence Alans question of why bother to buy such film

If there is a provenance i,e. a history of date of production, whose film it was, how stored etc and you feel you can trust this info then fine but it amounts to taking a chance

pentaxuser

 

[BradS]

.... repackager bought a 2 years old frozen stock ....

This is not real. It doesn't really happen. It is just an internet myth.

 

[MFstooges]

Why would you buy repackaged stock rather than new from the original manufacturer?

Because there are no new ones from that exact film and I guess that's the reason there are people still buying it.

 

[MFstooges]

This is not real. It doesn't really happen. It is just an internet myth.

You forgot to quote "let's say"

 

[BradS]

You forgot to quote "let's say"

These aren't the 'droids you're looking for...

 

[MFstooges]

These aren't the 'droids you're looking for...

Your comment isn't self deciphering

 

[MattKing]

Repackaged film is one thing.
Film that has been converted by a third party - perforated, edge printed spooled, cassetted/put together with backing paper and packaged for sale - is another thing.
At least part of the "develop before" determination comes from that last stage.

 

[cmacd123]

there is a rather large cottage industry who buys EASTMAN Vision 3 film and spools it in some sort of Still cartridges. Kodak will not allow them to label those rolls as "Kodak" or Eastman" film, so they come up with their own names.

I hate to keep bringing up the Guy in Alberta, But for all but one of his films (the Aurora 800 which he has an agreement to NOT disclose the source,) he does list where all his stock began.. https://flicfilm.ca/film-and-paper/ that is NOT typical in the industry. some of the repackagers use old stock, and some list a different ISO than the Manufacturer. Only Cinestill as far as I can tell gets Movie film unperforated, and has a film packaging factory perforate and package it. (they are also one of the folks who remove the ren-jet from the ECN-2 film, which wlll tend to give halos around some subjects.

A few will list on there website what they are using, (if they are allowed to list that information) But many come up with exoctic names. IF they sugest an expiry day, that is also whatever they wish it to me.

 

[MattKing]

Charles, (@cmacd123 )
As I understand it, Cinestill is a big enough customer now that they are able to get Eastman Kodak to supply for them special runs of Vision 3 film without any rem-jet.

 

[cmacd123]

Charles, (@cmacd123 )
As I understand it, Cinestill is a big enough customer now that they are able to get Eastman Kodak to supply for them special runs of Vision 3 film without any rem-jet.

I only bought some of their Double X, and it was finished with "cinestill" Edge printing and KS perforations, and came in packaging that resembled that of a maker who used to be in europe. That is proably the reason they tha can sell there film in 120 these days.

several other supplies have sold me Double X with the EASTMAN markings and BH perforations. (FPP, Ultrafine, and Flic) {Curiosity got me to try small orders from all three.}

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Because there are no new ones from that exact film and I guess that's the reason there are people still buying it.

Good point. I have two boxes of 4x5 Velvia 50 in my freezer. It's no longer made. Its value is going up quicker than Adobe stock.

 

[Agulliver]

I buy something called Exeter-Pan ML 400 from an eBay seller calling himself "Eaton-Healon Cameras". Seems to be a small business where he's obtained a very large amount of long spools of this stuff and is respooling to 25, 50 and 100 foot lengths for those of us who have normal bulk loaders.

He won't reveal the source of the film, and says he's been told not to. I've found that it behaves rather like Ilford HP5 in terms of how I need to process it at 400 and 1600, the contrast one gets especially when pushing....but with more halation. Which suggests strongly that it is Ilford P4 surveillance film which was discontinued a few years ago. He claims it's "straight from the factory" but not that it's factory fresh.

What I suspect is that he literally bought miles of the stuff a few years ago and had the ability to keep it frozen. When he spools off the user friendly lengths he adds a date some 18-24 months after the spooling date.

Now, I don't know any of that....it just seems to fit the available info. And especially with B&W film, if frozen it can be kept fresh for decades. but why do I buy it? Because it performs like HP5+ for my purposes, at a little over half the price of HP5+.