Loaded Sheet Film Storage (Fog?)

[RedSun]

When I acquired a 4x5 LF camera set about two years ago, quite a few film holders have film inside. 1/2 of them are T-max 400 and 1/2 are Velvia. 3 of the T-max holders show dark side of the dark slide. So I processed one of the films, stock D-76 at 8:20 min at 68F. But the film came out to be clear. But it shows fog off center and the holder holder lips show up as grey border on the negative.

So clearly the film was not exposed properly, or not even exposed at all. The film was in the holder for at least 2 years and probably even longer. So I just wonder how long the film can stay inside film holder and not fogged. The holders stay at dry basement most of the time.

Here is the film scan. There are dark wash marks.

 

[gzinsel]

well the way I see it/ understand your inquiry: you received a used camera and film holders that belonged to some one else? "someone" already Had loaded the film???? that "filM" could be 20 years old???????? who knows??? Film will start to fog "if it is expired". try adding more potassium bromide to your developer of choice> D-76 I think .

Also I would not assume that the person before you "arranged the dark slide according to the standard method, "what ever that is". some people say black faces out when it is not exposed, and white side when it is exposed. black= no light, white = light. I have spoken to other people, AND THEY SAY, you have it AAWWLLLLL wrong, its the other way. so in short, who knows, even if they had a system or even cared to implement it, to their regiment. I would throw their film away, Buy new fresh film, go out and shoot. and develop. If there is a light leak, you will know, which film holder to throw out, then buy a new film holder. case closed. Move on dot org. keep movin on, movin on. . . . . . . .

why would you even care how long it would take to fog film? Is this a "conceptual" project, where you load film, into the film holder, take to the gallery for an "installation" piece. And it sits there for like years on a pedestal. while we the viewers contemplate exactly what you shot, or possibility of "shot".

I personally have never tested a sheet film holder to see how long it stays before it fogs. I assume we as photags have other things to do besides wait around and wait, and wait, and more testing, and more testing. wait some more. . . .etc. I load film, I go out and shoot. that Night, I develop. I have never had any problems with high levels of fog, unless I am using expired film.

 

[RedSun]

It is 2 years, not 20 years

I'm just curious to know if this is typical fogging pattern with sheet film. How can the film holder lips made print on the film.....

 

[Rick A]

Did you load the holders two years ago, or were they already loaded when they arrived? If the former, your storage methods need revisited. If the later, no telling how old the film is.

 

[RedSun]

The films were already loaded when I received them.

 

[Rick A]

So, there is no way of telling the age of the film, hence no worries on your part. I have left film loaded in holders(in my back pack) for upwards of a year before I got to them, no fogging.

 

[ChuckP]

Wouldn't this depend of the storage conditions of the holders? If stored in a dark place light fog should be similar to storage in the film box. If stored in a sunny area you might begin to see some fog with leaky holders. Mine are always in a dark covered place.

 

[RedSun]

Just want to make sure this is just old film fogging, not anything else.

 

[removed account4]

tmax filMs have been around since the mid 1980s.

that film is old tmy, so your film could be from when they first made it ( maybe 1986? ) until just a few years ago,