Old film, any good?

vegard_norway · Feb 9, 2013

Hello all.

Got a large box, 40-50 rolls, of 135 mm film from a friend. He has had them in a dark room for the last 15 years.

But, how will it be now? Any point in trying it out? Or, will it be just as good today?

clogz · Feb 9, 2013

Take one of those films, rate it at a somewhat lower speed, if need be...develop a bit longer. Give it a go and a twirl...make a few tests...chances are that things will be ok.

E. von Hoegh · Feb 9, 2013

Is the film color or b&w? How much it's deteriorated depends upon the temperature it was stored at. For b&w, expect a loss in sensitivity and probably some fogging. For color, expect color shifts, fogging, and loss in sensitivity.

vegard_norway · Feb 9, 2013

Thanks, will try a roll and se how it goes.
Oh, yes, it is color.

E. von Hoegh · Feb 9, 2013

vegard_norway said:
Thanks, will try a roll and se how it goes.
Oh, yes, it is color.

Umm. Don't get your hopes too high. But you never know.

henry finley · Feb 9, 2013

Color?--nahh. Looks like you got a lot of handy film canisters though.

pentaxuser · Feb 9, 2013

Give it a go. You'll never know otherwise. It could be like finding a treasure chest of interesting negs. Even if the colour has suffered there might be stuff there that can be printed on B&W paper

I have just such negs from the early to mid 1970s that could still be done on RA4 but not as I'd like but in B&W they still look pretty good.

Your stuff is only from the mid 1990s by which time colour neg film had improved greatly.

pentaxuser

Les Sarile · Feb 9, 2013

Only 15 years old?
What film is it that you have?

I bought a box of >100 rolls of Kodak Ektar 125 with expiration of 4/1992 that I shot a roll at various exposures - develop normally, and determined it is now about a ISO64-32 depending on taste and got these results.

It turned out to be a practically grainless negative film . . .

henry finley · Feb 9, 2013

Damn. That's gorgeous. Guess I'm wrong again. Getting to be a habit on here.

Les Sarile · Feb 9, 2013

BTW, that box of expired Ektar 125 was just kept in a garage here in Atlanta, Georgia until I picked it up a couple of years ago. They are individually boxed and in plastic canisters.

vegard_norway · Feb 10, 2013

Hello.

Oh, nice photos. Wish I was able to do that...maybe with time and practice.

The film is KODAK GOLD 400.

Les Sarile · Feb 10, 2013

Since you have 40-50 rolls then I would suggest conducting exposure range shots of -2 to at least +6. I believe that Kodak Gold 400 has excessively wide latitude anyway and shooting 1 stop over would normally deliver finer grain results. I would guess yours would now be best rated at ISO200-100. Good luck and let us know how it comes out.

PentaxBronica · Feb 10, 2013

Try it and see.

I shot a roll of cheap colour film which had been out of date since 2004 last year, didn't do anything special with it, had it processed by the local chemist, and it was fine. A little grainy in some frames but perfectly acceptable for recording a behind-the-scenes tour at a nearby dam.

I wouldn't use film that old for anything important, but having found it in the bottom of the wardrobe I gave it a try.

vegard_norway · Feb 10, 2013

Thanks all for the feed back.
I have taken two rolls and will have them developed.
Oh, interesting to se how they turn out.

Will come back with more information when I have them back.

StoneNYC · Feb 11, 2013

If they come out foggy or grainy try using them as B&W and stand develop them, look up my created threads for the one that mentions C-41 in Rodinal stand developed and you can get a good idea of how to do it and some image examples at the end.

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

vegard_norway · Feb 11, 2013

Thanks for the tip.
Will look at your treads.

Old film, any good?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency