Shooting expired Velvia 50

TattyJJ · Jan 27, 2017

After looking around at various films i want to try out i discovered Velvia, wow do i love the saturation!
Then i saw the price of a roll of 35mm
Bit of hunting around and i found 6 expired rolls for sale pretty cheep i thought were worth a punt.
3 expired in 1992 and 3 in 2007, no idea how they have been stored so probably assume not in an ideal environment.
I'm off to Budapest next month for a few days and i'm thinking will be a good opportunity to use some.

Anyone offer some tips on how to get something good out of it?

Cheers

LAG · Jan 27, 2017

Do not worry about the expiration date, use them in "your" normal way, and Open fire!

TattyJJ · Jan 27, 2017

LAG said:
Do not worry about the expiration date, use them in "your" normal way, and Open fire!

Fair enough
I'm only been using film since xmas, not counting my childhood before digital took over.
Still kinda figuring out what my thing is, at the moment i more about wanting to have a go at everything at once

LAG · Jan 27, 2017

TattyJJ said:
Still kinda figuring out what my thing is, at the moment i more about wanting to have a go at everything at once

Take your time, Rome was not built in one day. If you do it with love, enough

TattyJJ · Jan 27, 2017

LAG said:
Take your time, Rome was not built in one day. If you do it with love, enough

I know, i'm trying. It's just so very tempting to try everything at once....

TattyJJ · Jan 27, 2017

On a separate note, how disappointed am i to find out you can no longer do enlargements with transparency film thanks to Ilfochrome being discontinued with no replacement!

LAG · Jan 27, 2017

TattyJJ said:
On a separate note, how disappointed am i to find out you can no longer do enlargements with transparency film thanks to Ilfochrome being discontinued with no replacement!

Yes! I've never liked "these" two words starting with "dis". Though you can use your wall as an enlarger

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 27, 2017

TattyJJ said:
On a separate note, how disappointed am i to find out you can no longer do enlargements with transparency film thanks to Ilfochrome being discontinued with no replacement!

Ilfochfome? Pfft. Hybrid RA4 printing has beaten Ilfochrome Classic by an epoch. Transparency is still being printed by dedicated professionals in this way and that will remain so into the future.

Expired and poorly stored RVP50 can cast to magenta or green over time, typically 5-6 years in adverse conditions e.g. continuous high heat. Long-term frozen RVP50 can safely be exposed at box speed, but beyond 7-10 years a +1 to +1.5 compensation baseline of ISO should be considered. Thus can be done as a bracket series over one roll with the ISO dial -- 0.3 steps (as opposed to using exposure compensation). The same comments apply to using expired Provia 100F.

John_Nikon_F · Jan 28, 2017

You can also cross-process it in C41... Everything REALLY turns green... Did that with an expired roll of original Velvia last year.

-J

Alan Klein · Jan 28, 2017

I have some RVP hat's about a year old in 36 degree refrigerator and other in the trunk of my car. Any compensation for either?

TattyJJ · Jan 28, 2017

Poisson Du Jour said:
Ilfochfome? Pfft. Hybrid RA4 printing has beaten Ilfochrome Classic by an epoch. Transparency is still being printed by dedicated professionals in this way and that will remain so into the future.
expired Provia 100F.

Ok, you've got my attention, any tips where i might read up more on doing it? Ta muchly

I was wondering if the film would benefit from being overexposed... You're not the first to suggest it, so think that will be my best option! Using it at that speed guess i'll have to find room for my tripod in the suitcase

Colonel Blimp · Jan 28, 2017

TattyJJ said:
Anyone offer some tips on how to get something good out of it?

Cheers

My experience shooting Velvia 50 is you really need to know well what you are doing. Compared to other films, if you make a mistake shooting Velvia 50, it will be clear when you project the slide (and you won't like it). It all has to do with the dynamic range of the film. I don't dare to explain what that means or how it applies to this particular film. There are several threads in APUG about this film with lots of tips. I recommend you have a look.

It takes time and lots of rolls to figure out how to use this film. Of course, the problem is given the price of Velvia 50 it can be an expensive learning process.

GregW · Jan 28, 2017

Just finishing up a box of frozen stored 50D 4 x 5 that is 21 years past it and it's coming out fine at box speed. Yesterday shot a roll of EPP that was at room temp for all that time it's been discontinued and while it does have that magenta cast kodak EPP gets, box speed or a half stop more was the right exposure to get good saturation and contrast. So my two cents are shoot at box speed.

TattyJJ · Jan 28, 2017

Don't you love this game!

I've had 2 people tell me to use it at box speed, and 2 over expose a stop or more

ME Super · Jan 28, 2017

I'm a long-time slide film shooter (shot Kodachrome 64 in my childhood). Slide film does not like more than about 2/3 stop overexposure, in my opinion. After that you start losing the highlights, and your images start getting washed out.

Now, having said that, I have heard of many photographers choosing to shoot the original Velvia (what you have) at EI40, thus 1/3 stop overexposed. Doing this opens up the shadows a tiny bit. The same holds true for the new Velvia 50, introduced back in 2007 or 2008, I forget which. I've shot Provia 100F at EI 320 (this is 1 2/3 stops underexposed) and had the lab push it 2 stops to EI400 with pretty good results.

Negative film will definitely benefit from some overexposure, as it opens up the shadows, yet still somehow manages to hold detail in the highlights. With slide film, it's been said that you should put the highlights where you want them, and let the shadows fall where they may. With negative film, you put the shadows where you want them, and let the highlights fall where they may. Doing it this way it's possible to get a usable, pleasing photo out of it. But negative film has so much latitude that I've shot Portra 800 at EI 3200 with no push (so 2 stops underexposed) and ended up with a usable photo. With slide film you'd have to push (to compensate for underexposure) or pull (to compensate for overexposure). I've done both with slide film (Provia, not Velvia), and underexposing with pushing gives me better results than overexposing and pulling IMHO.

ME Super · Jan 28, 2017

TattyJJ said:
Don't you love this game!

I've had 2 people tell me to use it at box speed, and 2 over expose a stop or more

Haha, I know, right? But the people who told you to overexpose also said to bracket. What you're going to want to do is load up a roll of this stuff and go wander around with your camera and a small notebook. Take some test shots. For one test shot, shoot at box speed. Write down the frame # and "box speed". Now set your EI to EI 40 and take another shot of the same scene. Write down the frame # and "+1/3". Repeat for EI 32 and +2/3, and again for EI 25 and +1. You've now got 4 shots of the same scene. Reset your EI to EI 50 (this is Velvia 50 or original Velvia, which also has an ISO of 50) and repeat for the rest of the roll. Have your film developed (or develop it yourself) and match up the frame numbers with what you have in your notebook, and you'll know what EI you should shoot the remaining rolls of the same vintage.

LAG · Jan 28, 2017

TattyJJ said:
I've had 2 people tell me to use it at box speed, and 2 over expose a stop or more

No, I believe you are over exposing 1stop

TattyJJ · Jan 28, 2017

I've gotta be honest here, I'm still none the wiser on handling this film

I'm thinking my best bet might be to take the film to the darkroom, cut off a foot or so from each vintage, take some pics at different EI settings, develop and see what the results are.
At least then i will know for sure what the film can and cant do

LAG · Jan 28, 2017

Alan Klein said:
I have some RVP hat's about a year old in 36 degree refrigerator and other in the trunk of my car. Any compensation for either?

Yes! You can compensate roasting in the oven some of the fridge and placing on ice some of the trunk.

removed account4 · Jan 28, 2017

TattyJJ said:
I've gotta be honest here, I'm still none the wiser on handling this film

I'm thinking my best bet might be to take the film to the darkroom, cut off a foot or so from each vintage, take some pics at different EI settings, develop and see what the results are.
At least then i will know for sure what the film can and cant do

that's a great idea since you are developing it yourself.
i'd bracket a and expose 2 frames for every roll, i woulddn't bother with a whole foot...
if it magenta shifted on you i'm sure you can compensate with a 05 green cc filter ( light eater )
i'm out of my comfort zone with slide film, but i have had / used b/w and cn film one compensates with 1 stop/10years or so
and not been disappointed. i wouldn't have a clue if what is right for negative film is the same for chrome film
seeing over exposure of normal slide film gives the opposite as over exposure of negative film ( thin image v dense image )

have fun on your trip !

john

Colorado CJ · Jan 28, 2017

I've shot VERY expired Velvia with my 4x5.

I shoot at box speed and calculate exposure using a spot meter. I meter the highlights and place them at zone VII, letting the shadows fall where they may. Never let me down yet!

Here are a few shots on 10 year expired Velvia using my Zone VI 4x5 and home processed. These were all shot using properly stored film. As you can see, the color is still great.

Garden of the Gods - Velvia 100 - 2 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Lake Loveland - Velvia - 4x5 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

White River Wilderness - Velvia - 4x5 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

Here is a shot on some extremely expired Velvia. It is 26 years expired and I don't know how it was stored during its life. It had a green cast but has been color corrected.

Ancient Velvia - 4x5 by Andrew Marjama, on Flickr

GregW · Jan 28, 2017

To Clarify, My experience with over exposing to compensate age with slide film has always ended up with too thin chromes. This is with Velvia 50 and 100 and with Provia and Agfachrome 50. If you find at box speed it's magenta use as is suggested above a color compensating filter or deal with it post.

destroya · Jan 28, 2017

I found that 50 works best for me, but it depends on the meters I'm using. I have shot 7+ year expired 50 using the camera meter in my penatx 67ii, shot at 50 and they turned out perfect, albeit with the slight magenta cast (which i now shoot the expired film for sunsets and it adds a nice little, but unnatural touch to the shots). for all my nikon in camera meters, use 50. for my mamiya 6 and fuji 645 cameras, I use 40 as those seem to slightly under expose. for my handheld meters, I use 50. it can be a lot of work, but test out each meter to make sure you understand how it works with the film you are using.

LAG · Jan 29, 2017

Colorado CJ said:
I've shot VERY expired Velvia with my 4x5...

Very nice works! Congratulations
Thanks for sharing

TattyJJ · Jan 29, 2017

If i can take some shots even a tenth of that good i'd be made up!

Shooting expired Velvia 50

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