Should we use expired film or is it garbage ?

Paul Howell · Dec 6, 2025

retina_restoration said:
This is true! I have a cache of Panatomic-X in 35mm and a roll or two of it in 120. I can't say that it's "better than" TMX, but it certainly has a nice look to it.

Tmax 100 has finer grain and higher resolution than PanX, but contrast is different, I find Tmax 100 in MCM 100 comes close to Tmax in D76 stock, still not PanX.

MattKing · Dec 6, 2025

Bill Burk said:
120 backing paper issues arose for Kodak in a recent timeframe.

I have to disagree with this.
There have always been issues with wrapper offset and other backing paper related problems. What has changed from time to time over the more than 100 years that 120 film has been around is the frequency of occurrence and, most likely, the public nature of reports.
The most recent spate of Kodak problems may have been more extreme than most, but they weren't the first occurrence by any means with Kodak products. And other manufacturers like Ilford/Harman have also had issues.
There is something that is only barely compatible with rolling up tightly a printed strip of paper and a strip of film substrate coated with an emulsion designed to be sensitive to tiny amounts of light.

Maris · Dec 6, 2025

I have used heavily expired film for speculative and possibly expressive effects. Here is an example:

Past Imperfect #7
Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle VC FB photographic paper, image size 16.4cm X 21.3cm, from a 4x5 Tri-X Pan Professional negative
exposed in a Tachihara 45GF double extension field view camera fitted with a home-made 150mm f4 Wollaston Meniscus soft-focus lens and a #25 red filter.

My photographer friend died after a long long illness and some of his equipment passed into my hands.
There were many film holders that he had loaded with Tri-X fifteen years previously but could not expose.
The film had corroded through the passage of years but I took it to those places where we had previously walked with our cameras.
I tried to make this Past Imperfect exposure as a kind of meditation on time and loss.

abruzzi · Dec 6, 2025

Most of the expired film in my freezer wasn’t expired when I bought it…

Bill Burk · Dec 6, 2025

MattKing said:
I have to disagree with this.
There have always been issues with wrapper offset and other backing paper related problems.

I meant Kodak. I’m aware backing paper issues have been around forever. Not quite opaque, mottling, etc. I think that Kodak's old paper was always the standard to compare against, and I could be wrong it’s just a feeling. That few years though were no fun at all.

MattKing · Dec 6, 2025

I meant Kodak as well .
But I agree about Kodak's old paper.
Particularly when in combination with the old Kodak distribution systems!

Pioneer · Dec 6, 2025

Maris said:
I have used heavily expired film for speculative and possibly expressive effects. Here is an example:

Past Imperfect #7
Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle VC FB photographic paper, image size 16.4cm X 21.3cm, from a 4x5 Tri-X Pan Professional negative
exposed in a Tachihara 45GF double extension field view camera fitted with a home-made 150mm f4 Wollaston Meniscus soft-focus lens and a #25 red filter.

My photographer friend died after a long long illness and some of his equipment passed into my hands.
There were many film holders that he had loaded with Tri-X fifteen years previously but could not expose.
The film had corroded through the passage of years but I took it to those places where we had previously walked with our cameras.
I tried to make this Past Imperfect exposure as a kind of meditation on time and loss.

I like this Maris. I think it is a great way to honor a friend. Thanks for posting.

Chuck1 · Dec 6, 2025

Maris said:
I have used heavily expired film for speculative and possibly expressive effects. Here is an example:

Past Imperfect #7
Gelatin-silver photograph on Ultrafine Silver Eagle VC FB photographic paper, image size 16.4cm X 21.3cm, from a 4x5 Tri-X Pan Professional negative
exposed in a Tachihara 45GF double extension field view camera fitted with a home-made 150mm f4 Wollaston Meniscus soft-focus lens and a #25 red filter.

My photographer friend died after a long long illness and some of his equipment passed into my hands.
There were many film holders that he had loaded with Tri-X fifteen years previously but could not expose.
The film had corroded through the passage of years but I took it to those places where we had previously walked with our cameras.
I tried to make this Past Imperfect exposure as a kind of meditation on time and loss.

I'd call that magical

Melvin J Bramley · Dec 6, 2025

Film or paper; if the price is right it can save $$
The purchase of a lot of darkroom equipment , last year, gave me a bulk loader with over half a roll of Tri X which was not fogged.
This year another lot gave me a full 100 ft roll of Kodak TMax 100 which is in the freezer awaiting inspection.
With todays price of darkroom film and paper the amateur has to consider all possible savings.

ic-racer · Dec 7, 2025

“Expired” film, or film older than the “Use by” date is still good until it goes bad.

gbroadbridge · Dec 7, 2025

ic-racer said:
“Expired” film, or film older than the “Use by” date is still good until it goes bad.

Old film is chemically unstable (that is why it has an expiry date).

It's not much use if you travel for hours/days and hundreds or thousands of miles, take a shot and then discover after you process it that between the time you tested and the time you develop it has gone over the edge - wasting all that time and effort.

To me, it's just not worth the risk and expired film goes into the trash.

Some of course have a higher tolerance for risk/pain.

filsogh · Dec 7, 2025

I have been intrigued by the phenom of using expired, sometimes long expired film. I don't stock film though. Maybe I am fortunate but where I lived there is no problem finding the film I want anytime.

Anyway, I am just not looking for the kind of surprises that might occur. It is hard enough to create the image I visualize (and getting through development, scanning, editing, and printing) without any additional headwinds.

I guess my hands are already full.

Frank53 · Dec 7, 2025

I buy slow (agfapan apx 25, panatomic-x or technical pan) expired film when I have a chance. Never pay more than €5 or 6 a film for 35mm. These are stil good after decades. Prices are too high on ebay, but on local auction sites a lot lower.

Pioneer · Dec 7, 2025

gbroadbridge said:
Old film is chemically unstable (that is why it has an expiry date).

It's not much use if you travel for hours/days and hundreds or thousands of miles, take a shot and then discover after you process it that between the time you tested and the time you develop it has gone over the edge - wasting all that time and effort.

To me, it's just not worth the risk and expired film goes into the trash.

Some of course have a higher tolerance for risk/pain.

And some are not traveling hours or thousands of miles. They are shooting in their backyard or downtown and then developing the next day. The risk still exists but it is far less. I don't spend hundreds of dollars on some expired film but neither do I throw it out when it goes past the date in my freezer.

Great discussions around this topic. As usual there is not one answer that fits every circumstance or works for everyone.

Don_ih · Dec 7, 2025

Most of the film I have is to some extent expired. I figure out the best way to develop it and choose what to use it for. I bought frozen lots of film from two photographers for far less than retail cost.

It's like everything else: use it if it gets you what you want.

runswithsizzers · Dec 7, 2025

For me, there is a big difference between "expired two months ago" and "expired two decades ago." I might buy recently expired film, but I prefer to avoid the risk of unexpected results that goes along with significantly out-of-date film.

Someone donated a large collection of old film to the photography department at my local university. I did shoot one roll of Kodak T-Max 400 in 120 that had expired 1989. I exposed it at EI 200 and developed it in Legacy Pro Eco-Pro (a XTOL clone). Other than the film base being somewhat darker than expected (fog?), I was satisfied with the results. The examples posted <here> are from camera-copies of the negatives, but I did print several of the negatives as wet darkroom prints with no issues.

I found a couple of rolls of Fuji slide film that had been in my freezer for 10 years, and I was delighted with how well those turned out. Velvia 100F and Astia 100F

Andrew O'Neill · Dec 7, 2025

I've been ever so slowly working my way through a box of 4x5 HIE, expired in 1967. It has fog, but a bit of benzo takes care of that. It still is capable of making nice photos. I also have a 4x5 box of Panatomic-X, expired in my birth year of '63. The stuff is like new! I have other boxes even older, that I still need to crack open...
@retina_restoration in my comparison video, Panatomic-X and TMX are identical in their renderings, but TMX is much, much sharper.

ezphotolessons · Dec 7, 2025

just lower your expectations

pelletier said:
Should we use expired film or it’s garbage ?

What do you think of expired respoolers and old brand resellers of expired film ?

Should it be considered as good as it for experimental purposes or should we forget it ?

1)yes we should use and yes it is garbage
2)see 1)
3)see 1)

retina_restoration · Dec 7, 2025

pelletier said:
What do you think of expired respoolers and old brand resellers of expired film ?

They are opportunistic parasites, IMO.

Carnie Bob · Dec 7, 2025

I solarize all my film so I am open to old expired film.

ChrisGalway · Dec 7, 2025

I've shot and processed around 160+ colour transparency films (mainly 120 size Provia 100f) over the past 6 years, and all without exception have been in-date. Almost all the rolls, apart from a few test rolls, have been taken on photo trips to other European cities, and to me it is false economy to use a possibly substandard out-of-date film, and run the chance that the trip could be "wasted".

I can understand that people might want to experiment with out-of-date film, but it's not for me. (I suppose if someone donated me many (20+) rolls of film dated this month (Dec 2025), I might do a test run and see if it was usable!)

Alan Edward Klein · Dec 7, 2025

I freeze Velvia 50, TMAX 100, and TMAX 400 all in 4x5 at around -5°F (-15 °C). How long past the expiry dates can I reasonably expect these films to last without any noticeable changes in results?

mtnbkr · Dec 7, 2025

Alan Edward Klein said:
I freeze Velvia 50, TMAX 100, and TMAX 400 all in 4x5 at around -5°F (-15 °C). How long past the expiry dates can I reasonably expect these films to last without any noticeable changes in results?

Possibly a decade or more based on what I've heard. At least for the 50 and 100 speeds, the 400 I'm not sure about.

I bought 20 rolls of Fuji Acros II back in 2021 that was freshly expired ($6/roll!!). I've kept it in the freezer and the rolls I shot this summer looked great and reacted to normal development times as expected (ie like fresh film).

I have 10 rolls left, it will be a sad day when I run out. I should have bought more at that price, but I thought 20 was a lot and it was a new film to me, so I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Turns out, I don't like it, I love it.

Chris

Sirius Glass · Dec 7, 2025

pelletier said:
Should we use expired film or it’s garbage ?

What do you think of expired respoolers and old brand resellers of expired film ?

Should it be considered as good as it for experimental purposes or should we forget it ?

Welcome to Photrio!

If you want to use expired film, regularly test the film with a short roll of 35mm film. Respoolers and buying expired film may have some risks, those may work in your personal advantage. If you start having problems with expired film more often then look back to using fresh film.

Alan Townsend · Dec 7, 2025

pelletier said:
Should we use expired film or it’s garbage ?

What do you think of expired respoolers and old brand resellers of expired film ?

Should it be considered as good as it for experimental purposes or should we forget it ?

Using our own expired b+w film is good, especially after testing, and especially for testing developer concoctions without wasting the good stuff. I have 30 year old tmx that has no fog, but needs a litting push processing to give normal contrast and speed. I have 30 year old tmy with base fog that is also low contrast now and slower and needs pushing and more more exposure, but looks good anyway.

Should we use expired film or is it garbage ?

Paul Howell

MattKing

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Maris

abruzzi

Bill Burk

MattKing

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Pioneer

Chuck1

Melvin J Bramley

ic-racer

gbroadbridge

filsogh

Frank53

Pioneer

Don_ih

runswithsizzers

Andrew O'Neill

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ezphotolessons

retina_restoration

Carnie Bob

ChrisGalway

Alan Edward Klein

mtnbkr

Sirius Glass

Alan Townsend

Should we use expired film or is it garbage ?

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