Storage and transport (short term)

[John Bartley]

I have three 8x10 film holders and that number is quite enough for me as far as exposing and developing in a period of two or three days, so I don't really wish to buy and/or deal with any more holders. I am heading north for holidays to an area (our northern Ontario property) where the facilities for cutting my PlusX Aero from the roll and developing may be a bit difficult.
What I am thinking of doing is making two black ABS tubes. One will be for storing cut, unexposed film and the other will be for the exposed film.
I know that black ABS is light tight enough for tube developing, but what I don't know is how light tight it is for long term (2-3 weeks) storage of undeveloped film
Does anyone have some experience in this area?

cheers and thank you for any advice.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Do you have any empty film boxes? Or even paper boxes? If you do and you've got some of the black bags that paper comes in you're set. If not I think Henry's sells black bags for less then $1. Or even an 8x10 paper safe. The small plastic ones are light and not that expensive. But empty boxes are free-)

 

[Donald Qualls]

I've left Fomapan 100 and TXT (old Tri-X 320 Professional) in ABS developing tubes for as much as a couple weeks in a bathroom with a largish north facing window (and of course normal on-and-off lighting when the room was in use). No hint of fog. I've also tested my tubes (which have a 1/8" ABS sheet light baffle under the gray PVC filler neck, ABS cellular core pipe, and ABS caps that fit the pipe) with direct sun for about 10 minutes with Fomapan 100 inside, again without any sign of fogging (even when the sun was allowed to shine directly down the open filler tube).

Can't tell you beyond that, but I'd trust my film with 'em in a camera bag or suitcase for an indefinite period -- and they're a lot sturdier than a film box. Just don't leave film in 'em if passing through an airport, because they're virtually certain to be opened for inspection...