storing negitives in plastic film canisters?

[eli griggs]

I am considering not cutting my negatives for sleeves and using common film canisters for storing the long rolls.

Is there a downside to this, other than scratches from careless handling?

What sort of impact will the plastic from the canister have on the negatives?

Cheers

 

[pesphoto]

you'll have some really curled negs if you want to try and print them in the future.

 

[jim appleyard]

I don't know what kind of plastic goes into these canisters, but Kodak uses #2, and I don't know if there are any harmful chems in #2 or other plastic cans, but it might be best to store them in archival sleeves or glassines (see other current thread on glassines).

The canisters may take up more room than you have to spare; I can fit about 300 archival neg sleeves, with a contact sheet, into a 3-ring notebook and store it on a book-shelf. These are all labeled/numbered for quick acess. Putting long rolls into the cans may start an access and storage nightmare.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

I'm not sure it would even take 'careless' handling to resulting scratches. The punched sprocket holes are likely to have some edge that will scratch as you remove/insert them. I've also used the three-ring binder with sleeves and accompanying contact sheets for almost 30 years. With proper labeling and indexing it's very easy to find a particular neg.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

I recently had to scan some for a friend that were in a film can for years. I hung and weighted them and placed them under a book and never could straightem them out. Don`t do it.

 

[Slixtiesix]

I can only agree with all that has been said so far. Wouldn´t do it either.
Curled negs are a pain. Last not least, when in sleeves, you can look through
your collection without touching the negs and when you´re searching for a
certain one it will be much more easy to find.
greetz, Benjamin

 

[eli griggs]

Thanks for the answers, all good reasons for not trying this.

Cheers

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Curly and possibly scratched, but if you get a roll of poly sleeving or whatnot, the one that holds one continuous strip you can slide the negative in that and roll it into a film can. I've done this at a lab, it's not an unreasonable way to keep things temporarily or on the short term.

A lot of people would bring in shoe boxes of negatives rolled up in cans like that, more than one 'pro' did that, even stuffing 120 rolls into 35mm cans without the lids even.

For me, the best method i've found are print file pages with hanging file bars inserted in the top with all of my negative pages stored in a rubbermaid hanging file box. Keeps them dry, dust free and neat.

 

[Marc .]

Here is a nice story about curled, forgotten negatives :

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/arts/design/27kenn.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Marc

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

If the negs have been stored that way, and you find them too curly, roll them up the other way and store them like that for a while.
The poly sleeve is a bad idea, because it folds within the roll as you roll it up and causes indentations in the film. Creases.
- Thomas

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I heard about that. Fascinating story, and a suitable ending.

Here is a nice story about curled, forgotten negatives
:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/arts/design/27kenn.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Marc