Uses for Expired Ektachrome SW & VS

skorpiius · Sep 30, 2017

So I've got a few rolls of very expired Ektachrome SW and VS (like 10-15 yrs expired).

Anyone have experience shooting this film that expired?
I've also been interested in trying my hand at cross processing. Any thoughts whether very expired E6 film would create better, worse, or just different cross processed images than fresh>

John Salim · Sep 30, 2017

I get many out of date slide films in for processing, but sadly Kodak films seem to go off quicker than others.

Most Ektachromes tend to go a bit magenta or red and the worst ones lose contrast and D-max ( turning towards light blue ).
Obviously it depends on their storage conditions.

I would test one roll and see how it looks. If its too bad, use the rest cross-processed for SFX photography.

John S

skorpiius · Sep 30, 2017

John Salim said:
I get many out of date slide films in for processing, but sadly Kodak films seem to go off quicker than others.

Most Ektachromes tend to go a bit magenta or red and the worst ones lose contrast and D-max ( turning towards light blue ).
Obviously it depends on their storage conditions.

I would test one roll and see how it looks. If its too bad, use the rest cross-processed for SFX photography.

John S

Perfect, thanks John!

kruiwagen · Oct 4, 2017

John Salim said:
I get many out of date slide films in for processing, but sadly Kodak films seem to go off quicker than others.

Most Ektachromes tend to go a bit magenta or red and the worst ones lose contrast and D-max ( turning towards light blue ).
Obviously it depends on their storage conditions.

I would test one roll and see how it looks. If its too bad, use the rest cross-processed for SFX photography.

John S

Agreed, I shot a few rolls E100VS with 13 year expiry dates, they get a blue cast and shadows go darker

bvy · Oct 4, 2017

Cross process and wet print. These are scans of 8x10 prints. I'll have to check my notes at home to see exactly what flavor of Ektachrome this is.

trendland · Oct 4, 2017

skorpiius said:
So I've got a few rolls of very expired Ektachrome SW and VS (like 10-15 yrs expired).

Anyone have experience shooting this film that expired?
I've also been interested in trying my hand at cross processing. Any thoughts whether very expired E6 film would create better, worse, or just different cross processed images than fresh>

Yes I have. E100SW has a tendency to
blue (color shift) in addition it is pale.
But if you ever saw Agfa CT 100 expired
in a 1/5 time with total yellow and greenish color shifts you perhaps may like even expired E100sw.
E100VS I have is still with "brave" colors
( expired 2003 and freezed)

E100SW is from 2001 and has obviously not seen a freezer the whole time.
(SOME ARE BAD SOME ARE QUITE OK)
Last E100 I shoot was finished yesterday - the colors were ok.It is a bit more like EPR from the color look but this is no problem to me.
If you have old sw never see a freezer I
would suppose you perhaps may forget it
more than a decate expired with room temperature.

with regards

trendland · Oct 4, 2017

bvy said:
Cross process and wet print. These are scans of 8x10 prints. I'll have to check my notes at home to see exactly what flavor of Ektachrome this is.

View attachment 187789 View attachment 187790

Oh sorry I forget to state : To cross E6
expired films may also be ok.
But the grain is also bigger in comparison to grained emulsions only caused from crossing - everybody should know.

with regards

skorpiius · Oct 5, 2017

trendland said:
If you have old sw never see a freezer I
would suppose you perhaps may forget it
more than a decate expired with room temperature.

with regards

I think half of the time was probably room temperature, half refrigerated.

fdonadio · Oct 5, 2017

bvy said:
Cross process and wet print. These are scans of 8x10 prints.

Great saturation! Do you print them with a C-41 "blank" negative sandwiched or use filters in the enlarger?

bvy · Oct 5, 2017

fdonadio said:
Great saturation! Do you print them with a C-41 "blank" negative sandwiched or use filters in the enlarger?

None of the above. Regular C-41 development, straight RA-4 printing. Some from this "series" got some dodging and burning (the contrast is insane!), but not those two particular frames.

trendland · Oct 5, 2017

skorpiius said:
I think half of the time was probably room temperature, half refrigerated.

OK - most E100 SW are from 2000 - 2003 = Expired since 15 years : 2 ~ 7,5 years that should be hart to Kodak E6 ( Fuji Astia is OK after max 6 years ).

with regards

PS " OK " is not the same as good for me .

OK to expired films is meant as " you can live with color shifts as they are not in way you have bad pictures "

As we all should know - photography in a best quality is only possible with brand new films.

But if you shoot some layouts a " B " film with 1/10 of normal cost it will do it also. What I am not a friend of are Ebay sellers with expired films from 1988, 1995 etc. they often stated " storage in the dark "
And I am no friend of expired films 50% off ???

The only exeption is 50% off because expired since 4 month and cold stored

.........

trendland · Oct 5, 2017

kruiwagen said:
Agreed, I shot a few rolls E100VS with 13 year expiry dates, they get a blue cast and shadows go darker

Right - the cast is blue with new Ektachromes.
I remember quite older stuff ( Kodak E6 ) and I remember indeed a brownish look.
But I can not remember if this old Ektachromes (may be E4 and not E6 Ektachromes) were expired.I don't think so.
THEN the cast comes from long time storage.
Ok 1983 - 2015 (last checking) this is a proud period in storage - 32 years !
I personaly know no digital datas with such lifetime.
INCUDING SATURN 5 CONSTRUCTION PLANS WITH ACCURATE NASA STORAGE!
(copied from micro film on digital mediums and after this digitally stored)

with regards

Beware of : last statement is a possible legend.
But it could also be the true in practice.....

fdonadio · Oct 5, 2017

bvy said:
None of the above. Regular C-41 development, straight RA-4 printing. Some from this "series" got some dodging and burning (the contrast is insane!), but not those two particular frames.

Thanks for the reply. Since it's maskless, how much filtering do you dial in to enlarge/contact these?

I have half a box of E100G that gives me muddy colors, I think it's because it's long expired. I thought maybe cross-processing them in C-41 would give me brighter and punchier images.

bvy · Oct 9, 2017

fdonadio said:
Thanks for the reply. Since it's maskless, how much filtering do you dial in to enlarge/contact these?

I have half a box of E100G that gives me muddy colors, I think it's because it's long expired. I thought maybe cross-processing them in C-41 would give me brighter and punchier images.

Sorry for the delay responding. Those got quite normal filtration: 40M+40Y (on a dichroic head). Prints made from other rolls of the same film required quite different filtration. This got 30C+45Y:

By the way, these are all Ektachrome 100 Plus (EPP).

fdonadio · Oct 9, 2017

Thanks, @bvy! I feel a little more confident in cross processing.

I just hope I find nice colorful scenes like yours.

trendland · Oct 11, 2017

bvy said:
Sorry for the delay responding. Those got quite normal filtration: 40M+40Y (on a dichroic head). Prints made from other rolls of the same film required quite different filtration. This got 30C+45Y:
View attachment 188086

By the way, these are all Ektachrome 100 Plus (EPP).

Yes indeed EPP was a real nice film - not so very much different to EPN.
By the time the most remarkable shots from the colors I ever saw was with EPR.
And ISO64 was exact the best to me.

EPY I got very cheap but it has many changes from emulsion due to expired date.But this must not mean that one have to waste away this film :

(EPY 120 total expired with massive lost of dmax and massive color shifts)
but nice........

with regards

Uses for Expired Ektachrome SW & VS

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