Velvia left in hot car - worth using?

tomfrh · Dec 30, 2015

I left a roll of fresh velvia in my centre console on a hot day. It was about 70 degrees Celsius ,160 Fahrenheit in the car for several hours.

Would the film be worth using? I might try it out as an experiment...

frank · Dec 30, 2015

Of course it's worth using, just not for critical applications until you know if/how it was affected. I'm thinking a few hours at a hot temp is not going to make a noticeable difference.

Sirius Glass · Dec 30, 2015

Yes it is worth using on lower priority photographs, not the real important ones. One day even extremely hot should not ruin the film roll.

cliveh · Dec 30, 2015

tomfrh said:
I left a roll of fresh velvia in my centre console on a hot day. It was about 70 degrees Celsius ,160 Fahrenheit in the car for several hours.

Would the film be worth using? I might try it out as an experiment...

One day? It should be fine.

railwayman3 · Dec 30, 2015

I'd be surprised if it isn't OK, though obviously don't use it for anything critical. I found a reusable Fuji camera, which had been left in my car and forgotten for the whole of a summer.....the first half of the film had been previously exposed and the prints were rather faded, but I shot the remaining frames and these were fine. (Not perhaps as scorching hot here in the UK, but the car was outdoors almost all of the time).

removed account4 · Dec 30, 2015

Sometimes film is shuttled between stores in the back of a hot van ( as hot as your car )
stuck in traffic or with the driver taking a nap in a rest area ...
I don't think you need to worry one bit about your film..
it is LONG TERM HEAT EXPOSURE not a few hours ...

good luck!
john

Poisson Du Jour · Dec 30, 2015

No. Velvia exposed to high direct temperatures casts to green and loses speed. If only one roll came to grief, consider it as a risk and toss it. A few minutes would be a different story and that's frequently my situation when I am travelling (as now),

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

DanielLum · Dec 30, 2015

"Velvia exposed to high direct temperatures casts to green and loses speed."

Yeah ... I also experienced this in the past ...

tomfrh · Dec 31, 2015

Ok, I'll give it a test and report my findings.

Note it wasn't just a hot car, it was very hot, sufficient to melt a plastic container that was next to the film!

Stephen Schoof · Jan 1, 2016

Please let us know how this turns out. I posted a couple years ago about my experience with Velvia left in 100+ degrees F for over 100 hours (no significant change compared to a control roll), but I never got up to the temperatures you're describing.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

removed account4 · Jan 1, 2016

Stephen Schoof said:
Please let us know how this turns out. I posted a couple years ago about my experience with Velvia left in 100+ degrees F for over 100 hours (no significant change compared to a control roll), but I never got up to the temperatures you're describing.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

hi stephen

others have said the same thing as you have said with more controlled conditions ( a manufactured "hot box" )
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
but you have to be careful what you say when talking about heat, refrigeration and film
( no matter if it is color or black-white ) because you will find there will be people who will be cranky

I'm interested in the op's results too !
I hope he posts his results in thexpired film group .. expired due to excessive heat

Alan Klein · Jan 1, 2016

160 degrees???? Are you sure it got that hot?

wildbill · Jan 1, 2016

omg. call 911

Sirius Glass · Jan 1, 2016

Alan Klein said:
160 degrees???? Are you sure it got that hot?

It can and does in Southern California.

tomfrh · Jan 1, 2016

Alan Klein said:
160 degrees???? Are you sure it got that hot?

I'm basing my estimate on the following:

1. It was in excess of 40C/100F that day, and the car was sealed and in the sun. Cars in the sun are generally 30C/60F hotter than ambient temp.

2. The melted container is PET, and this deforms in my dishwasher in the 70+ Celsius cycle.

I will post the results.

Poisson Du Jour · Jan 1, 2016

If it was 35mm RVP in a cassette it would have got even hotter than your estimate.
120 film as I have experienced goes very wrinkly (like shrink-wrap!) and the emulsion bleeds. if left on the seat of the car for say 2-3 hours in "bloody hot" places like Silverton, NSW. Do post your results though. It should be educational.

tomfrh · Jan 12, 2016

I've got the film back now, which was 120 format by the way. I could not detect anything wrong with the images. Speed and colour were correct, and indistinsguishable side-by-side against non heat affected velvia.

Sirius Glass · Jan 12, 2016

Now you can let your blood pressure drop back to normal.

removed account4 · Jan 12, 2016

just goes to show
how robust film is !

a lot of folks think film goes bad fast
but it takes time, lots of time and
adverse conditions.

thanks tomfrh for posting this good news.

Stephen Schoof · Jan 13, 2016

Thanks for the update. I try not to abuse my film, but am always amazed at what it can take.

Velvia left in hot car - worth using?

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