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  #1  
Old 15th August 2013, 08:33 PM
AlanJones AlanJones is offline
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Default Film storage, exposure, more storage and developing:

It is difficult to find a home for this thread as could equally well fit in three or four subjects. So here we go under the general heading.

When I am given or buy film it goes in my freezer and is kept at -16 to -18C. I try not to exceed the best before date by any more than three months. The film only comes out to be used or when the freezer is defrosted and then no more than for twelve hours and is the buried in with the bags of frozen peas in a cooler bag. Exposing the film in the camera takes no more than one to fourteen days. If its a colour film, which I don't process myself it goes off to the lab straight away. If it is B&W, when it is exposed it goes back in the freezer until I have a few films to efficiently use a litre of developer stock solution. After being exposed it is returned to the freezer, and could be stored for a further month to three months until enough for a developing session. As we have had two bad summers, last year and the year before, plus I had been given a load of film by people going digital, but I have no idea on how this film was stored prior to my ownership. I have noticed problems here with under exposure of colour slide film being about 1 - 1.5 f stops under and have now binned 8 cassettes of Ektachrome with a date of 1/11. I have one roll left dated 3/12 which I may use. All the rest of my colour films are still just in date, even though I have had it for a couple of years in my freezer but I think it needs to be used ASAP.

With my B&W films, I have only one in the freezer to do so I am reasonably up to date for developing.

I do have a couple of Pan F+ films that are coming up to six months past their best before date. Are they worth using? I am for giving them a try. Another ten films are within six to twelve months to go before expiry date is reached. So I am in for a busy time in the next few weeks. Just how critical is it that a film is developed as soon as it comes out of the camera anyway? Is it just that Ilford want me to spend more money on developers I wonder.

These are all 35mm films I am referring to. Things have got a little disjointed as I have gone a bit over the top with medium format in recent times.
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Old 15th August 2013, 08:54 PM
Michael S Michael S is offline
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I would have thought slow black and white film would be least prone to deterioration and keep the longest. So the Pan F+ at least ought to be fine. I've used faster FP4 and HP5 that've been years past their expiry dates and never frozen, and they've been perfectly acceptable to me. (Maybe I just have lower standards!)
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Old 15th August 2013, 08:59 PM
DaveP DaveP is offline
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I've shot slide film thats 10-15 years out of date, and was more or less fine. In fact the vast majority of all the film I've ever shot has been out of date.

If you did see changes in slide film I'd expect them to be colour shifts rather than losing speed/sensitivity.
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Old 15th August 2013, 10:50 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Alan it sounds as though your procedure is A1. I too have used out of date film without apparent problems and simply stored it in a coolish dry place.

I waited months to develop some 120 Acros exposed last June and tend to be "casual" about post exposure storage. They were fine. Ambient house temp is the normal storage conditions for me

Mike
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Old 15th August 2013, 11:05 PM
AlanJones AlanJones is offline
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Michael, I think you are right and I am hoping you are. I think I will leave it in the tank a bit longer when developing it might increase the contrast as well as a bonus.

Dave, the results were useless and not only was it very dark, and there was a shift to a blue bias. The rest of those films with the 1/11 date has gone off with the rubbish. A Fuji slide film came out the camera the same day as I loaded the Ektachrome and the Fuji came out perfect. Both films were exposed on the same trip.
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Old 16th August 2013, 05:02 AM
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Phil Phil is offline
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Maybe with regard to the slide films your caution is correct (wish you could have binned the Ektachrome my way), but B&W, gosh you can squeeze it for a long long time.
I even once had a roll of Kodak Infrared which I'd forgotten about - it must have been sitting, exposed, in a camera for years, anyway, shoved it on some Rodinal and it came out fine (albeit a little dense, but that was a processing error). All I am trying to say is that maybe you are being too cautious. Modern films are robust things.
As for developers, if you are worried about waiting to process films - go Rodinal or HC110. I have a bottle of Rodinal around Ten years old, still going strong for one shot development, and some HC 110, which I split down into smaller bottles and again absolutely fine for one shot. Pan F is naturally contrasty - combine it with HC110 or Rodinal and you'll have plenty of contrast . . just don't underexpose.
You've made me laugh actually. I have around 300 sheets of 5x4 with the majority of it reaching its best before in May of next year! better get moving methinks . . .
Phil
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Old 17th August 2013, 09:55 AM
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EddieB EddieB is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
.... I have around 300 sheets of 5x4 with the majority of it reaching its best before in May of next year! better get moving methinks . . .
Phil
Phil - Surely you can get a motor drive for the 5x4? that would knock a few out - in more ways than one!

Alan - Don't worry about the film, I think like most replies here I've used film, that hasn't been stored in cold conditions, well after it's expiry and haven't noticed a difference in results from "fresh" film. It's pretty robust stuff by all accounts.
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Old 27th August 2013, 07:52 PM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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Alan, I can only talk about in-date HP5 but I sometimes leave it a couple of months before processing it.

Clearly, keeping it post exposure isn't improving it but doesn't seem to do it much harm either.

I always think the film that is exposed and developed within a few days produce Negs that sparkle most but I don't know if its wishful thinking.

Martin
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Old 29th August 2013, 07:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Aislabie View Post
I always think the film that is exposed and developed within a few days produce Negs that sparkle most but I don't know if its wishful thinking.

Martin
I generally process same day as exposure if I can, just because I want to see what is there . . . but I am still looking for that sparkle
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Old 1st September 2013, 08:07 AM
Eriktheviking Eriktheviking is offline
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I've read some of these entries with interest as someone new to film storage and development.
I recently bought a job lot of development equipment and it contained 2 exposed undeveloped 120 films that must be 20 years old (FP4 and HP5) not the plus films.
I developed in standard Rondinal at 1:25 for 9 minutes time recommended for FP4 and HP5 plus. There is possible loss of detail in the negs and the backing paper has imprinted on the negs but I'm amazed the film has kept the image especially with the damp variable temp in an attic.
Erik
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