Expired Portra 160

[GHP]

Hi all.
I just found a box of 5x36 rolls of Kodak Portra 160 which expired 06/2014.
It has been kept in the fridge since I got it.
I'm going to use it, but could anyone tell me if I need to do anything special with it?
Either at the exposure end, or the processing?
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Gary.

 

[RaglanSurf]

Should be fine, it's barely out of date compared to some of the stuff that gets used on here. The latitude that Portra has will cope with whatever sensitivity it's lost (which is unlikely anyway).

A general rule of thumb for expired film is to allow one extra stop per decade it is OOD, so there's not much to worry about with your stuff.

 

[ChrisR]

I agree with Nick (where have I heard that before???), no need for adjustment on the basis of the small amount of expiry. However, you might benefit from shooting it at a slightly lower exposure anyway, eg 125 or 100, ie slightly over-expose colour negative film.

 

[GHP]

Thanks to both of you.
I had it in my head about the " 1 stop per decade", but then I started doubting it, so needed to confirm.
Thanks again.
Time to use some of it up I think.

Cheers,
Gary.

 

[s162216]

I wouldn't worry, the dates on film are designed to reflect being in warm storage, and as you've kept it in the fridge it'll be fine.

 

[skysh4rk]

I wouldn't worry, the dates on film are designed to reflect being in warm storage

I think that's really only true of consumer films and not the professional-oriented films like Portra.

At any rate, I agree that the Portra 160 will probably be perfectly fine to shoot.

 

[GHP]

Well, I'm hoping to get out and knock off at least a roll this weekend.
So I'll soon find out.
Watch this space !

 

[excalibur2]

I think that's really only true of consumer films and not the professional-oriented films like Portra.

At any rate, I agree that the Portra 160 will probably be perfectly fine to shoot.

Well I don't know if things have change now but in the old days (what I read) e.g. Kodak consumer film for joe public as supplied to shops etc was designed to mature at room temp... so I assume if the film was supplied fresh in say 1996 it reached it's best at 1997 and just off peak at expiry of 1998...but pro film was always to be used fresh and if you went to a good supplier it was out of the fridge.
But I've been using some consumer films now, with expiry of 2000 and have VG results but I'll never know what the same results would have been if used in 2000 i.e. a sorta now and then on the same subject, conditions etc