Out Of Date film ...Dare we buy it?, How do we expose it? Will it work? Is it worth a punt?......

Asha

Asha

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Asha
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Answer: Depends on a load of factors but if i can get results out of a roll of Ilford Selechrome which expired in march 1949 then I think most film past it's date( b&w anyway) is worth shooting so long as you shoot with an open mind of the potential results.

I got mixed results with this roll as I allowed what i believed would be suitable compensation ony to find that it massively overexposed and has basically only deteriorated in speed by 1 or two stops maximum in 66 years!!!

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That is a really surprisingly good result. I would also have overexposed the film, probable more than you did.

I wonder how an early digital camera will do in 66 years.
 
Ron-M said:
That is a really surprisingly good result. I would also have overexposed the film, probable more than you did.

I wonder how an early digital camera will do in 66 years.
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Do digi cameras still function correctly even after 6 years ? :exit::D

I've shot and or developed lots of old film ...Generally to allow one stop for each decade OOD works fairly well.

This film was classed as fast in its day with a rating of between 50 and 80 asa so based on those calculations I would have been shooting at an iso of 1 :wideyed:

As it is, I allowed between three and four stops compensation believing I would be struggling with blocked shadows, but it turns out i cud have shot it just a stop or so slower than box speed and got good results.
 
As to the first question in post #5, I can honestly say yes! Both my original DSLR (a D70) and my first digi compact work just as well as the day they were purchased - as do my film bodies which are rather older.
 
I think no. 4 really shows a great range of tones, and definitely would be a fine result even for film half that age! I'm thinking of sorting out the film in my fridge and this would give me confidence to offer it to others, rather than binning it. :thinking:
 
I would and have happily shot old film, though for the life of me can never remember if I am meant to over or underexpose it when I actually have it with me in a camera, it is one of those weird things I have a total mental block about.
 
Yv said:
I would and have happily shot old film, though for the life of me can never remember if I am meant to over or underexpose it when I actually have it with me in a camera, it is one of those weird things I have a total mental block about.
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I think the conventional wisdom is that it will lose a bit of speed and would then need a bit more exposure. Possibly worth trying stand or semi-stand development at box speed to see what you get before taking important photos.
 
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Yv said:
I would and have happily shot old film, though for the life of me can never remember if I am meant to over or underexpose it when I actually have it with me in a camera, it is one of those weird things I have a total mental block about.
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Always lean towards over exposure....tbh that applies to just about any négative print film be it colour or b&w.
Unlike digital, if you over expose neg film you can usually still obtain détail in thé highlights.
If you under expose film there will be no détail registered in thé shadows ....fine if you want silhouette!
Remember meter for the shadows, thé highlights will generally look after thermselves.

Be aware though if you try reversal film then all the above re metering is b****x :D
 
With a few trips coming up I checked through the fridge earlier in the week and most of my stock appears to be OOD! Worst was some Agfachrome 1000RS which went past it's best in 1995. Fast slide film 20 years OOD might be tricky!

Taking advantage of the Ilford offer code posted elsewhere on these pages thirty rolls of FP4 are on their way to correct the balance

M
 
Peter B said:
! I'm thinking of sorting out the film in my fridge and this would give me confidence to offer it to others, rather than binning it. :thinking:
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Don't bin it!!! I'll av it! :D
 
Just for anyone who may be curious as to the film used, here's a pic

Amongst ann array of old films of different formats, there's another roll in my stocks on a 620 spool along with a panchromatic kodak 120 film dated 1951


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ohhh.... just a thought, I have a box brownie still with a roll of film in it from lord knows how many years ago, I think the shutter mechanism packed up part way through the roll and it was banished to my friends loft. I know it has been opened since, so film is likely as not ruined, but wonder if I should pop it in t'bag with others that will be going off this week... worth the couple of quid developing or not?
 
I don't, any more. I manage to muck up in-date film enough, it's not worth adding another set of variables to go wrong! :D I recently offloaded a load of old rolls onto a friend, who has recently got into experimenting with toy cameras, plastic lenses, the Recesky etc.
 
Yv said:
Nerh nerh ne nerrrrrhhhhh, my Dads bigger and meaner than yours @Asha AND he has a big hammer :p
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IIWY, I'd aim a daughter at him - either would probably do the job!!! ;)
 
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Carl Hall said:
Wow nice! And I worry about using film that's 2-3 years out of date :LOL:
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Same here, though this thread has contributed to my pulling the trigger on a box of expired 5x4 Fuji 160NS. It's only a couple of years out of date and the seller claims it's been fridged so I'll try it at box speed first. :)
 
Strappy said:
Same here, though this thread has contributed to my pulling the trigger on a box of expired 5x4 Fuji 160NS. It's only a couple of years out of date and the seller claims it's been fridged so I'll try it at box speed first. :)
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If it's called 160NS, which is just 160S with a new name, then it should be fine provided it wasn't stored in an oven. I've been using mostly expired film of late, including some 160S and lots of Portra NC/VC varieties, and it's all fine. I usually just try to keep to film that expired in this millennium.

I also have a lot of fresh 160NS sitting in the fridge and freezer though. I'm just waiting for it to age. ;)
 
Strappy said:
Same here, though this thread has contributed to my pulling the trigger on a box of expired 5x4 Fuji 160NS. It's only a couple of years out of date and the seller claims it's been fridged so I'll try it at box speed first. :)
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From Finland may i ask?.....cos that's where my ood box came from last week:p

Édit....i just seen your other thread. I haven't opened my box yet ....its in thé fridge!
 
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i often get old film sent in, I've done some Trifca today that i think predated C41 and got a fine set of BW negs out of it.
 
MOD EDIT: Put a want ad. in the classifieds if you wish to source items/trade, rather than posting in a normal thread - especially one where 2 moderators have already posted and are getting notifications...
 
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macvisual said:
MOD EDIT: Put a want ad. in the classifieds if you wish to source items/trade, rather than posting in a normal thread - especially one where 2 moderators have already posted and are getting notifications...
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Presumably i'm missing something here......
 
RumpFace said:
i often get old film sent in, I've done some Trifca today that i think predated C41 and got a fine set of BW negs out of it.
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Funnily enough i was mooching about on ebay yesterday and a 'vintage' roll came up with the advice 'cannot be processed, not c41' - to which i could only think, yeah right, bet the fabulous & classic lot would have something to say about that! :lol:
 
skysh4rk said:
Peter's post was deleted and replaced with instructions from one of the moderators.
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Ah OK thanks for explaining as i wondered why thread had adopted a shade of pukish green :D
 
Yv said:
Funnily enough i was mooching about on ebay yesterday and a 'vintage' roll came up with the advice 'cannot be processed, not c41' - to which i could only think, yeah right, bet the fabulous & classic lot would have something to say about that! :lol:
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Nowt better to do than mooch on ebay eh......now i know why i never get bargains cos you lot are ALL moochin ahead of me !:D
 
RumpFace said:
i often get old film sent in, I've done some Trifca today that i think predated C41 and got a fine set of BW negs out of it.
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i just sent 2x rolls to you of kodak vericolour III expired 1993 :-)
 
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