Exposed Film Question

[mickeysaver]

Ok, smart guys.....tell me please how long exposed film that has not be developed would be good for. Say that the film has been kept at room temp roughly two years post exposure. Would the answer vary from a diposable camera vs Advantix APS film? TIA Maggie

 

[Brisully]

Well, I haven't shot film in a while, but there are a few factors to take into consideration. The visual effects of expired film vary. I've used some film years past its expiration date and had no color shift at all, whereas other film types lose their qualities quickly. The effects of film breakdown are more visible in higher-speed films than lower because grains are bigger and more responsive to light. So, any shifts in that responsiveness will be more apparent.

The difference betwen a disposable camera and an Advantix camera should be negligible, but to be safe, I would not use either of those rolls of film if possible. I would hate to miss a memorable shot because my film is a few years old.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Well if my wife is any indication, a few years doesn't appear to matter. She has a tendency to shoot film then save it for a great sale on developing. We found 2 rolls that had been in the cupboard for at least 5 years. We had them developed at a lab and explained that these were long lost pictures from who knows when. They took great care of us and did have to adjust the color spectrum and they turned out pretty well. The biggest problem for us was trying to figure out which one of the kids were in the picture and where it was from. It was like trying to remember the names of your first grade teacher.

Oh, and Brian is the smart one. I'm the other guy.

Jeff

 

[MICKEY88]

another factor is the overall age of the film...if it was near expiration when you used it there would be more of a color shift than if the expiration date was 2 years from the time you exposed it..

the only way to tell for sure is to have it developed and printed..

 

[mickeysaver]

Thanks for the info. You just gave me reason to hope that the film from our last trip, that we found and thought was lost forever, just might be worth developing. Thank you! Maggie

 

[WillCAD]

I once had a roll of Kodak 400ISO 35mm that was half shot and left in a camera for two years after I bought a new camera. Then I found the old camera, shot the rest of the roll, and had it developed.

The roll turned out quite normal; I saw no odd color shifts or any other abnormalities (beyond the normal tendency that Kodak film has for washing out colors and turning blue skies gray).

Remember that when storing film, either exposed or raw, HEAT is your biggest enemy. Some professional photographers even keep film in the referigerator, although Kodak says that's only nessecary when the ambient temp goes above 24C (75F). Moisture is also a danger to film, so make sure to store all your film, exposed or raw, in the plastic canisters and in a cool, dry spot.

 

[MICKEY88]

I once had a roll of Kodak 400ISO 35mm that was half shot and left in a camera for two years after I bought a new camera. Then I found the old camera, shot the rest of the roll, and had it developed.

The roll turned out quite normal; I saw no odd color shifts or any other abnormalities (beyond the normal tendency that Kodak film has for washing out colors and turning blue skies gray).

Remember that when storing film, either exposed or raw, HEAT is your biggest enemy. Some professional photographers even keep film in the referigerator, although Kodak says that's only nessecary when the ambient temp goes above 24C (75F). Moisture is also a danger to film, so make sure to store all your film, exposed or raw, in the plastic canisters and in a cool, dry spot.

professionals store film in the refrigerator because they are using professional film.

professional film is made differently.

all film goes thru chemical changes throughout it's lifetime... film made for the average photographer, such as you find at K-mart,walmart.etc, is manufactured with an average 2 year life span, the optimum time to use it is in the middle of that 2 years, for best color balance....

professional film such as VPS is manufactured to be near the optimum color balance at the beginning. keeping it refrigerated slows the chemical changes and keeps it at the optimum longer.

when keeping film refrigerated it's best to keep it sealed in the package or at least in the plastic film canister, remove it from refrigeration 24 hours before use if possible and leave it come up to room temperature before opening the canister to prevent condensation on the film..

 

[Geoff_M]

Latent images on exposed film can last for years, or even decades. Here's a guy that made a hobby of processing old exposed film left in long dis-used cameras: http://westfordcomp.com/updated/found.htm These are all B&W, and color is more complex and subject to color shifting, but it still gives you the idea.

 

[WillCAD]

That's a really cool site Geoff. I love looking at those old photos.