Freezer for Film

[gary892]

I have been looking for a small freezer to store film in and I think I found one at a garage sale, just need input for all the folks that use freezers for this purpose.

The freezer is one that is used in a store to sell ice cream. It has two sliding glass panels on the top.
One panel slides under the other to gain access to ice cream bars.

My concern in that moisture might get in when the panels are closed even though the seals look good.

Any feedback is welcome.

I might add, I am a cheap ass, and the price of $50.00 is at the top of my budget for this.


Thanks

Gary

[Tin Can]

Don't those old freezers require frequent defrosting?

Won't an old and perhaps unreliable freezer use more juice than a modern one?

As I am interested in one also, I have been looking at scratch and dent sale items, but have not yet, got very excited.

Let's see what advice we both get!

I have been looking for a small freezer to store film in and I think I found one at a garage sale, just need input for all the folks that use freezers for this purpose.

The freezer is one that is used in a store to sell ice cream. It has two sliding glass panels on the top.
One panel slides under the other to gain access to ice cream bars.

My concern in that moisture might get in when the panels are closed even though the seals look good.

Any feedback is welcome.

I might add, I am a cheap ass, and the price of $50.00 is at the top of my budget for this.


Thanks

Gary

[Rob Vinnedge]

Save your money for another month or two and buy a new, small chest freezer for around $200. They stay cold, even with the lid opened, and use very little electricity. They are also dark!

[Marc B.]

Do you have a few universities near you?
School is coming to an end, and the kids will be selling off most of their bulkier dorm items.
Dorm size refrigerators abound this time of year. Remember, it's heat...that is the enemy of film.
So, for film preservation, there's actually very little difference between frozen and...really, really cold.

Marc

[Will Frostmill]

The only thing I'd watch out for is one that automatically defrosts - heating & cooling cycles are not going to be good for your film.

[Alan Gales]

My aunt and uncle own a condominium. They also owned a condo for their daughter while she was in college. When their daughter married and moved out they were surprised how much their electric bill was for the vacant condo. The only thing using electricity was the old refrigerator.

Forget a bargain and buy something new and efficient. It will save you money in the long run because refrigerators use a lot of energy.

[gth]

Hmmm, trusting maybe thousands of $$ of film to a $50 freezer is probably not a good idea. Costco and the like usually have small freezers at $200-$300.

Lately I have also noted at home depot that they have upright freezers at some $400. Easy access to inventory and small foot print.

[photobymike]

Depending on how long you are planning on saving your film, the freezer may not be the best answer. The most important environment for film is storage without humidity changes. If you want to keep film for longer than ten years, then I would consider freezing. When film is manufactured the emulsion has a relative humidity level standard that has to be maintained. Too low and the emulsion cracks and to high it rots and excepts gasses that interact with the emulsion. There is a whole list of gases that really are quite common, if you want a list email me. Basically everything in the kitchen and the garage will effect the emulsion if the emulsion humidity gets to high. So seal your film no matter how you store it. Then the type of base is also consideration, acetate film base, emulsion cracking can occur but not so much of a problem. Estar or polyestar based film, well have you ever developed a roll of film that looks like a spring that cannot be straitened? well that means too dry or low humidity. Freezing very much can change the humidity level of the emulsion of your film emulsion, which you really want to avoid.

PS under no circumstances would i consider freezing Polaroid film. When the chemical pods freeze they expand and break thru the there container ....well its a mess.....

[Jac@stafford.net]

Some freezers do not achieve advertized low temperatures.
Look to Consumer Reports for some good information.

[Tin Can]

Good explanations.

I can't freeze my film, but I do store it at 36F.

Paper is ambient.

I have heard that cold storage is a bit of a hoax at camera stores. Like, they keep the front sales desk film chilled, but the back storage room is ambient.

I am sure nobody ships bulk film chilled, I doubt Coors beer is kept cold from factory to sales shelf. Coors used to claim that.

Not enough freezers for my expired film.

Depending on how long you are planning on saving your film, the freezer may not be the best answer. The most important environment for film is storage without humidity changes. If you want to keep film for longer than ten years, then I would consider freezing. When film is manufactured the emulsion has a relative humidity level standard that has to be maintained. Too low and the emulsion cracks and to high it rots and excepts gasses that interact with the emulsion. There is a whole list of gases that really are quite common, if you want a list email me. Basically everything in the kitchen and the garage will effect the emulsion if the emulsion humidity gets to high. So seal your film no matter how you store it. Then the type of base is also consideration, acetate film base, emulsion cracking can occur but not so much of a problem. Estar or polyestar based film, well have you ever developed a roll of film that looks like a spring that cannot be straitened? well that means too dry or low humidity. Freezing very much can change the humidity level of the emulsion of your film emulsion, which you really want to avoid.

PS under no circumstances would i consider freezing Polaroid film. When the chemical pods freeze they expand and break thru the there container ....well its a mess.....