The OP didn't say anything about Sothern California or Kodak film........don't assume when you type........
Originally Posted by TrespasserWill
The OP didn't say anything about Sothern California or Kodak film........don't assume when you type........
May have to get a heat sealer, as I know ziplock bags aren't perfect. As far as not bagging, of course it's not necessary, just more risk if you don't. I have a dedicated manual freezer for film and paper, my main concern is if it fails and thaws out there will definitely be damage. Even if the film is ok I sure don't want a bunch of soggy boxes. Like I mentioned in previously I've seen what water can do to Ilford 7x17 film. As far as moisture in the air that's never been an issue for me in San Francisco so I don't worry about it.
Roger
One of the main issues with moisture cold storage generally isn't due to what is there when you first put it in storage, but rather what can happen over time if the cold storage space isn't properly climate controlled. If you stick the box in a heavy duty bag, squeeze the air out, seal, and put in a fridge or freezer, then the amount of moisture that can condense out is relatively minimal.
However, when you open the door to your cold storage and let more moisture in? Well that has to condense out on a surface. Then when you open the door again? And again?
Plus there is the flip side to cold storage: Pulling moisture out of the environment. It is very hard to keep a cold humid storage setup after all, due to the whole condensing vapours out of the air, which in turn can allow moisture to leech out of things you're storing.
Really no idea if freezer burn is actually much of a risk with film, but I can't see it being a good thing for it.
Double bagging with a vacuum sealer and letting things slowly warm up to working temp for a day or two before breaking the seal sounds like a fairly reasonable and reliable storage method that wouldn't take much time added to the whole thing if you are planning your needs out in advance.
Just chucking the boxes in a freezer might work most of the time, so does only looking toward the traffic when crossing a one way street. Odds are looking the other way will never actually do anything, but personally my faith in humanity is such that I'll look both ways before stepping out anyway. Why not take such an easy precaution on the off chance that something does go wrong? Sensible precautions against real potential issues and all that.
Its never been a problem anywhere I've lived. I think bagging sealed film is wasted effort. If you are getting soggy boxes you have other problems going on
Modern freezer bags cured the freezer burn (desiccation) issue, but some economy bags are not impervious to air penetration. Get the good stuff and be happy. Some have noted that the automatic freezer defrost cycle is a problem, but I've not found that to be true for my fifteen year-old freezer.Really no idea if freezer burn is actually much of a risk with film, but I can't see it being a good thing for it.
cardboard absorbs moisture.
I don't know when my freezers will fail (they won't run forever) but anything not sealed properly will get saturated.
I seal all of my open boxes (and Ilford)in vacuum sealed bags. I've recently added desiccant packs to them as well for the hell of it. Ziploc bags aren't very reliable.
Most of my film in the freezer is in sealed tubs. Never had a soggy box yet this way plus it is easier to find the film and none of it falls to the floor when I open the upright freezer. that which is not in the tub is placed in zip like plastic bags but are actually soil sampling bags so a little more heavy duty in both the seal and the plastic. In the fridge it is in plastic bags as the film shelf is right below the shelf that holds the milk, juice and wine and I think that if any of those spilled that liquid would come out of them. Sometimes my roll film is in small plastic bags that are just right for 6 rolls of 120 and the bags are free to me as they are refuge from work, contained only plastic that was sterile and the bags fit into my camera bags so that if I am going out shooting I can just take a bag out of the freezer or fridge before hand and the film is all ready to go.
I always double-bag the boxes, but never in Zip-Locks. Always something I can twirl and totally seal. But frankly, a lot depends on whether the film box has an inner heat-sealed foil pouch around the film or not.
A_Tabor - good info, thanks for adding that. sounds like it's worth bagging stuff in most cases.
If you need an inexpensive air-evac bagging system, get one of the units sold for do-it-yourself freeze-drying of vegetables etc. About a hundred bucks with a
supply of heat-seal bags.
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