B&W films in fridge - how long?

[Pawlowski6132]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

[Sal Santamaura]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

The OP started this thread one month after Kodak announced (February 2010) the discontinuation of 320TXP in 120 rolls. There would be only a fixed period of time after that to purchase more than the OP already had on hand before existing stock was sold out. It would not have been possible for the OP to just buy additional rolls of 320TXP as needed after that.

Early last year I purchased and have stored in our freezer more than 2,000 5x7 sheets of 320TXP as a "doomsday supply." Since then, Kodak declared bankruptcy and the future availability of its film products has become less certain. Even if one can continue to buy 320TXP sheets in the future, branded "Kodak" or something else, the street price to replace what I have is now more than 40% higher than what I paid for it. A good enough reason to stockpile all by itself.

As for freshness, even though classic 0.1 above film base + fog exposure index of 320TXP sheets processed using XTOL 1+3 in a Jobo comes in at 640 for me, I shoot it at 320 to get off the toe. Therefore, despite the inevitable increase in base fog due to cosmic radiation over time, I'm not anticipating any problem printing from negatives on this film, even those exposed and processed 20-25 years in the future. At worst, I might have to expose at 250 or 200 instead of 320.

[Kevin M Bourque]

In general, fast films fog more quickly than slow, however they're stored. I recently discovered a few rolls of Panatomic X that had been stored at room temperature since the day it was made. It shot it and developed it and it looked great. Hardly any fog at all.

As previously noted, chemistry slows down in the cold, so a small chest freezer in the garage is a great idea (provided you have a garage, of course). I keep all my film and paper in one. Occasionally someone asks about how often you can freeze and thaw paper or film. Neither one freezes (changes state) like we think of water freezing, at least not in a freezer you'd buy from Lowe's. These materials don't freeze or thaw, they just get cold and warm. As far as I can tell, the repeated change in temperature makes no difference at all. After all, film still works perfectly well below 0C; in fact, astronomers used to chill it it increase sensitivity.

Batteries last longer in the freezer, too. They can keep the film and paper company.

[Sal Santamaura]

...Occasionally someone asks about how often you can freeze and thaw paper or film. Neither one freezes (changes state) like we think of water freezing, at least not in a freezer you'd buy from Lowe's. These materials don't freeze or thaw, they just get cold and warm. As far as I can tell, the repeated change in temperature makes no difference at all...

It's not quite that simple. See the discussion about water content and glass transition temperature of gelatin here:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/subz...emp_and_RH.pdf.

I've confidently stored my unopened packages of 5x7 320TXP in our freezer compartment because Kodak delivers the film in vapor-seal envelopes that were closed under low humidity conditions. Opened packages, as well as paper and Ilford film (which come in unsealed plastic inner bags), go only in the refrigerator compartment.

[ic-racer]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

+1

[Lachlan 717]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

Because I shoot ULF. Ilford only runs its special order once a year, so I don't have that privilege.

[Gary Tarbert]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

because everything i liked using has been discontinued in the last year .cheers gary

[BetterSense]

Why not just buy film and paper as you need t so it's always fresh????????

I shoot both TMX and TMY. Now that I have a kid, if I buy a 50 sheet box of each, it can easily take me 2 years to shoot it all up.

[Gary L. Quay]

I have Konica IR film in my freezer that expired in 1991. It's been frozen the entire time, except for when it was shipped to me in 2009. I've shot 2 rolls. They're fog free. I freeze everything except for a small stash of roll film that I keep in the fridge for emergencies.

--Gary

[Lungeh]

http://static.photo.net/attachments/...-233025684.jpg
Kodak Royal Pan, manufactured 1954 and shot/developed in 2010. This box had storage ranging from indifferent to unknown for 50 years. I did use some benzotriazole, though, and exposed at asa 20 or so.