Expiration Dates?

[John Grunke]

Does anyone have any info. regarding how expiration dates are established. Recently my trusty photo shop was out of my standard choice of 4x5 and offered up some out of date for 1/2 the price. After testing on a shoot that I could easily reshoot if, Heaven forbid, it was bad stuff. The results looked great for film that was $60 less than normal price. By the way I was using 40m20y for 6min.@f32 under flourscents to be scanned and shopped for the web. So I am obligated to give the absolute best starting trans possible. What does age of film affect first, affect most? Hummmm! now where is that spellchcek button? Can 10yr old film that was stored properly give satisfactory results for 8x10 contacts, for enlargments? Yes I'm planning many try it&sees........

[Kevin Crisp]

John: It depends, in my experience. Freezing vs. refrigerating makes a big difference with B&W film. Frozen, I've had film that expired 12 years or more ago (i.e., purchased 14 years before expiration) and it was fine. Refrigeration helps but isn't as effective as preventing fogging. Color film is another story. With transparency material even if frozen going even 12 months past the use date has provided unsatisfactory results. How many hours of your time are worth risking for the sake of the 1/2 off savings?

[Julio Fernandez]

Kevin: that has not been my experience with colour film. I have Fuji and Kodak transparency and negative film frozen in a deep freezer that I tested after about 6 years in the freezer and it was like new. It is of utmost importance however never to open the film from its sealed plastic foil before freezing. Once opened it can not be frozen.

[Kevin Crisp]

My biggest disappointment was with Velvia that had been frozen, perhaps this is not representative.