Old E6 film

[Ellen Stoune Duralia]

Hi everyone!

A friend of mine gave me a whole bunch of expired E6 film to use while I'm learning how to use my new Horseman. Should I expose as normal or compensate +/- ? It'll be processed at a lab; Should I request push or pull processing?

Thanks for the help :-D

Oh, forgot to mention - the film is all Fuji quickload.

[Diane Maher]

How expired is it? I have been shooting some expired E6 velvia (exp. 1/2000) and other than the occasional magenta tinge along the edge in the sky (which if I was printing or scanning, would be cropped out) I haven't had any problems with just shooting as normal and having the lab process it that way.

[David A. Goldfarb]

No one can really answer this question without testing the film. Expose a test shot and have it processed, and that will give you the answer.

If it's Quickload, it's probably not that old, so unless it's been treated harshly or spent too many days in the trunk of a hot car, it might be fine.

[Ellen Stoune Duralia]

It's dated 4-2002 and has been kept in a freezer. I'll shoot some of it and see how it goes :-)

[Ted Harris]

Ellen,

Film dated 4-2002 that has been frozen should work as new. I have Astia and Velvia quickloads in my freezer in some quantity that are that old and older and they shoot the same as in date film.

Color film that has been frozen for all or most of its life will generally give you excellent performance (e.g. no noticable fogging or color shift) for at least 5 years beyond the expiration date and frequently several more years. As you approach 10 years it starts to get iffy as gamma radiation starts to have an effect.

[Gary J. McCutcheon]

Ellen,

This may seem a trivial point as you've probably already thought of it, but remember to thaw out the film before using it. Set it out overnight or give it several hours to come up to room temp. before using it. Keep it in its box to prevent condensation formation. This should eliminate film speed problems etc.

Gary

[Ellen Stoune Duralia]

Gary, for a LF newbie like me, no point is too trivial :-)

So can you defrost the film in the microwave??





Kidding!! LOL Just kidding!

[chris jordan]

The CJ method for defrosting film also works well: If you forget to put the film out to defrost in advance, then take the box out of the freezer and put it against your bare stomach and tuck in your shirt while trying not to wake the neighbors with your yelps. After five minutes, flip it over for another five and you're good to go.