Freezing versus Refrigerating Film

[Doug Meek]

The previous thread got me curious about something. I don't have room in my freezer, so I keep my film (Velvia Quickloads and E100VS Readyloads) in my refrigerator instead. Do any of you know how long past expiration I can still use my film for without any color shifts or other undesirable changes? I bought all of the film new and have kept it refrigerated from day one. The only time it's been out of the refrigerator is for 3 or 4 days at a time when I've taken it on trips. Basically what I'm asking is how good is refrigerating film as opposed to freezing it. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Philippe Gauthier]

Well, pro color film should normally be kept in the fridge all the time and the expiration date is based on the assumption that you will. So keeping the film cool doesn't guarantee you that it will stay fresh beyond this date. On the other hand, film companies tend to err on the careful side when deciding the expiration date, so you should be OK for six months or more after, especially if the color balance is not 100% critical. Old E6 film tends to have a sliht magenta cast.

Note that you don't have to be paranoid with keeping your film cool: if you keep your Velvia at room temperature for three weeks while travelling, I doubt you will notice any significant color changes. But the rule does apply for extended strorage times.