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Van Gelder Patrick
22-Jun-2005, 05:55
Hello,
I have some boxes ilford delta 100 film (4x5") but the expiring date is june 2002 !
Can i still use the film ? The boxes are still sealed , never opened.
I even have some planfilm ap15 (asa25) from 2000 !

Thanks for any replies.

Patrick.

Emmanuel BIGLER
22-Jun-2005, 06:08
No problem. You can use them. But you will not be able to complain to the manufacturer if the results are not up to your expectations;-)
There are numerous positive records of using outdated film. B&W is supposed to be very robust w/respect to the official "expiry" date.
So be confindent and use this B&W film without any question.
My deep freezer is well stocked in discontinued APX 25. And I still have 2 rolls of "expired" Kodachrome 25 just nearby. So I do not even read the expiry date for those films ;-)
You can deep freeze unopened boxes of expired film as you wish and forget about expiry date. opened boxes of cut-film are not supposed to be easy to re-freeze due to potential condensation problems ,-)

Terence McDonagh
22-Jun-2005, 07:48
In case anyone is ever worried about old film, please see the attached page from a fellow over on the classic camera forum at photo.net. He developed film that came with a junk store camera. The photos are from 1945/46. I wish some of my pictures could come out this well. And this is despite not knowing the emulsion (bulk film) and having to guess at the development.

http://westfordcomp.com/foundfilm/argusa/argusa-3/index3.htm

I use expired film all the time with very little problem. Occassionally there is some increased base fog, but that's on film 5 years old. 2 or 3 years wouldn't bother me at all. Maybe overdevelop by half a stop, but otherwise have fun.

paulr
22-Jun-2005, 09:01
This is a relevent thread for me ... last night i loaded a ton of holders and then realized i grabbed the wrong box of film ... it was TMX from 11 years ago (!) It's been stored in the fridge, not the freezer.

I have a box of fresh film handy, also. Is it worth it to reload with the new stuff, or should I take my chances? If the only risks are base fog, I don't care. But if there's a chance the film has lost speed or gotten weird in any way, then I don't want to risk it.

Terence McDonagh
22-Jun-2005, 11:18
Much of the film I've been using recently is almost 7 years past date and there's a little lost contrast, but the speed seems just about the same. As mentioned, I increase development time of a few sheets of the less important shots to adjust my development time, but rarely more than a half stop. I have used film more than ten years old (unrefrigerated to the best of my knowledge) and again, the contrast is a little lower, but not enough to bother me much. If I was organized I might use it for portraits instead of landscapes, but I'm just not that organized. I routinely buy short-dated and expired b&w film.

I say go for it unless you're going on a once in a lifetime sort of trip.

Color film is completely different. I've had color shifts from film only a year or two out of date. Luckily I almost never shoot color.

paulr
22-Jun-2005, 11:59
might actually be perfect. i'm doing a project of night photographs in the city, so lower contrast might help.

Mike Chini
22-Jun-2005, 15:18
Paul-

I've been photographing here in NYC at night for a few years intermittently and recently lost my shooting partner and was wondering if you're looking for someone. For that matter, anyone else in NYC too...

Thanks,
MC

Daniel Morgan
22-Jun-2005, 15:30
I just bought a large variety of expired film off eBay for really cheap.

100 Sheets of Plus-X from 1988
75 Sheets of T-Max 400 from 2001
25 Sheets of Super-XX from 1973

I am not sure what I will get from the film, but I figured for the price the T-max would atleast still be useful, and with some experimentation I could get something out of the Plus-X and the Super XX

Daniel Morgan
22-Jun-2005, 15:35
Mike,

I don't live in NYC, but I could easily catch a train for $25. Although I couldn't be a frequent partner, I would love to go on a photo excursion some time.

Jon Wilson
23-Jun-2005, 00:03
You might truly be surprised at some of the old B&W sheet film. I picked up 75 8x10 sheets of Hammer film which is at least 70 yrs old. After determining the proper ISO rating at 20, it produces some nice contact prints. I can't wait to try some portraits w/ my old Wollensak Versar.

Daniel Morgan
23-Jun-2005, 00:31
That reminds me, I have no clue what ISO Super-XX is supposed to be rated at.

Does anyone know what the ISO is and have development times for it in either HC-110 Dil B or Pyro PMK?

Mark Sampson
23-Jun-2005, 07:23
Super-XX had a speed of 200. If your film is from '73 I'd expect a speed loss, and some fogging form poor storage and/or cosmic ray exposure. So the book times won't be much help. Take a look at the Azo forum at michaelandpaula.com, Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee are the last users of Super-XX. They bought a lifetime supply for themselves when Kodak discontinued it back around 1992.