storing fim in hot weather

[Raven Garrow]

Do I understand correctly that I should store my film in the fridge when the wea ther is hot? I use T-Max. Should I keep the film in a cooler when going to the s hore on those hot days? What temp. should the fridge be? And what about condensa ton? How do you know when the film is up to room temp?

[David_892]

One thing to try is to buy one of those cheapo cool boxes you can get from Halfords or other such auto parts and accessory shops. Then get some bags of silica gel or othe such moisture absorbing stuff and place them in the box, around your film (which you take out the day before to ensure it is fully warmed up, or atleast a couple of hours any way). The cool box should keep the temperature constant for a good few hours.

[Wayne]

I store film in ammo boxes I bought froma surplus store. they are water-tight, and clamp tightly closed. I use them in the refrigerator at home, and since they are water tight, I also use them on trips. I can just put them right in a cooler full of ice. I allow a couple hours or so for them to warm up before opening them, if I have open boxes of film in there. These can also be used to store loaded 4x5 sheet film holders, they provide excellent dust protection as well. IMO, It isnt practical to keep your film cool on a day trip to the beach, because you're going to have to warm it up anyway if you want to shoot it.

[Bruce M. Herman]

Modern films tolerate high temperatures much better than the older films. Two things to avoid are 1) leaving the film in the truck of a car parked in the sun, unless you have it packed in a cooler with something cold, and 2) taking it from a cooler and using it before it reaches the dew point temperature in humid places, such as on a beach. Note that this is usually less than ambient temperature unless you have either fog or very humid conditions. If you won't have the film in the trunk of your car, I wouldn't worry about keeping it cold for a week long trip. But if you do cool it, just wait until the holders feel about the same temperature as other plastic items. The film may still be colder, but the odds are that it won't be so cold as to allow condensation.

Longer term storage at home in the refrigerator: 55 deg F or colder. I have a large chest freezer and keep my film there just because it has more free space than my refrigerator. You can contact Kodak at their web site for more information.

Here's something you may not have considered. If you work late into the evening, when it's a bit damp, your bellows will absorb a fair amount of moisture. The next morning, while you're working in the sun, they'll be heated and release this moisture. It will condense on the rear element of your lens AND ON YOUR FILM. If you see moisture on the rear element, remove the bellows, or at least the lens, and allow the moisture to evaporate before proceding.

Bruce