Ultra-cold film storage ok?

[John Schneider]

My wife said "no more film in the fridge," so I keep most of it in the lab. Our lab fridge is down, but there's plenty of space in the -80C (-112F) freezer. Will film survive this cold, as long as I allow 1-2 days to thaw before use?

[eric black]

at those extreme temperatures I would worry about the emulsion and base differentially contracting to the point they could possibly seperate- also, the mylar (plastic base) could get brittle (crystallize) at that low a temperature and fracture from shock. This would likely be a short timeline problem that could be tested with a few sheets prior to submitting all of your film to that type of treatment. Im almost to that point with my wife- the solution will probably be a chest freezer in the garage.

[Brian Stein]

For a relatively short period I think there should be no problem. This is based on experiences with x-ray film: for certain molecular biology procedures one places a slightly radioactive piece of paper next to x-ray film and sticks it in the -80 for a day or 3 before developing. This is done with monotonous regularity in any lab, and the film doesnt separate. The average grad student also cant seem to fracture the stuff when typically taking it out of the -80, trudging down the hall and feeding directly into an automated processor complete with lots of rollers.
Leaving it in there for the long term? Dunno. Suspect it would be ok myself.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

For a relatively short period I think there should be no problem. This is based on experiences with x-ray film: for certain molecular biology procedures one places a slightly radioactive piece of paper next to x-ray film and sticks it in the -80 for a day or 3 before developing. This is done with monotonous regularity in any lab, and the film doesnt separate. The average grad student also cant seem to fracture the stuff when typically taking it out of the -80, trudging down the hall and feeding directly into an automated processor complete with lots of rollers.
Leaving it in there for the long term? Dunno. Suspect it would be ok myself.

Been there, done that- I was doing northern blots with monotonous regularity for years in grad school! Just let the film warm up slowly to room temperature to avoid condensation and you'll be fine.

[CG]

Given Brian Vuillemenot's caution to let things warm slowly when you are ready to shoot, the colder the storage, the better, in terms of keeping film in best condition for long periods.

C