10 year old film usability

[Jim Andrada]

Just stumbled on my unfrozen stash of 8 x 10 expired film and wondering how much degradation I should expect. Expiration dates are mostly 8 - 10 years ago. Storage was at regular room temp.

Films are TMX400,Tri-x 320, Efke PL 25 M (50 sheets), Efke PL 25 ORT.

Also found a 100 sheet box of Fujicolour Crystal Archive Glossy

Also a couple of partial boxes of mixed speeds of 8 x 10 Portra exp 2010 +/-

Yeah, I know - "Just try it. and see." but now being a power wheelchair driver wrestling with the 8 x 10 Kardan Bi might be a tad beyond my capabilities at the moment. So best guesses welcome!

Oh yeah - there are a couple of boxes of 5 x 7 Fuji Acros as well

Edit: On the other hand if you think the results would be reasonably close to normal I might be tempted to get someone help with schlepping the camera about.

[xkaes]

Would taking one sheet and cutting it down into smaller sections or strips be an option for simple testing purposes? The main issue will be how much fog is present, and can it be controlled. You don't need full sheet exposure -- or any at all -- to figure that out. The issue is how much fog is created through development. All you need are bits of film and a developer.

[Vaughn]

There is a good chance that all B&W will be good...perhaps a little bit of base fog on some of it. I've used older kept similar.

[Mark Sampson]

I've recently tested some 4x5 Tri-X that expired in 1974. Fog has driven the speed down to EI 25 or so, but it still looks good. I was very surprised.
The color, well, who knows?
Jim, I have built a darkroom since last we met. If you do expose some b/w test sheets, I will happily process and proof them for you.

[Jim Andrada]

Thanks - I should have thought of the test strips. Duhhhhhh. 10 months of looking at white ceilings in a hospital does bad things to one's mental processes - seriously. Probably should fix out one undeveloped strip and one developed strip. My guess would be that the Efke is slow enough to show little or no degradation and the faster film might be a bit worse but probably OK. Color film might be more of a crapshoot. This would be easier if I had a darkroom, but I don't.

To be honest, I'm debating using some and/or selling some, but I wouldn't want to sell something that would be below reasonable expectation. Not trying to advertise, just looking for inputs at this point.

[Jim Andrada]

Hi Mark - thanks for the kind offer. I posted before seeing your post. I might take you up on it.

[Mark J]

I recently found 20-year old HP5+ to be significantly fogged and not worth using ; it had been in a freezer for about 17 of the 20 years and in a room-temperature cupboard for 3 .

[xkaes]

I recently found 20-year old HP5+ to be significantly fogged and not worth using ; it had been in a freezer for about 17 of the 20 years and in a room-temperature cupboard for 3 .

Just a note to everyone else. Just because film is "significantly fogged" does not mean that it is useless. Not only are there ways to deal with fog, we all have our own standards. What may be unacceptable or too much work for one shutterbug might be perfectly fine for someone else's purposes.

[j.e.simmons]

I'm still shooting from a case of TMX that expired in 1995.

[tundra]

I routinely use monochrome film that is 20-30 years old. I've found that semistand processing it in Pyrocat-HD is particularly useful (if clumsy). I suspect the color film will be less well preserved.

The issue is what "room temp" means. Heat is the enemy of film over time.