[LensCollector]

How accurate is the expiry date? How does it break apart when its more or less hermetically sealed and stuffed in a plastic container? Suppose a film roll has July 2005 as an expiry date, how long can it in reality be used for after that date and why is that?

[Bcrary3]

You can use it anywhere in the future as long as it hasn't degraded or been exposed to light, I have some stuff from the late 1990's and early 2000's to use up yet, you will probably get some interesting results from it, but there is only one way to find out! Your film should be just fine to use. But use a roll or a couple of exposures, process it, and see what you get, but don't use it for anything super important, in case it does give odd results.

[LesDMess]

You can use it anywhere in the future as long as it hasn't degraded or been exposed to light, I have some stuff from the late 1990's and early 2000's to use up yet, you will probably get some interesting results from it, but there is only one way to find out! Your film should be just fine to use. But use a roll or a couple of exposures, process it, and see what you get, but don't use it for anything super important, in case it does give odd results.

I agree.

Much like everything else with an expiry date, there will be no guarantees especially when storage conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) are unaccounted for. Other factors are: slide or negative, ISO speed.

For instance, in 2010 I bought really cheap a box of >100 rolls of grossly expired film - Kodak Ektar 125 expired 4/1992. I understand it was stored in the garage in Atlanta, GA for years,





So I shot a roll under varying exposures - as I do for all the film I use, and you can see the results below.




I have since shot a few more rolls from the box - now stored in my garage, and get results as shown below.

[Bcrary3]

I think for the stuff you have there, the -1 looks pretty good! Really love the photo of the water.

but that is really the only way to test it, is to try it out, see what works and what doesn't.

[LesDMess]

I also have film in my fridge that have been expired for years that I continue to use with no visible issues.

[gofour3]

The issue with buying expired film is not that it’s expired, but how it was stored since purchased.

If it was freezer kept then it will be “fresh” basically forever. If it was not freezer kept then you will need to shoot a test roll to see what shape the film is in. Most likely it will be fine, but……

Unfortunately if you buy expired film from eBay you are taking a chance.

Phil.

[Bcrary3]

Is there a big difference between storing it in a refrigerator and a freezer?

[gofour3]

Is there a big difference between storing it in a refrigerator and a freezer?

The colder the temperature the longer the film will keep fresh.

Kodak/Fuji have film technical publications that indicate the recommend short and long term storing temperatures of each specific film. Checkout their web sites.

I freeze film that I’m not going to use within 6 months and film that will be used in the short term I store in the fridge. When my fridge film runs out I move some from the freezer down to the fridge.

Example Kodak recommends their b&w film is stored at temperatures below:

Storage up to 2 months @ 24C/75F
Storage up to 6 months @ 16C/60F
Storage up to 12 months @ 10C/50F

Motion picture films at 13C/55F for up to 3 months, longer storage at -18 to -23C (0 to -10F)


Phil.

[LensCollector]

Wow the feed back here is incredible.

Thanks people.

[Davep]

Sorry to thread jack, but a somewhat related question.

If film has been stored cold, is there not a danger of condensation occurring when you bring it out to use it?

[arnold]

Sorry to thread jack, but a somewhat related question.

If film has been stored cold, is there not a danger of condensation occurring when you bring it out to use it?

Just make sure you take the package out early enough for the still sealed container to warm up to ambient temperature. Once warm, nothing will condense on the film when you open the container.