[JensE]

The are two constants with the P6 family: massive mirror slap (countered by sturdy tripod and/or short or very long exposures) and trouble with frame spacing But I love the P6 Biometar, even adapted (there are more examples in that thread).

[jamesvdm]

So yes I will some new film, but curious as much as anything a roll of film that expired say 10 years ago is still usable or likely to yield no or poor results?

Depends how it was stored as high or fluctuating temperatures will speed up degradation.

Generally speaking a 10yo b&w or slide film will be fine but a c41 film will be starting to have some colour shifts.

An extra stop of exposure for every decade is often given as a rule of thumb for shooting old film.

[steephill]

Camera Film | Speed Graphic is another good source of film in the UK.

[Alex645]

Hoping some experienced people on here can advise on whether on what the situation is with expired film.
Shane

Initial cost of film photography: Low. Per shot cost of film: High
Initial cost of digital photography: High. Per shot cost of digital: Low

Variables when it comes to expired film:
a) ISO: The higher the ISO, the shorter the life span. The lower the ISO, the longer past due date usability. 200 ISO and lower can last for decades past the expiration date. 800 ISO and higher are most likely to suffer the most within a few years.

b) Storage temperature: Kept in a freezer, the film can last 10x longer. In a refrigerator, probably 5x longer. In room temperature, it's still probably 'usable' for a couple more years. In a hot car, it can expire before the expiration date.

c) Film type: B&W have the best longevity. Color slide film the least with color negs a bit better.

d) Pro or consumer grade: Films labeled as "Professional" are often no different than the others, but are supposedly handled differently. For example, pro films are supposed to be shipped and stored in refrigerated conditions. Pros often want consistent results, so pro films are also often sold in bricks (20 rolls), half-bricks (10 rolls), or pro-packs (5 rolls) at a time as they all were made in the same run with the same exact emulsion (vs. film made the day before or after).

e) Retail source: A camera store is more likely to have kept the film in cool conditions and the film has traveled less than an individual who may or may not have kept it cool.

OVERALL: My advice if you're new to film photography and new to your camera is not add another variable to your results with the film. Use new film until you know what you can expect from your camera and your technique before saving a bit on used film. If you get odd results by starting with used film, it's harder to know if it was you, the camera, the film, or the processing.

[Shaneuk]

Thank you Alex,
Some excellent points you have added to the ones already given to me, yes I totally agree new to film ,new to the cameras the last thing I needed is extra concerns over things I know nothing about.
Thank you everyone for your help.

[Alex645]

Thank you Alex,
Some excellent points you have added to the ones already given to me, yes I totally agree new to film ,new to the cameras the last thing I needed is extra concerns over things I know nothing about.
Thank you everyone for your help.

....and in case no one has said it....WELCOME to the Pentax Forum!

Lots of super helpful members and very little "noise". Keep us updated on your film journey.

[tuco]

I agree with Alex. Your first rolls of film try to keep variables to a minimum. And I would recommend that you pick a 100 & 400 film and use them for a while in lieu of trying this film and that film at first. Establish a base where you have confidence and experience with a film then branch out.

My freezer has a lot of old film in it. Film that has always been stored in the freezer since I purchased it. I shoot some older stuff now and then to use it up. I've shot 10-year old range 100 & 400 BW film and developed normally. They looked fine to me. So I don't see a high risk of purchasing well stored film in that age range.

Good luck and have fun with the new gear.

[Silent Street]

Probably a good idea to have the meter of each of the cameras professionally assessed for accuracy before you commit anything serious to them. Particularly the AE-1.

The Canon AE-1 and AE-1+ Program where highly favoured in their day. Among by bicycle touring companions of the time, it seemed everybody had a shiny AE-1 and 50mm lens running Kodak B&W film. But not me. I was using an Olympus XA running Kodachrome!


If you have seldom seen medium format film, a few points.
Practice loading and unloading MF film safely. Ask a shop for ruined or grossly out of date film that you can use to practice with. Your biggest blunders are likely to be not with the cameras, but with film loading and threading, rewinding and general handling. Generally, film must be kept taut during loading and during rewinding, securing the tab and unloading from the camera. I have demonstrated this to a lot of students, and it was enough to send most of them straight to digital! It is far too easy for light piping to botch a roll. Static spiders can also impart some irritating marks on the film. Wipe the film chamber and back with an antistatic cloth to hedge against this. Ilford makes an antistatic cloth, and all cameras will benefit from an internal swipe with this from time to time.


Not all MF films (Kodak and Ilford, for example) have that handy hole in the leader for easily grasping the nib in the take-up spool. I carry a small plastic hole punch with me with fix Kodak's notoriously fiddly, stuck-down leaders with a convenient hole (or two...) and thus allow more speedy loading instead of battling in the wind and rain to secure the leader to the spool (the more battling, the more swearing...). Fuji's stable of films do not suffer from this irritating omission.