Kodak T-Max P3200 Film

photographyguy74 · 12-22-2013, 06:13 PM

I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film.

Tom S. · 12-22-2013, 06:49 PM

Thread moved. General Area is for non photo related subjects only.

photographyguy74 · 12-22-2013, 07:00 PM

Originally posted by Tom S.

Thread moved. General Area is for non photo related subjects only.

Oops. Sorry.

fuent104 · 12-22-2013, 07:02 PM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film.

I think you'll have a great time with it. You'll quickly find that it is not intimidating at all to shoot on film, and there is certainly something to be said for the level of concentration we tend to put into every shot on a roll of film.

photographyguy74 · 12-22-2013, 07:18 PM

Originally posted by fuent104

I think you'll have a great time with it. You'll quickly find that it is not intimidating at all to shoot on film, and there is certainly something to be said for the level of concentration we tend to put into every shot on a roll of film.

I bought it because it was very cheap and I want to experiment with it. I don't have any of the type of filters (i.e. colored filters) that you would need when shooting black-and-white film photography but I am trying to learn film photography and eventually, I might acquire more photographic equipment as I get more money.

fuent104 · 12-22-2013, 09:02 PM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

I bought it because it was very cheap and I want to experiment with it. I don't have any of the type of filters (i.e. colored filters) that you would need when shooting black-and-white film photography but I am trying to learn film photography and eventually, I might acquire more photographic equipment as I get more money.

"Need" is a strong word. You can definitely do some amazing work without filters. It is nice when you are able to use them, but they are not necessary. I think you'll be able to find them at low prices, though, if you ever feel like it.

LowVoltage · 12-22-2013, 11:32 PM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film.

T-Max 3200 was one of the very first films I ever processed on my own, and what a fun film it is! Like you, I picked up a few rolls that were a few years out-of-date. As I recall, the actual ISO is either 1000 or 1250, but the recommended processing times to achieve 3200 results in a push-processed final product. I understand you're not processing the film yourself, although as you noted, you just might catch the bug and take up doing it on your own. You can expect lots of late nights in the basement or converted bathroom!

I never worried (very much, anyway) about processing out-dated B&W film; it doesn't seem to lose its fidelity the way dyes deteriorate in C-41 color film. I think at worst you see a loss of contrast, depending on how out-of-date the film is. P3200 is grainy, though 8x10s are remarkably smooth unless you had to work a lot to coax an image out of a poorly exposed frame. If the lab/store you are using for processing offers push-processing you might want to set a roll or two aside and try shooting at ISO 6400 or even 12,500. The results are interesting, to say the least. Those negatives are grainier still and higher in contrast, but somehow quite attractive. I often used both the T-Max 400 and 3200 films pushed two or even three stops just for the sake of getting the look I knew I could expect.

You mentioned the possibility of getting filters, and I agree with fuent104, you don't necessarily "need" them. Especially with the P3200 or Ilford's Delta 3200. When one is using such fast film it's usually because the light demands it. Adding a yellow or orange filter is only going to cut down on the available light. That being said, I went filter crazy, buying every last color in what seemed like all subtleties ever made. Yellow #8, yellow #11, yellow #15, light red, dark red... it got expensive. All I can say about that is a medium or dark yellow is probably the most handy and most used, probably followed by a regular red #25 or a polarizer. Greens and blues can give you rather startling looks when used in certain situations, but those situations don't come up regularly unless you're dedicating yourself to a certain kind of subject.

Vendee · 12-22-2013, 11:41 PM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film.

Although film usually is good past its expiry date, high iso films like tmax 3200 suffer from fogging. I've used tmax 3200 which is only one year out of date and found it fogged quite badly.

photographyguy74 · 12-23-2013, 01:18 AM

Originally posted by Vendee

Although film usually is good past its expiry date, high iso films like tmax 3200 suffer from fogging. I've used tmax 3200 which is only one year out of date and found it fogged quite badly.

Not to sound dumb or whatever but I have heard of fogging but I have not idea what it is.

Vendee · 12-23-2013, 03:17 AM

Originally posted by photographyguy74

Not to sound dumb or whatever but I have heard of fogging but I have not idea what it is.

It's the effects of radiation which literally create a fog on the negs. High speed film is more susceptible to the natural radiation all around us so the older it is the worse it gets. Storing in the fridge doesn't prevent this.

aurele · 12-23-2013, 03:27 AM

If you are really affraid of anything, use it like a 2500 iso film instead of 3200 and ask it to be process @stock speed (3200).

photographyguy74 · 12-23-2013, 06:14 AM

Originally posted by Vendee

It's the effects of radiation which literally create a fog on the negs. High speed film is more susceptible to the natural radiation all around us so the older it is the worse it gets. Storing in the fridge doesn't prevent this.

Oh okay. Thanks for the explanation.

pentaxpete · 12-23-2013, 07:45 AM

I have had experience of outdated Kodak 3200 and it needs to be rated at 400 ASA when it is outdated by as much as your batch or the negs will be very 'thin' and you will not get any good prints -- you cannot uprate it at all when outdated, only VERY FRESH Batches.

photographyguy74 · 12-23-2013, 03:27 PM

I just realized that when I started this post (...or thread...or whatever), I started a sentence but didn't finish it. I guess that Hooked On English hasn't worked for me yet. Haha.

photographyguy74 · 12-23-2013, 03:29 PM

Originally posted by pentaxpete

I have had experience of outdated Kodak 3200 and it needs to be rated at 400 ASA when it is outdated by as much as your batch or the negs will be very 'thin' and you will not get any good prints -- you cannot uprate it at all when outdated, only VERY FRESH Batches.

Okay, thank you for the advice. Now for another possible idiotic question. What do you mean by thin? I really need to learn this stuff so that I will know what people are talking about and I won't have to ask questions (or at least I won't have to ask so many questions).

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12-22-2013, 06:13 PM	#1
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331	Kodak T-Max P3200 Film I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film.

12-22-2013, 06:49 PM	#2
Tom S. Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Michigan Photos: Albums Posts: 4,317	Thread moved. General Area is for non photo related subjects only.

12-22-2013, 07:00 PM	#3
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	Originally posted by Tom S. Thread moved. General Area is for non photo related subjects only. Oops. Sorry.

12-22-2013, 07:02 PM	#4
fuent104 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,356	Originally posted by photographyguy74 I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film. I think you'll have a great time with it. You'll quickly find that it is not intimidating at all to shoot on film, and there is certainly something to be said for the level of concentration we tend to put into every shot on a roll of film.

12-22-2013, 07:18 PM	#5
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	Originally posted by fuent104 I think you'll have a great time with it. You'll quickly find that it is not intimidating at all to shoot on film, and there is certainly something to be said for the level of concentration we tend to put into every shot on a roll of film. I bought it because it was very cheap and I want to experiment with it. I don't have any of the type of filters (i.e. colored filters) that you would need when shooting black-and-white film photography but I am trying to learn film photography and eventually, I might acquire more photographic equipment as I get more money.

12-22-2013, 09:02 PM	#6
fuent104 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,356	Originally posted by photographyguy74 I bought it because it was very cheap and I want to experiment with it. I don't have any of the type of filters (i.e. colored filters) that you would need when shooting black-and-white film photography but I am trying to learn film photography and eventually, I might acquire more photographic equipment as I get more money. "Need" is a strong word. You can definitely do some amazing work without filters. It is nice when you are able to use them, but they are not necessary. I think you'll be able to find them at low prices, though, if you ever feel like it.

12-22-2013, 11:32 PM	#7
LowVoltage Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mount Joy, PA Photos: Gallery Posts: 544	Originally posted by photographyguy74 I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. T-Max 3200 was one of the very first films I ever processed on my own, and what a fun film it is! Like you, I picked up a few rolls that were a few years out-of-date. As I recall, the actual ISO is either 1000 or 1250, but the recommended processing times to achieve 3200 results in a push-processed final product. I understand you're not processing the film yourself, although as you noted, you just might catch the bug and take up doing it on your own. You can expect lots of late nights in the basement or converted bathroom! I never worried (very much, anyway) about processing out-dated B&W film; it doesn't seem to lose its fidelity the way dyes deteriorate in C-41 color film. I think at worst you see a loss of contrast, depending on how out-of-date the film is. P3200 is grainy, though 8x10s are remarkably smooth unless you had to work a lot to coax an image out of a poorly exposed frame. If the lab/store you are using for processing offers push-processing you might want to set a roll or two aside and try shooting at ISO 6400 or even 12,500. The results are interesting, to say the least. Those negatives are grainier still and higher in contrast, but somehow quite attractive. I often used both the T-Max 400 and 3200 films pushed two or even three stops just for the sake of getting the look I knew I could expect. You mentioned the possibility of getting filters, and I agree with fuent104, you don't necessarily "need" them. Especially with the P3200 or Ilford's Delta 3200. When one is using such fast film it's usually because the light demands it. Adding a yellow or orange filter is only going to cut down on the available light. That being said, I went filter crazy, buying every last color in what seemed like all subtleties ever made. Yellow #8, yellow #11, yellow #15, light red, dark red... it got expensive. All I can say about that is a medium or dark yellow is probably the most handy and most used, probably followed by a regular red #25 or a polarizer. Greens and blues can give you rather startling looks when used in certain situations, but those situations don't come up regularly unless you're dedicating yourself to a certain kind of subject.

12-22-2013, 11:41 PM	#8
Vendee Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 1,134	Originally posted by photographyguy74 I just went to the local camera store today. Among the things that I picked up included five rolls of 35mm Kodak T-Max P3200 black-and-white film. I only paid a dollar for each roll because the sign at the camera store said that they are outdated. I wonder if they really meant outdated or they actually meant out of date since the date on one of the boxes said December 2008. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this kind of film. And before anybody gets ahead of themselves, I will not be processing the negatives myself (I do not have any darkroom equipment nor do I know how to perform darkroom processing). I will be taking them to the local camera store to get developed. I was actually thinking about buying a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 Professional black-and-white film and trying it out but since this film was so cheap. I do realize that it is out-of-date. It's not like I invested a lot of money in these five rolls of film. I'm trying to learn how to shoot with film. Although film usually is good past its expiry date, high iso films like tmax 3200 suffer from fogging. I've used tmax 3200 which is only one year out of date and found it fogged quite badly.

12-23-2013, 01:18 AM	#9
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	Originally posted by Vendee Although film usually is good past its expiry date, high iso films like tmax 3200 suffer from fogging. I've used tmax 3200 which is only one year out of date and found it fogged quite badly. Not to sound dumb or whatever but I have heard of fogging but I have not idea what it is.

12-23-2013, 03:17 AM	#10
Vendee Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 1,134	Originally posted by photographyguy74 Not to sound dumb or whatever but I have heard of fogging but I have not idea what it is. It's the effects of radiation which literally create a fog on the negs. High speed film is more susceptible to the natural radiation all around us so the older it is the worse it gets. Storing in the fridge doesn't prevent this.

12-23-2013, 03:27 AM	#11
aurele Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Paris, France Photos: Albums Posts: 3,217	If you are really affraid of anything, use it like a 2500 iso film instead of 3200 and ask it to be process @stock speed (3200).

12-23-2013, 06:14 AM	#12
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	Originally posted by Vendee It's the effects of radiation which literally create a fog on the negs. High speed film is more susceptible to the natural radiation all around us so the older it is the worse it gets. Storing in the fridge doesn't prevent this. Oh okay. Thanks for the explanation.

12-23-2013, 07:45 AM	#13
pentaxpete Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Brentwood, Essex Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 366	I have had experience of outdated Kodak 3200 and it needs to be rated at 400 ASA when it is outdated by as much as your batch or the negs will be very 'thin' and you will not get any good prints -- you cannot uprate it at all when outdated, only VERY FRESH Batches.

12-23-2013, 03:27 PM	#14
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	I just realized that when I started this post (...or thread...or whatever), I started a sentence but didn't finish it. I guess that Hooked On English hasn't worked for me yet. Haha.

12-23-2013, 03:29 PM	#15
photographyguy74 Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Davenport, Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 331 Original Poster	Originally posted by pentaxpete I have had experience of outdated Kodak 3200 and it needs to be rated at 400 ASA when it is outdated by as much as your batch or the negs will be very 'thin' and you will not get any good prints -- you cannot uprate it at all when outdated, only VERY FRESH Batches. Okay, thank you for the advice. Now for another possible idiotic question. What do you mean by thin? I really need to learn this stuff so that I will know what people are talking about and I won't have to ask questions (or at least I won't have to ask so many questions).