[aslyfox]

I placed an order for some Ilford HP5+ Black and White film

it should be arriving today

the outside temperature is predicted to be a high of 35 o F

should I be concerned

what, if anything, should I do if it is delivered when I am not home and it sits outside for while

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Last edited by aslyfox; 02-14-2020 at 05:24 AM.

[yucafrita]

Is that around 0 °C? I think it doesnt do any harm. Some people freeze their films. I store them in the fridge.

[aslyfox]

Is that around 0 °C? I think it doesnt do any harm. Some people freeze their films. I store them in the fridge.

32 o F is O oC

[bobbotron]

It should be totally fine. When you bring it inside you could treat it like a cold camera, put it in a bag while it warms up to avoid condensation.

[Jonathan Mac]

Bear in mind film is commonly kept in the freezer (around -20ºC) to keep it fresh. Just make sure it's warmed up before trying to load it.

[aslyfox]

Bear in mind film is commonly kept in the freezer (around -20ºC) to keep it fresh. Just make sure it's warmed up before trying to load it.

I didn't know that

-4 o F

Formula
(°C × 9/5) + 32 = °F

Formula
(°F − 32) × 5/9 = °C

so the key is to avoid condensation as you allow the film to warm up

Can I just keep it in the shipping box ?

[MossyRocks]

Can I just keep it in the shipping box ?

Probably. that air in it should be drier when warmed up than the air in your house so as it warms I wouldn't expect condensation to be an issue inside the box if it remains closed.

[kypfer]

If it's individual films, they'll be hermitically sealed, (plastic tubs or foil wrap), so unpack them, keep out what you want/need for immediate use then put the balance straight into the 'fridge/freezer, or, if you're going to use it all within the next six months, a "cool dry place" is all that is necessary for storage. Remember, film was "stored" on the shelf in retail outlets "back in the day", it's not overly sensitive, provided it's not actually "cooked".


Enjoy

[tuco]

Here is a link to Kodak's Film Storage And Handling tip sheet.

[TomB_tx]

In the 1960s we shot a lot of film in -20 to -30F temperatures, outside for hours. (Back then it took hours to use up 36 exposures.) The only occasional issue was static marks from fast rewinding in very low humidity - looked like little lightning bolts on the image.

[Bob 256]

The is that when the film (containers, etc.) are cold, any moisture in a warmer room will tend to condense on them. That's what you're trying to avoid (particularly on film surfaces themselves - hence if the film is in a sealed container, no issues). If that room had a real low relative humidity, it wouldn't be a problem, but that usually isn't the case so just let the film warm up to the surrounding temperature and then it won't pull moisture out of the surrounding air. If you take warm film to a cold location, that doesn't happen so no temp adjusting needed. 35 degrees is good for film but on summer days, make sure deliveries don't sit in the sun. That can spoil film fairly soon.

[StiffLegged]

Unless Ilford have changed their formulation, there's no need to keep it in the freezer unless you plan to store it unused for years. I used to order Ilford 35mm film in hundred meter rolls at a time, stored it in a cupboard and never had a problem with it. Professional colour film was always stored very carefully, but not everyday black & white.

[aslyfox]

that is good news

my 5 pack of Ilford HP 5 Plus 400 B/W 36 exposures arrived yesterday

they expire Sept 02 2023

[nightfly]

I've shot down to zero degrees F with 35mm and 6x7 with no problem. Pack the camera in your bag before returning indoors where condensation would be a problem. That bad for film AND the camera.

Allow the temperatures to moderate slowly by keeping all your cold weather acclimated gear sealed in the bag for several hours. How much time really depends on how cold the equipment was outside and how warm and humid the inside air is when trying to acclimate the equipment.