What to do with expired film? Can still use?


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SNAG

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Jun 14, 2002
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Hi all!
I've been given 10 rolls of Ilford FP4 Plus 125 (CAT649651) film.
They have way expired. (April 97)
I feel like shooting them to try out, but what are the consequences of expired b/w film? They can't possibly produce wrong colour cast right?

I understand that this is not the C-41 types, so where can I develop them, and how much?
I would preferably like to go to places near town area (ie, Penisula Plaza / Beach Road, RGB perhaps?)

Thanks a lot!
 

Cheesecake said:
hello,

how are they stored before being passed on to u?

fungus in the film, possible?

They were stored in a cupboard with air-con on 24/7. And the air-con's rather cold.

Don't think that there's any fungus in the film.
 

SNAG said:
They were stored in a cupboard with air-con on 24/7. And the air-con's rather cold.

Don't think that there's any fungus in the film.


Expired b/w film normally needs a longer developing time as their reactivity toward processing will become weaker. As long as it's stored in cold and dried area, the film should be still useable.

For colours, the may be a change in colour. Infact expired film is best used for experimental or artistic photography. Some of colour shift is unattainable by fresh stock film. You may want to experiment with that.
 

Great!
I'll try a roll out.
Anyone knows where I can develop the film?
RGB?
 

haha..
Anyone knows the charges?
 

The Ilford FP4 Plus 125 mentioned here is a B&W film that requires the real B&W developing & fixing baths. Fotohub will develop these for $6 I think.

Film manufacturers are generally conservative so the dates can be stretched a bit. Since it supposely expired in April 1997, and it is a silver halide (spelling??); so if you plan to use this, you may want to to overexpose them slightly.

The first roll try asa100 instead of the usual asa125 for FP4Plus.
If the negatives looks flat (no/low contrast), then use asa80 for the next roll.
The problem here might be "what is flat?". Usually if you are a photostudent, I would recommend that you obtain a fresh roll of FP4+ to shot high key, low key and a 18% grey card to establish a standard negative to compare off. But since this might not be feasible (or you do not know what I am talking about), ask the pros at Fotohub or RGB. I once tested a technician at RGB with a roll of Kodak Plus X which RGB developed, he took a look at it and says "looks flat, like old film" and that's why I keep going back (the roll was 10+years old, 7year old when I shot it, 3years at the bottom of my camera bag!!)

Check this out for more info:

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pdf/FP4Plus.pdf

BTW, FP4+ is a very forgivable with overexposure and sometimes refuse to block up in the highlights. I used FP4+ and TRI-X a lot back in 1994-1997.

Hope this helps.
 

Increasing the time it stays in developer bath by 10% should be useful. I wonder if the people at RGB/Fotohub actually takes such instructions??

Incremental 10% increase in the developer should bring more contrast. So if 100% + 10% does no magic to the contrast, add another 10%, and so on. The photo tech should be the one telling you whether it is hopeless and stop using the film.

Anyway, keep the useless rolls to practise film loading in the dark, just like assembling our M16s in bootcamp/tekong! ;)
 

wow.
Thanks a lot anyway.
I'm no photostudent, but anyway, thanks a lot for your advice!

No one has told me how much they charge for developing only..
 

Cheesecake said:
hello,

my favourite lab... Konota. i just love collecting my photos now. ;)

Do your negatives get cut more than is needed?
 

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