Can You Still Develop A Three Year Old Film?

elcheapoproductions · Mar 30, 2008

I have a three year old film still inside my camera. I didn't use my 35mm camera much often, due to the fact that i'm a digital camera user. It still has a few shots left but I'd like to know if i can still develop it?

I also have another 3 year old film that has been filled but didn't develop it yet.

ScottS · Mar 30, 2008

Heck yea you can!!

elcheapoproductions · Mar 30, 2008

will the quality be the same?

ScottS · Mar 30, 2008

Perhaps not, if it was in the heat, or not refrigerated, but i have developed rolls that were 20 years old and they still had some great images on them.

elcheapoproductions · Mar 30, 2008

most of my films are contained in room temperature.

ScottS · Mar 30, 2008

they should still be ok.

Coldow91 · Mar 30, 2008

just go for it

nhsmitty · Mar 30, 2008

Thanks for the reminder! I found a couple of rolls of film in my dresser drawer a few weeks ago. I have NO idea what's on them and sure to be more than three years old.

I'm married now so maybe I better get 'em developed on the sly. :lol:

Early · Mar 30, 2008

elcheapoproductions said:
I have a three year old film still inside my camera. I didn't use my 35mm camera much often, due to the fact that i'm a digital camera user. It still has a few shots left but I'd like to know if i can still develop it?

I also have another 3 year old film that has been filled but didn't develop it yet.

You'd probably have a lot of color crossover that can't be corrected but otherwise might be okay. Turn them into b&w's.

Bobby Ironsights · Apr 1, 2008

I've done exactly that about two years ago.

I found an old kodak disposable camera that I'd taken to camp a few years back, and I shot the last couple frames, got the film developed at walmart and it came out just fine. I think it was four years old too. It was weird looking at all those old pictures just developed of my baby brother so much smaller.

No colour change at all. Three years is old for film being used for fine art purposes, but not long at all for film that you just want to see what's on it.

There's a guy on apug who just developed a roll of film he found in his dad's dresser drawer after his dad died. The film was dated 1967, and was exposed. He got pictures taken four years before this guy was born, and they looked quite nice. I can't show you, because they aren't mine, and APUG is a pay site (a buck a month for students), but it's really quite incredible. (he did say that there was quite a bit of fog on the negative that he had to print through)

I've also read about people getting quite good photographs that were taken on old film they found in ancient photo equipment bought on ebay 70 years or more old (sheet film in old holders presumably) which is why if you buy old sheet film holders you should open the darkslides in a changing bag. It's probably annoying to get two or three old film holders, open one up, go "oh sh*t there's film in here" and then open the other ones in the dark, get cool pics, and forever left wondering what the one you ruined would have shown.