Expired in 2005. Will anything develop?

dav305z · Mar 30, 2014

I ordered some 100 ISO Fuji color negative film off of Amazon. I figured it might be expired since Fuji no longer produces C-41 film at this speed, but was shocked when I got the box and saw 2005.

What kind of results might I expect from this film? Color shifts? Fog? I emailed the seller to find out how it was stored, but am assuming it wasn't refrigerated or frozen.

gsgary · Mar 30, 2014

This is 13 years out of date Ektar 100 no idea how it was stored but it was on top of my cupboard for 1 year

ann · Mar 30, 2014

Do you play the lottery?

Have no expectations, don't use if for anything important but being playful should be an adventure.

webestang64 · Mar 30, 2014

The farther past the expire date film gets the more "fog" happens. The film base it self turns to black. Age, heat. humidly all add to the effect. Just think of it this way. Film has a curve. It's at a low point after production. Then the curve rises to it's peak level which means film is at it's peak just before and at the expire month. Then the film base starts to fog. Sometimes you can shoot film up to 10 years old as gsgary did, but it will have at least some fogging. I've developed film at my lab that looks like sun glass material it's so fogged.

If it is important to achieve the best quality, don't use it for that, use it for fun and just hope it will turn out. Good luck.

3Js · Mar 30, 2014

ann said:
Do you play the lottery?

Have no expectations, don't use if for anything important but being playful should be an adventure.

I totally agree with that. Enjoy the hell of it but NOT on a paid job.

I used paper that was like 30 years old once and nothing much came out until I got to about the middle of the roll where I got some pretty funky prints.

vintagesnaps · Mar 30, 2014

If you're buying expired film on ebay or from individual sellers on Amazon, it seems to be a crap shoot - where did the seller get this expired film? from their own unused stash or - ??? Seems like anything can be listed and described and priced however the seller wants. I agree you might get some interesting results and it might be good for an experimental roll, I wouldn't count on how it will turn out so just use it for fun and see what you get.

minicoop1985 · Mar 30, 2014

These were shot last week on Kodak Gold 200 that expired in 2002.

It's a crapshoot, as Vintagesnaps said. Is it worth it? I dunno-if it's cheap enough, I'll always buy it and give it a whirl. My lab costs me about $2 a roll for C-41, and taking photos is definitely something that I find relaxing, so why not? I have had a few rolls end up almost entirely blank though.

webestang64 · Mar 30, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
These were shot last week on Kodak Gold 200 that expired in 2002.

It's a crapshoot, as Vintagesnaps said. Is it worth it? I dunno-if it's cheap enough, I'll always buy it and give it a whirl. My lab costs me about $2 a roll for C-41, and taking photos is definitely something that I find relaxing, so why not? I have had a few rolls end up almost entirely blank though.

That's a great price for process only.....we charge $4.50. I really like the top photo, very nice.

minicoop1985 · Mar 30, 2014

It is. I got a couple rolls developed through them and was kinda shocked when I realized it was only $4 for both. Was kinda taken aback a bit. Their prints are all darkroom though, so that's what keeps them around. Apparently there is a film market around here.

djacobox372 · Mar 31, 2014

Slower speed film, like ISO 100, should be fine well past the date. How much its degraded depends on how it was stored. If it was cold stored it will be as good as new.

vimwiz · Apr 1, 2014

Yeah, slower stuff lasts longer
Also, oddly, the prosumer stuff lasts longer than the pro stuff (seems to care less about temp and have some additional shelf life out of the factory)
B&W keeps for ages also.