Storing film?

spiralout462 · Jan 26, 2016

Some of you know that I will be shooting more film in the near future, thanks to the generosity of RonLane! I'm sure I will have many questions soon but for now I just want to know how important is storing unused film below 21 degrees Celsius? Would room temperature cause a problem? Can I keep it below freezing without adverse reactions? Are some films more "fragile" than others? Any tips are greatly appreciated. I have some experience with film many years ago but never took it seriously until now.

I just want to minimize the stupid mistakes.

The films I have on hand and am anxious to try are.......
Kodak Porta 400
Kodak Ektar 100
Fuji Provia 100
Ilford HP5+ 400
Ilford Delta Pro 100

480sparky · Jan 26, 2016

Most films will hold up just fine in the freezer. Just make sure you take it out with enough time for it to acclimate back to room temperature before you crack it open. Otherwise, condensation may cause problems.

Freezing film is more a long-term procedure. If you buy some film and plan on using it within 3 months, you really don't need to freeze it.

limr · Jan 26, 2016

What Sparky said. If you're planning on shooting the film relatively quickly, then keep it in the fridge or on a shelf in a room that doesn't get too hot. The only film that you should never freeze is instant. I've got an entire crisper drawer filled with packs of instant

spiralout462 · Jan 26, 2016

Thanks guys! I'm so looking forward to seeing what I can come up with!

limr · Jan 26, 2016

Portra has great latitude so you can make exposure errors and still get good shots. Ektar is pickier and wants more precision, but when it is good, it is awesome. Provia is slide film and also is picky about correct exposure. HP5 is so versatile and an all-around great b&w film. I love it almost as much as TriX (and maybe even as much now that TriX is more expensive. Don't have as much experience with Delta emulsions, but they are finer-grained amd can take a bit of getting used to (in my limited experience.)

MartinCrabtree · Jan 26, 2016

When you get some time give Ilford FP4+ a try. Wonderful stuff.

spiralout462 · Jan 26, 2016

limr said:
Portra has great latitude so you can make exposure errors and still get good shots. Ektar is pickier and wants more precision, but when it is good, it is awesome. Provia is slide film and also is picky about correct exposure. HP5 is so versatile and an all-around great b&w film. I love it almost as much as TriX (and maybe even as much now that TriX is more expensive. Don't have as much experience with Delta emulsions, but they are finer-grained amd can take a bit of getting used to (in my limited experience.)

Thanks for the feedback! I pretty much just picked from names I recognized from you fine TPF members.

And what Adorama has in stock. At first I thought I would primarily shoot B&W, but after looking back at some of my old film albums I really like the way some colors are rendered on film. I don't know if it's "better" than digital but different sometimes, in a good way.