16mm film life???

[Guest spazboy]

If you buy new 16mm film these days, how long does film have until its expired

or to the point where a guy shouldn't use it for a real project?

(this question is assumed that the film was kept in well kept conditions)

 

On AVERAGE, whats the estimated time from the point of when it was

bought NEW, does it have until a guy shouldn't use it for a real production?

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

Only buy film when you know you're going to shoot it. Whats the point in having unexposed film at your house when kodak can keep it for you(and makes fresh batches) till the time you need it?

 

If you must.....

 

The fridge works fine. Don't fuss with the container. When you take it out make sure to let it reach full room temp before filming.

 

If it will be 6 months or longer store in the freezer. Make sure to let the darn film get up to room temp! Seriously, get it out a day or more before use. I've seen funny anomolies on color film that was allowed to collect moisture because the genius messed with the lip before he put into deep freeze!

 

But I don't see the point....

 

There is much more info and advice on this wonderous thing we call the internet. I know this is a cinematography forum but this info is printed on the internet. Next time you could get it without the wait.

 

I hear KODAK has an excelent website..... :) I go there often.

 

Hope this helps.-Jonnie

[Guest spazboy]

thanks man, that's good advice. Its just that I'm

tryin to go for film that might be a little cheaper

like on ebay...ya know...the ones that say their

NEW..and still sealed. But I guess for a serious

shoot, you want something trustworthy right

from Kodak or Fuji heh?

 

preciate it.

 

until next time,

spazboy

[John Pytlak RIP]

thanks man, that's good advice. Its just that I'm

tryin to go for film that might be a little cheaper

like on ebay...ya know...the ones that say their

NEW..and still sealed. But I guess for a serious

shoot, you want something trustworthy right

from Kodak or Fuji heh?

 

preciate it.

 

until next time,

spazboy

 

Remember, if you buy short ends or recans, the film was handled and stored by someone else. Did they store it properly? Was the film left in a hot camera truck? Did they ship the film as checked baggage where it got "zapped" by an x-ray scanner? Were the short ends lightstruck as the magazine was unloaded? Always best to have your lab run a clip test to look for any obvious problem like fog buildup or x-ray scanner lines:

 

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/service/tib/tib5206.shtml

[Dan Horstman]

It also depends on the ASA of the film. If it is a low speed stock 100T or 50D then it will last longer than a 500T stock. I've seen 800T that has gone bad in a couple months.

 

It really depends on how it is stored. I just shot a roll of 7293 (EXR 200T) last week and it looks beautiful.

 

If you have old stock that you want to shoot, send it to your lab and have them do a density test. They will clip off a couple feet, process it and read the density. Then you compare those numbers to the factory numbers (available from kodak) and you can see how the film is aging. A good rule is to overexpose old stock by 1-1.5 stops. This will help cut through the age fog, keep the grain down and make the blacks blacker.

Edited August 14, 2006 by Dan Horstman