Time between shooting and processing

[Mark Heim]

Hello,

 

I have about 100ft of 16mm film (7205) that I shot randomly one day with my bolex about 3 months ago. For whatever reason, I never processed it and it is still sitting in my closet. I just wrapped a larger project and I figured I'd get that 100ft processed at the same time.

 

I was wondering if this 3 month period of sitting in my closet will effect the film at all. Its all taped up in a can, so no light has gotten in there. I know of course it's best to process as soon as possible, but I'm curious if anyone has had any experience with this.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Serge Teulon]

Hello,

 

I have about 100ft of 16mm film (7205) that I shot randomly one day with my bolex about 3 months ago. For whatever reason, I never processed it and it is still sitting in my closet. I just wrapped a larger project and I figured I'd get that 100ft processed at the same time.

 

I was wondering if this 3 month period of sitting in my closet will effect the film at all. Its all taped up in a can, so no light has gotten in there. I know of course it's best to process as soon as possible, but I'm curious if anyone has had any experience with this.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

I have never kept a roll of neg outside my fridge....so I couldn't tell.

My advice is throw it in and keep your fingers crossed...its only 100ft after all.

 

Cheers

S

[Stephen Williams]

Hi,

 

If the film was reasonably fresh & kept fairly cool it should be OK. I know of a time lapse stock footage shooter who deep freezes his film after exposing, processing upto 1 year later !

 

Stephen

[Charles MacDonald]

I have never kept a roll of neg outside my fridge....so I couldn't tell.

My advice is throw it in and keep your fingers crossed...its only 100ft after all.

Taped up in the fridge is better. most of the change will happen in the first week, at least if what they told us when I was working with Microfilm applies to movie stock. YOu might therefore want to hold your new preoduction for a week to allow them to both have simalar changes.

[Dominic Case]

Should be fine.

 

Latent image fade might have taken a tiny bit of density off the negative, but probably no more than a third of a stop. (Don't push process or anything because of that - just run with it as as).

 

It's not uncommon for documentary crews on the road in remote parts of the world to hold their film (at least when they used to shoot film!) for quite a long time so that it was all processed back home in a lab they trusted. Never did any harm.

[K Borowski]

Should be fine.

 

Latent image fade might have taken a tiny bit of density off the negative, but probably no more than a third of a stop. (Don't push process or anything because of that - just run with it as as).

 

It's not uncommon for documentary crews on the road in remote parts of the world to hold their film (at least when they used to shoot film!) for quite a long time so that it was all processed back home in a lab they trusted. Never did any harm.

 

I heard somewhere of a study done on latent image fading that suggested that there was actually signifcant speed loss to the latent image imediately after exposure (within minutes), up to 1/4 of a stop if I recall correctly, but thereafter speed loss was negligable assuming the film was stored properly between exposure and processing. It was referring to E-6 (color reversal film), so I am not sure if this holds true for ECN-2 and C-41, although it seems reasonable.

 

As for me, I compulsively freeze all latent-imaged film until I process it as an added precaution. If anything though, there is some sense to not process film imediately after exposure for the sake of consistancy. I think there is a Kodak recomendation for people outputting onto neg and print stock with film recorders to let the film sit a while after exposure so that one doesn't get one end of the roll with a speed loss and the other end without it.

 

BTW Dominic Case, wanted to let you know I sent you a PM.

 

~KB

Edited March 15, 2008 by Karl Borowski