Old Film Stock from '95 to 2003

Randy Tomlinson · July 7, 2011

Hello

i have quiet a few cans with old outdated films like

fuji 250D 1999

fuji F250T 2003

fuji 125 from 1999

fuji F500 from 1996

also some 64D film etc...

total: film material worth for 70 minutes...

i dont know how they have been handled but i have put them into my fridge immediately after i got them.

the gyt who sold me these, told me that i should overexposure the film while i am filming.

i assume he is right but i just want to make sure and i'd like to know what you sugest?

of course i know i wont have a perfect picture anymore but in my case what could i do to get the best possible result? most of the films are nearly full (between 300 and 380 feet)

and i dont wanna throw them away but use them to learn. i am a blody rookie in filming 16mm!

randy

Edited July 7, 2011 by Randy Tomlinson

Charles MacDonald · July 7, 2011

Did the stock get clip tested? Can you get your lab to do some clip tests for you.

Film (In general) will get slower, and have increasing fog as time goes on. The effect is more pronounced the higher the film speed. Storing the stock in the fridge or freezer will SLOW those changes.

Several folks have suggested over the years that freezing is only safe for factory packed film, as if an open package has built up humidity, you may get Ice Crystal effects.

Your 100T and 64D film will generally have less degradation than the faster films, all else being equal (which is not always the case)

A clip test means the lab takes a few feet of blank film and processes it to read the density, to tell you how far it is gone.

Stock that is a "Bit" off can be used, but as you were told the need is to overexpose it somewhat both to make up for the loss of speed, and also to put your image data "above" the fog. lab managers generally have a feel for how much fog they can get away with and still get aceptable results - which stock can be used to check out lenses and cameras (still works but too far off to colour correct) and which is so far gone you may as well use it as Leader.

Stephen Williams · July 7, 2011

If any of the F64 is from 2003 I would do a clip test, the rest can go in the bin, it's really too old even if kept well.

John Sprung · July 7, 2011

There's one use for really old raw stock. Labs sometimes look for it for scratch testing machines.

-- J.S.

K Borowski · July 7, 2011

Now John. . . play nice!

I'd not consider using the 500 or the 250D for anything you wish to obtain normal results on.

The 125 from '99 I'd shoot at 12 or 16, assuming it was stored room temp without being in a sunny window th ewhole time.

The 250 I'd shoot probably at 64.

Would be happy to do clip tests for you, better if you do a grey card progression in half stops (single frame is fine).

John Sprung · July 8, 2011

No, really -- Back when Emory Cohen built the Laser-Pacific wet lab (or was it just Pacific in those days?), he was asking around for old old short ends. They'd run them thru the developer, and since the film had never been in a camera, any scratches would have to be a lab issue. You don't need to spend the big bucks on usable film for that, you just need a scratch-free surface. If you're having a tough time with a new machine, it can cost a bunch to scratch test with good short ends. So, never toss old short ends, no matter how old. Offer them to the chief engineer at your lab, and get some good will.

-- J.S.

Dirk DeJonghe · July 8, 2011

John is spot on. If a short end is fogged, unusable in any way, give it to your lab. As a lab we run a scratch test before every run, so it is in the interest of the customer too.

Also keep some short ends around to test cameras etc. Please don't throw away unusable short ends, we are short of 16mm right now.

Randy Tomlinson · July 8, 2011

well, i maybe am willing to give all the film away for the right person but only if postage is paid and at least the amount i have paid for it. if one of you guys ai intrested i can send a PM with the full list of films (type and year and how much film on the roll)

my location is england

randy

July 20, 2011

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Daniel Lee · July 20, 2011

Now John. . . play nice!

I'd not consider using the 500 or the 250D for anything you wish to obtain normal results on.

The 125 from '99 I'd shoot at 12 or 16, assuming it was stored room temp without being in a sunny window th ewhole time.

The 250 I'd shoot probably at 64.

Would be happy to do clip tests for you, better if you do a grey card progression in half stops (single frame is fine).

If there is any fog it can be cut down by overexposing and getting a large pull by a lab who listens, still would be grainer iirc.

I usually overexpose and pull accordingly 1 stop per decade, although, I'd use 2 for the 500. I don't think you'd need to be as severe as 12 or 16 for 125 though.

If you want to throw old film in the bin donate it to me, I'm experimenting with gas bleaching of fogged film which so far shows I can remove all age affects of unprocessed film (this process erases any latent image for used but unprocessed film though), greater severity changes speed and contrast after re-forming the halide crystal structure though - ie; I've left exposing in direct sun for a week and restored that so it can be used - since it breaks down into finer grains, contrast raises and speed drops once restored.

Edited July 20, 2011 by Daniel Lee