Expired camera film?

Sigman · May 25, 2006

Digging around one of my "treasure chests", I found 8 unused rolls of expired Kodak 200 Gold 35mm film. Once I started dabbling with digital cameras - my old Minolta became very lonely!

Expiration/develop before dates are March/April 2003. Now I could just mess around with it (haven't used my 35mm in a long time!)...or should I still "count on it" as being good?

paulr · May 25, 2006

If it's been chilled (fridge) it will be fine. If it's been at room temperature, the colors will have shifted a bit but since it's print film, that would be corrected in processing. If it's been in very hot temperatures, the colors are likely pretty messed up but still correctable.

I'd go ahead and use it for casual shooting but maybe not for important stuff.

bfg9000 · May 25, 2006

Kodak film actually has been very heat stable for years now. The problem is cosmic radiation exposes light spots in it over time, so feel free to use expired film for extra "arty" pictures!

RA40 · May 25, 2006

While some films if kept in a mild storage may be okay, at 3 years with varying temps, it's probably color shifted. But ya never know so as long as it isn't critical, run it through the camera.

I have film that has been in the fridge going on 5 years over expiration. I know it is still within general tolerance for color reproduction but I won't use it for critical shoots.

sflate · May 25, 2006

Camera film? What's that? My Grandfather used to tell me about that stuff!

Seriously, I just used 2 disposable Kodak cameras that were about 3 years past expiration and they worked fine. And those things usually come with the highest ISO film (800 or 1000) so I'd bet that your 200 ISO would be fine. Like others said, I wouldn't use it for once-in-a-lifetime photos though.

ABTOMAT · May 25, 2006

Unless it was kept in a glove compartment I'd think it would be fine. More about temperature than time. I shot some B&W film from the '60s a while back and it worked fine.

The exception to this is Polaroid film. I wouldn't count on it one day over the date.

Sigman · May 25, 2006

It's been in a cool/dry closet. I guess I'll run a roll through the camera & see how it turns out.

It's just so much more "affordable" to use the digital though! Of course there's a ton of things that my ole' 35mm can do as compared to my digitals.

Thanks for the replies!

Expired camera film?

Sigman

* The Arctic Moderator *

paulr

Flashaholic

bfg9000

Flashlight Enthusiast

RA40

Flashlight Enthusiast

sflate

Enlightened

ABTOMAT

Flashlight Enthusiast

Sigman

* The Arctic Moderator *

Similar threads

Latest posts