Shooting Expired Film

[OutdoorsLover]

Hi all,

It's been YEARS since I last used my film cameras (Bronica SQAi), and I'm wanting to pull them back out and play with them. I bought new batteries, and the cameras are ready to go. I found at least 150 rolls of various film stocks (120/220 & 35mm), from when I used to shoot weddings over 20 years ago. They've been stored in a paper bag, on the lowest shelf of a cabinet in my garage, that rarely if ever gets above 65º. Looking at the dates on the rolls of 120/220 they range from 2000 to 2002. I pulled out a roll of TMAX 400, with a date of 01/2002, a roll of T400CN dated 04/2000, a roll of Kodak 400VC dated 09/2001, and a roll of Kodak PMC 400 with no date.

I'm wondering how best to expose each of these rolls, as they're quite expired, and weren't stored at 50º as they should have been. Also, when I take them to have them processed, what if any special instructions should I give the lab?

Cheers!

[wellcome86]

Hi

I would overexposed the high iso stocks by 1 stop or so

400 @ 100 or 125

Something like that

[Martin Kristiansen]

You have a lot of film. Run a test on a roll and see what you get back from the lab. Then you will be able to tell something of the speed of the film and the contrast. If it looks a bit flat ask the lab to push it. Look at shadow detail to determine your exposure. An increase in the Base Fog is almost certain and that can flatten the toe of the curve a little.

It’s been years but that’s how I would start the process. The zone system is pretty much sensitometry without a sensitometer so that type of testing would help if you know the procedure. A bit much to explain here.

[EricWHiss]

Plus 1 stop exposure for every decade.  There are different thoughts on development, but I've been told that using a lower developing temperature and extended times will help mitigate fog.