I was digging around in my closet and found a few unopened boxes of Provia and Delta 100 left over from last summer - obviously unrefrigerated since purchase. Will I have any problems using the film? I would prefer not to throw it away, but don't want to take great chances on ruined shots.

-- Joshua I. Divack (jdivack@hahnhessen.com), June 11, 1999

Answers

I have never had a problem with black and white film, as long as it has not been subjected to high temperatures. I've used unrefrigerated film a year past it's expiration date with no increase in film base fog. The color film, on the other hand, I'm not sure about...especially if it's Provia, which is transparency film. Shoot a couple of sheets to see what it looks like. There may be a slight color shift.

-- Adam DeKraker (adam.dekraker@wmich.edu), June 11, 1999.

What is the expiration date of the film??? It is on the box somewhere. This is the manufacturer's suggestion for the last date to use the film without unacceptable (to them) results. This date usually includes a "fudge factor" erring on the safe side a bit. If the film has not expired and it was intended to be stored at room temperature then you are probably OK. For black-and-white film the manufacturer usually assumes room temperature storage. Professional color films should be refrigerated until use and developed as soon as possible after exposure to give proper color rendition. "Amateur" color films are released a bit "unripe" and are expected to give acceptable results (but not so exacting in terms of color reproduction as pro films) until their expiration date when stored at room temperature. B&W films when old can lose film speed and show some overall fogging. If you overexpose a tad you can usually use older B&W film for general shooting if the exposure paramaters are not to strict. Color films hav both these problems and show color shifts as well. In both cases I would reccomend shooting a few exposures and developing them to see if they meet your standards. Regards. ;^D>

-- Doremus Scudder (ScudderLandreth@copuserve.com), June 12, 1999.

You'd be surprised at how well b&w film keeps. A few years ago, I shot and developed some sheet film that was at least 25 years old. It was stored unrefrigerated. I was told to expect some increased fog density, but I though they looked fine.

Consider developing a few unexposed frames. They ought to be nice and clear. Other than that possibility, shoot away.

BTW, I still keep my film in the fridge!

-- Kevin Bourque (skygzr@aol.com), September 15, 1999.