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About Subject: Re: Digest Number 1612Date: 2018-06-06 20:04:21From: Boris Starosta
I've read somewhere that low temperature does not hurt the storage, but that radiation effects (i.e. cosmic rays) have a greater effect on the decay of film (color balance) than does chemical instability. Can anyone corroborate this? Some of my old film is in my freezer, but much of it is simply in the fridge. The difference in temperature between my fridge and freezer don't seem to make a difference. Some of this film is ten+ years old and the color still seems fine. My least reliable films have been some older tungsten balanced films (10 to 15 yrs old), and there I observe primarily a loss of density in the blacks (loss of contrast).
In the mid aughts, when film production appeared to be at death's door, I bought a bunch of film and hoarded it. Still working my way through some of that film. Now it seems film is on a rebound, what with Fuji making two or three emulsions again.
I'm curious to hear others' experiences with very old films.
On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 9:43 PM, <MF3D-group@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
4 Messages
Digest #1612
Messages
Wed Jun 6, 2018 4:38 am (PDT) . Posted by:
jeppeln
Hi stereo friends,
I just aquired a bunch of fresh Provia 100F slide film (120 and 135).
How do I store these long term?
I have read on Google that some recommends putting them in double zip lock bags (vacuum packed) and in a normal household freezer.
Then they recommend leaving it out of the freezer to thaw in room temperature for 24 hours before loading a roll in the camera.
Do you guys agree with this?
What are your recommendations?
How long would you estimate they can last in these conditions?
All the best,
Jesper
Wed Jun 6, 2018 9:49 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"John Thurston" juneau99803
On 6/6/2018 3:38 AM, jeppeln@yahoo.com [MF3D-group] wrote:
> Hi stereo friends,
>
> I just aquired a bunch of fresh Provia 100F slide film (120 and 135).
> How do I store these long term?
Stable, low temperature is the best. If you have an
old-fashioned (not self-defrosting) freezer, that's where
you wanna store it. Otherwise, keep it as cold and stable as
you can. The colder and more stable, the better.
If you have a vacuum packer, that won't hurt, but I wonder
if it makes a big difference with factory-sealed rolls.
> Then they recommend leaving it out of the freezer to thaw in room temperature for 24 hours before loading a roll in the camera.
{shrug} It kind of depends on where and how you are going to
us it. If I'm going out to shoot in the middle of the
winter, my film will be frozen by the time I use it, even if
it started out warm. On those days, I just pull film from
the freezer, throw it in my pack.
On other days, I also just pull it from the freezer and
throw it in my pack. By the time I get wherever I'm going,
it has thawed out. Think about anything else you grab from
the freezer. A roll of film isn't very large. How long will
that take to thaw?
But how 'thawed' does it need to be? I want it warm enough
neither the film-base nor emulsion crack. My cameras have a
relatively gentle film path. Hasselblads, for example, have
a very severe film path in their film magazines. I've never
shot with one, though. Is that film path tight enough to
require warmer film? I don't know.
A larger concern to me than cracking, is dew point. If the
film is below dew point, moisture from the air will condense
on it even if it isn't freezing. If it's 80F and 80%, dew
point is at about 75F. If your film isn't at least that
warm, you risk condensation.
--
John Thurston
Juneau Alaska
http://stereo.thurstons.us
Wed Jun 6, 2018 10:27 am (PDT) . Posted by:
jeppeln
If you have a vacuum packer, that won't hurt, but I wonder
if it makes a big difference with factory-sealed rolls.
That's a good point, if the pack is factory sealed, the vacuum packed zip bags won't do much (if anything) to help the air already trapped inside the film pack.
{shrug} It kind of depends on where and how you are going to
us it. If I'm going out to shoot in the middle of the
winter, my film will be frozen by the time I use it, even if
it started out warm. On those days, I just pull film from
the freezer, throw it in my pack.
On other days, I also just pull it from the freezer and
throw it in my pack. By the time I get wherever I'm going,
it has thawed out. Think about anything else you grab from
the freezer. A roll of film isn't very large. How long will
that take to thaw?
It sounds like it is pretty straight forward and not too much to worry about as long as it gets at least some time to "rest" outside the freezer.
A larger concern to me than cracking, is dew point. If the
film is below dew point, moisture from the air will condense
on it even if it isn't freezing. If it's 80F and 80%, dew
point is at about 75F. If your film isn't at least that
warm, you risk condensation.
This sounds like the main concern here, how do you prevent condensation to build up when taking the roll out of the freezer?
Forgive my lack of knowledge here, but I mean the roll is going to be well under the dew point for X amount of time before it reaches the same temperature as the air outside of the freezer.
What do you do to minimize the risk of condensation?
When I think about it the theme music to Mission Impossible plays in my head. : )
All the best,
JesperWed Jun 6, 2018 10:50 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"John Thurston" juneau99803
On 6/6/2018 9:27 AM, jeppeln@yahoo.com [MF3D-group] wrote:
> how do you prevent condensation to build up when taking the roll out of the freezer?
> Forgive my lack of knowledge here, but I mean the roll is going to be well under the dew point for X amount of time before it reaches the same temperature as the air outside of the freezer.
Don't crack the seal on the foil until the roll has exceeded
dew point. As long as the roll is in its factory packaging,
it is surrounded by dry air and there is nothing to condense.
--
John Thurston
Juneau Alaska
http://stereo.thurstons.us
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