Gast
I’m looking to build up a large stock of black-and-white film (around 100 rolls), so here are my questions:
1. What is the best way to store film over a long period of time? In your opinion, is storage in the freezer at temperatures down to -18 degrees advisable?
2. And what about shelf life if the films are stored in the freezer – in other words, does this storage method reduce the maximum shelf life?
Gast
Hi Volker
Freezing halts the ageing process.
I always put my film stock in the freezer – and the paper too.
I take the film and paper out at least one day before use so that they thaw properly.
Important! Keep the film in its plastic container, both when freezing and when thawing!
Best regards
Martin
Gast
Hello Volker,
Martin E has already covered the basics, so here’s just a practical observation.
I store film in the darkroom in a fridge at 5 degrees; so no deep-freezing, as I usually use up the film fairly quickly.
I have found that exceeding the official film ‘shelf life’ by two years under these conditions is absolutely safe and does not result in any film degradation.
In fact, I have stored films for three and four years longer under these conditions without any issues!
For example, before Agfa discontinued the APX 25 roll film, I still had a few rolls in storage. I exposed the last one in 2004, years after the expiry date, without any problems.
So, in my experience, as already mentioned, two years’ “storage” is absolutely no problem; even four years is possible if you set the fridge to between 5 and 7 degrees. However, it is important to note that the film must have been handled and stored correctly beforehand; otherwise, you may be in for some nasty surprises, even before the ‘expiry date’ has passed!
Best regards
Lothar
Gast
Hi,
My father used to work at DuPont Neu Isenburg, at the old Schleussner plant. Even back in the 1980s, there were still original laboratory samples of the ‘real’ ADOX in the freezer there, and they were still usable.
Best regards,
Martin
