Fuji Superia 100 acting oddly

With respect, it's a 17 year-old batch of film whose storage you've taken on faith. Unless you're getting your processing for free, I'd buy some fresh Superia 200 and move on. It's not pretty.

I'd buy some fresh Superia 200 and move on. It's not pretty.

Is it still available anywhere?

Without seeing the original negs to check density, mask colour etc. it's very difficult to tell from a positive scan where the problem lies.

 

The film might be totally fine, and the processing or scanning, or both, may well be the culprit.

 

I strongly suspect the scanning software, since it was relatively easy to correct the colour - slight crossed curves, but that again could have occurred in processing or scanning.

 

I'd have some proof prints made with the next roll. If the RA2 prints are awful, then that throws the blame back on the film (or processing. It's not out of the question.).

First I must confess that I don’t have much experience shooting outdated film. That being said --- Film is made in batches. Each batch will have unique characteristics, color films particularly. Color films are sandwiches constructed by laying down several emulsions. As of ISO speed, the best one can expect is a manufacturing tolerance of about 1/6 f-stop. Now we develop this film. If the developing process is maintained to industry standards, the very best that can be maintained is also 1/6 f–stop. Let me tell you that maintaining 1/6 f-stop is no easy task. You need a full time chemist and quality control person. In other words, under best performance conditions, maintaining an endpoint of 1/3 f-stop is a formidable task. Been there -- done that (years and years of it)!

 

 

Now I have read on many photo question and answer site, “outdated film drops in its ISO speed”. I say this might happen, but my training an experiences say the opposite. Let me explain:

 

 

Film is comprised on light sensitive salts of silver imbedded in gelatin; this is what we call an emulsion. Not an emulsion, a colloidal suspension, too late to change the false jargon now. If the silver salts were highly purified, they would be insensitive to light. They are light sensitive and this is achieved by doping (adding impurities). Even the gelatin is contributor. The end result is a hodgepodge of silver salts, each different is size and different in ISO. Some are totally insensitive. The final ISO is an average of the jumble.

 

 

Now film is not just sensitive to light, it responds to heat, pressure, and ionizing radiation. Just sitting on the shelf, it is continuously being bombarded. This is true even if frozen. Think of each light sensitive crystal as if it needs a determinate number of photon hits to be rendered developable. Let’s say the average crystal in the emulsion, when hit by 1000 photons will develop. If the hits are less, say 900 this crystal will develop if kept in the developer 10% longer. Get the idea?

 

 

We’ll all the while on the shelf this crystal is being hit by radiation plus it is undergoing a chemical change over time that will render it developable. In other words, sooner of latter most crystals will become developable even if never exposed to light. The number of hits required to render the crystal developable is call the threshold.

 

 

What I am trying to say, each crystal via just plain time or by radiation hits, moves closer and closer to its threshold. As this happens, the aged film, now loaded in a camera, if not completely fogged, will need less camera exposure to render it developable. This is the concept whereby, aged film has a higher ISO.

 

 

Now for the clincher: Hyper sensitizing is a method used to elevate the ISO of a film. One film, say 800 ISO can be treated to cause it to operate at say 1600 ISO. This is common practice in film manufacturing. It is also common in astronomy where films are treated to force them to gain speed and improve reciprocity characteristics. Accomplished by baking the in the present of specific gases. Accomplished by pre-exposing film (flashing), to low levels of light of a specific color. Accomplished by exposing the film to specific chemical fumes etc. All this and more will caused film to gain In ISO (hyper sensitization).

Most negative films do a little better with a little more exposure, new or old.

 

For older films, it can get a little more above any age fog.

 

For reversal films, this doesn't help. They should be exposed at box speed, in which case they either work or don't.

 

I always forget without looking it up, but Superia seems to be a C-41 film.

 

You do have to appropriately adjust when printing or scanning for any added exposure. (EI reduction)

The issue with fog and colour negative film is that the contrast mask is affected. That's the overall amber/orange tint you see on colour neg film.

 

The contrast mask is composed of yellow and magenta coloured dye-couplers, which lose and change their original colour when developed. The purpose of this is to increase the contrast of otherwise weak dyes in the final negative.

 

To cut to the point: any fogging of those couplers will weaken the contrast mask (by destroying its colour during development) without any corresponding image being formed. With the result that one or more of the CMY dye curves will also be weakened.

 

This can be fairly easily corrected after, or during scanning. Not so easy with conventional wet printing. Therefore the acid test is whether a decent photographic print can be made from the negatives after properly controlled C41 processing.

Is it still available anywhere?

Regularly available along with 400 in Toronto. Superia 100, which I never liked, is long departed. Don't understand shooting film this crusty and then kvetching about the results.

Regularly available along with 400 in Toronto. Superia 100, which I never liked, is long departed. Don't understand shooting film this crusty and then kvetching about the results.

400 is widely available here and there and it's my preferred film for low light, considering the price tag and amateur nature of my activities, but it's nearly impossible for me to find fresh 200 for a reasonable price (that is less than 7$ per roll)