Expired Ektachrome dates

So I've just purchased about 7 different rolls of ektachrome in medium format, ektachrome 400 (2 box styles) ektachrome 160t and EPN 100D in 220 format.

 

The rolls of ekt 400 are in boxes (though their original owner scratched the dates off, you can still see the date started in 19 on the older packet) and the other two were just in their film packets, and I was wondering if anyone would be able to identify the approximate expirey dates and give me any tips on how to compensate for their age properly. I've read that some people cross process in c41, however I exclusively want slides

 

 

Thanks

 

I'd put the bottom two at sometime in the 70s or 80s, and the top ones sometime in the early 90s. I'm not exactly sure when Kodak switched over from the paper/foil to full mylar sleeve, but I have some LPP that expired in '96 or '97 that is in blue/yellow mylar.

 

As far as how to compensate for it-you honestly really can't with reversal film in my experience. It most often manifests in some loss of contrast, some color balance shift, and for me most notably a loss of saturation. Some film fairs decently well-I have some Velvia(50) sheets that expired in '97 and was sold to me as "always frozen"-I've kept it that way and it still looks great, with just a bit of loss in "bite" vs. in-date film. On the other hand, IMO Ektachrome 400 didn't look that great to begin with, and faster films tend to handle long term storage worse than slow films.

 

I'd experiment first by shooting at box speed. You can TRY a bit of overexposure(perhaps try bracketing 1/3 to 1/2 over on your first roll), but don't get too crazy with this. If you want to process these in E-6, you're pretty well stuck with what you get.

I shoot a lot of expired slides mainly ektachrome. I have stuff expired as late as 1987, i shoot all of it at box speed. I wouldn't overexpose like you do with color neg film when expired more than a decade. I only process them in E6.

IMHO, even if exposure compensation was a solution for old film, there is not much exposure latitude in slide film to make a difference. I just shot some Tr-X from the 90's that had slight fog. I knew it could happen, but I took a chance. Most of the time my old film is okay, so I suggest just shoot it, I bet most of it is okay.

 

Best,

Henry

This sorta gives new meaning to the term "crap shoot." There's not enough material here to play with clip tests or to approach dialing in compensation when age and storage conditions are unknown. Expect some "interesting" color shifts.I shoot expired E-6 materials but only those I bought fresh and stored myself. Have fun with it. Want predictable results? Buy fresh film.

Thanks for the help guys. I've shot some expired ektarchrome 100 from 2006 which i liked, and exposing it at 50 asa gave quite nice results. I dont really mind colour casts and they can look quite interesting if you're lucky

 

Also, if I was to say, shoot it at box speed and then increase development, might that give better results that over exposure? I dont expect perfect results as it is obviously not going to be as good as fresh, but I'd like to do as much as I can to be as efficient as possible with it

If it looks underexposed, the best thing you can do is increase exposure, although there again there's a limit to how much this will help.

 

All extending the first developer time REALLY does is increase the contrast. In expired film, you're already dealing with a somewhat compressed tonal scale both from base fog and loss of sensitivity-increasing the contrast within that range won't necessarily help you.

Negative films have enough exposure latitude, especially color negative films, that you can increase exposure to get above the fog.

 

But fog depends much on storage conditions.

 

If the film has been frozen or refrigerated, in sealed containers, it will last a reasonable number of years.

 

One day in a hot car in the sun, and it is useless.

 

Slide films don't have the exposure latitude that allows increasing exposure, so your best hope is

good storage conditions, and box speed.

 

If you have some rolls with likely the same storage conditions, developing one will give you an idea

what to expect for others.

As mentioned by Glen H, Overexposure isn't going to help you with reversal film, you'll just blow out your highlights. It will help though if you cross process this film into a negative which I'd advise but as you mention you need transparencies. Cross processing will significantly increase the contrast of this film and concerns over the color shifts that come with that will likely be moot because the color will be shifted regardless. Either way the color is going to be funky but that's probably why you want to shoot this anyway.

 

Over exposing and over developing reversal film will only blow out your highlights and make your shadows thin. My opinion if you need a slide, shoot and develop to spec.

 

I agree with Ben Hutcherson's date guess.

 

Greg Miller

Film Rescue International