Film Stored in fridge

<p>I have about 80 rolls of 120/35mm (mostly TRI X) that was stored unopened in a fridge for a prolonged period of time (about a year). I've heard that this can cause problems with moisture. If this is the case what's the best way to deal with this.</p>

<p>John, if they were/are in their original, sealed, unopened wrappers(120) or cans(35mm) you are most likely going to be OK. Still best to use Tupperware or thick sealed bags, with most of the air squeezed out, and freeze them for better long term storage. I would take them out of the fridge and let the wrappers/cans dry out thoroughly first.<br>

Once exposed, keep the film dark, cool and dry (not in the fridge) and process as soon as practical.</p>

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<p>The major problem with refrigerating film is that it gets cold, so when the film is removed from the refrigerator and exposed to humid air, moisture condenses on the film and can cause damage.</p>

<p>To avoid this problem, as Louis says, put the film in a tupperware container or zip-lock bag for refrigeration, and then leave it in that UNOPENED container until it returns to room temperature. The moisture will condense on the outside of the container, but not on the film itself.</p>

<p>I would buy bricks (20 rolls) because you had the same emulsion lot. I did nothing special but stuck the film in the freezer. Fortunately my wife put up with this. The film was used over the course of a year on average. But I was not too careful about the dates. As far as I could tell, freezing suspends the aging of film. After removing the film from the freezer all that I would do was allow the film to return to room temperature, overnight would be fine. No problem. No special handling or any kind of sealing. So that's what works down and dirty. Let that be the simplest plan and anything else is up to you.<br>

I would also add most of my shooting was slide - Kodak E6, which I developed myself. So I would accumulate about 64 exposed rolls before running a gallon of solution from the kit. I would do a marathon processing session. Yes, I had the patience to wait for the results, which by and large were ok. I averaged about 100 rolls of slide film per year. It's crazy since I have gone to digital preview and adjustments just like everyone else. Anyway, I would store the exposed film in the freezer placing the rolls in a container and sealed with tape. There was nothing special about the humidity when I stored the film into the freezer. I would again remove the film and let it come to room temperature before opening the container. <br>

This method worked for me and I can make no complaint since there were no mishaps to speak of for more than 20 years. Good luck. </p>

<p>again: OK if the film is in its original wrappers. Once the foil or can is opened, humid ambient air gets in and putting it BACK into refrigeration can cause condensation.<br>

I had film in the freezer for as much as 20 years (I found it after a two-week power outage at the back of the freezer..), and I shot it and posted results here which ranged from nearly like new to Lomography, depending on the film. Tri-X seemed to be the most resilient, surprisingly to me.</p><div></div>

<p>Sealed Tri-X in the fridge for a year is not a "prolonged" period of time at all. As a matter of fact, there's no reason to put Tri-X in the fridge if it's only for a year. Let it warm up to room temperature before you open it, but it should be just fine.</p>

<p>While there are no guarantees, Tri-X does seem to hold up surprisingly well for a fast film when stored past date. The enemy of frozen film, though, isn't aging of the emulsion, but background radiation that penetrates the freezer and ultimately fogs the film.</p>