Frozen Plus-X

<p>I just discovered several rolls of 35mm Plus-X pan at the bottom of my freezer. The expiry date is May 1999. I believe it's been there since at least 1997-98. </p>

<p>Would any of you take a chance shooting it? The oldest film kept in the deep freeze I've ever used was under 10 years past date. </p>

<p>I'm inclined to use it as I hate to waste anything. I don't develop my own anymore due to health issues, so this will go out to a local lab or Dwayne's. </p>

Should be fine, but test a roll before any important pictures.

<p>I shot some T Max 400 that was 12 years out of date, stored at room temperature. Exposed and processed normal it had a just detectable to the eye increase in base fog.</p>

<p>I shot some TriX that was 30 years out of date and it required extra exposure and modified development to get a printable negative. It was kept in a bulk loader stored at room temperature, a freebie from Craigslist. </p>

<p>Shoot a test roll bracketing each subject 1/2 stop and 1 stop over metered then evaluate the negatives when you get them back. Either the normal or +1/2 stop will be the correct exposure. Be sure to use a verity of subjects and lighting if possible. </p>

<p>Especially if it has been frozen, but probably even if it hadn't been, film that is only 15 years old should be good still. I've shot much older film and had it come out fine.</p>

<p>Just don't shoot any "once-in-a -lifetime" shots with the first roll, just in case. Tri-X in my personal experience has actually been more resistant to the effects of age than Plus-X, but I suspect that was an anomaly.</p>

<p>I finished up a bulk roll of Plus-X this summer which was 10 years past expiration date, and kept in a freezer, with no problems. Although I develop my own B&W, I used standard times, etc. on the end of the bulk roll, so you should have no problems with a lab developing it for you using normal procedures.</p>

<p>Thanks to all. The responses confirm what I figured would be the answer. I will shoot off one roll to test the stock, some family snaps, nothing critical. If I have anything not too boring, I'll post it in the future.</p>

<p>More a problem than age is moisture. If it isn't sealed well enough, or when warming it up, moisture could get in.<br>

But otherwise, it should be fine. </p>

<p>Has anyone used The Darkroom for b&w? I used Dwayne's about 10 years ago for several rolls of Tri-X and the results were less than stellar. </p>

<p>Well, I just did a couple of test rolls at Dwaynes for C-41 last week and the results were the cleanest negatives I have seen in a long time. I just had them do processing, no prints or scans.<br /> Mailed them on Thursday afternoon, got the negatives back Wednesday morning.</p>

<p>For ordinary B&W I have a bag with some dark in it, and do my own.</p>

<p>Film more than ten or fifteen years old may well show signs of γ-ray (gamma ray) radiation effects. We are continuously bombarded by these rays from the universe and what Kodak and others did to escape the effects on unexposed film and papers was to store them in deep mines. You should try the films and possibly increase development time in steps from the normal to judge any loss of speed.</p>