Expired Film and ISO Speed

[wogears]

<p>Hi all!</p>

<p>Just put a roll of Kodak Max 400 (CG 400-8) through my F100. All of the negs looked about 1.5 stops underexposed (possibly more). Checked the camera--meter reads the same as my D300 and Sekonic L-508. Shutter sounds fine. Now Max is an old film--could it have lost that much speed over time? It has no expiration date, but I believe it was first manufactured in 2001.</p>

<p>TIA,<br>

Les</p>

[randrew1]

<p>1.5 stops is a lot, but 13 years is a very long time, especially for a higher speed film. It might lose that much speed. </p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>With color film each color layer might not be affected by age the same as the others so color shifts may also occur. Most color negative films handle overexposure better than underexposure so rating it at 250 or even 200 might give better results. However, YMMV.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Not only do you lose speed, you also get base fog. Cosmic rays do that. Inescapable.<br>

That requires more exposure, since you have expose past the base fog in the shadows.</p>

[wogears]

<p>Cosmic rays? Can I get a cool superpower?</p>

<p>Yes, the base fog level is very high. Threw out remainder of film (three rolls, bought for $1 ea.). Got some in-date stuff.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>You threw away rolls of classic aged film? Those aren't flaws - they're character. You could have sold those to a Lomo-toting hipster for $25 each.</p>