Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/25

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Film (er) Cache
From: don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory)
Date: Thu May 25 18:49:21 2006
References: <1703bf16caf0.16caf01703bf@shaw.ca>

Greg,
If color film has a long expiration date, say three years out, I would leave
it at 20C(dark space, no solar input, in original plastic containers) for
about a year to season it to where the manufacturer set the aim points.
Then freeze it as cold as you can get it till 24-48 hours before you need
it.  NASA kept film in liquid nitrogen for ten or more years with no
significant change in any aspect of the film.  B&W should go in the freezer
now.

If you are a control junkie, then take a representative roll out,  in the
dark pull out the equivalent of five frames out and process them in a known
process.  If B&W use a developer that you know will still be around in five
years (say D76).  If color then use a lab that keeps their processor in good
control.  Ask to see their control charts. Lines should be flat with no
sudden ups or downs, lines ideally will be within 3 points of the zero point
but a flat chart at the control line is better than one that goes up and
down like a ping pong ball within a ten point range.  Now you will freeze
the rest of that roll in a moisture proof container and in about five years
pull it out and process another five frames just like before.  You can
borrow a labs densitomiter to see how much the dmin has moved if any.

The general organic chemistry rule of half the activity for every ten
degrees F drop holds pretty close.  It is actually gets better the further
below 0 degrees F you get.  A very conservative approach would be a two year
expiration date and stored at -10 F, you would get at least 14 years out of
that film.  Places that could get you in trouble would be a location high in
gamma radiation so check the radon in your basement.  I would check
especially close to you mother in law suite. :) :)

Don
don.dory@gmail.com


On 5/25/06, GREG LORENZO <gregj.lorenzo@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
> Film and other obsolete bits have been arriving by the truckload here
> every day this week and now the wife, the postman, the UPS man and the
> Purolator guy are on a first name basis waving to each other, etc.
>
> Now I've got to store a considerable amount of film. Kodak, Ilford and
> Fuji can up their film prices 20%, and/or discontinue certain lines and 
> I'll
> be reasonably immune.
>
> My question for the other film hermits out there is: when to freeze vs
> refrigerate? Do you freeze almost everything right away or wait until you
> film gets closer to the expiry date before freezing, or some combination. 
> If
> you freeze too much, can you subsequently move film to the fridge with
> impunity?
>
> Regards,
>
> Greg
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

In reply to: Message from gregj.lorenzo at shaw.ca (GREG LORENZO) ([Leica] OT: Film (er) Cache)