Out of Date Film?

Harlequin565

Harlequin565

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Hi all,

I'm helping a friend go through a lot of old photography kit to get prices and such, and we found a carrier bag literally full of unused 35mm and 120 film.

The 120 film comes in a pack rather than a roll - not sure what use that's for - but there's nothing there with an expiry date newer than 2003... It's been stored in a carrier bag, on a shelf, in a room inside a house (dry, but subjected to house temperature changes)

Is it fit for the bin? Or worth a giveaway? Or actually worth something depending on what's in there?

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Its all usable applying appropriate factors and no guarantees, so its worth something.

If you go on Ebay, the price of ood film is ridiculous, you could post some in the for sales here for an accurate level where both parties are happy with no guarantees :)
 
Well for the 35mm neg stuff you could play with it but as film at Poundland is £1 a roll, I wouldn't use it for important shots.......but in saying that I have used film back to 2000 (not for important subjects) and it was ok...but then I'm tight as a camel's ar## in a sand storm ;)
 
Very usable. Call it "Lomo" and you'll probably get a decent amount on eBay. Emulsions that were popular but are no longer made can also command a premium - Neopan 1600 etc.
 
Wow. Thanks for the replies.

Looks like it's definitely worth a punt then - although setting prices for it could end up being a bit tricky. I guess it'll depend on the film manufacturer. More stuff to catalogue I guess :( Yet to have the discussion about where to sell all this, but it would be good to give "proper" photographers on TP the first shot rather than going straight to eBay/Gumtree/Loot/Preloved.
 
Well here, I don't think we are into lomo, but as mentioned flog it off on ebay.
 
You don't know who is buying on Ebay, you are never sure the buyer fully understands or accepts the risks, or indeed knows how to shoot ood film, with ebay heavily favouring buyers these days, the potential for aggro is something I'd consider if it was me..:)
 
Harlequin565 said:
Looks like it's definitely worth a punt then - although setting prices for it could end up being a bit tricky. I guess it'll depend on the film manufacturer.
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To answer your post properly - fit for the bin/giveaway/worth something - in general:
  • Fit for the bin: highly out of date consumer bog standard film - although the Poundland film availability seems to be patchy, it makes the market for bog standard consumer film very small. Especially with the cost of sending small packets by Royal Mail, it's not worth it (unless you have a large amount, and someone willing to experiment)
  • Giveaway: things that may be of interest to people like us here on Film & Conventional - unusual film, film for experimenting and playing around with - anything that can justify the postage cost, basically
  • Worth something: as my previous post, popular cult emulsions that are no longer made but are still high in demand. I'm thinking of Ektachrome, the different forms of Fuji Neopan, the old Kodak Portra VC/NC films etc.
 
joxby said:
You don't know who is buying on Ebay, you are never sure the buyer fully understands or accepts the risks, or indeed knows how to shoot ood film, with ebay heavily favouring buyers these days, the potential for aggro is something I'd consider if it was me..:)
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Well yes, but you could put in your advert not tested ot no guarantees etc anyway the stupid prices paid for film you can afford to accept returns for an awkward customer. Also you can try a few first and if too much hassle go somewhere else..maybe there is a lomo forum.
 
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........lomo forum......??



I can hear Asha cracking his knuckles.........limbering up........:ROFLMAO:
 
excalibur2 said:
Well here, I don't think we are into lomo, but as mentioned flog it off on ebay.
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I think there are a fair few of us that shoot out of date film, myself, and @Asha... I have film that's still good from 1998(with unknown storage conditions) and it's still capable of producing a decent 'normal' negative...
 
joxby said:
........lomo forum......??



I can hear Asha cracking his knuckles.........limbering up........:ROFLMAO:
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Darn it I'm up to my lugs in OOD film! :confused:

If the OP has no intention of playing around with the film and intends selling it on, then, stick it on ebay or similar as a job lot with a stupid start bid and simply let it find its value to Lomo togs or whomever.

To be sure you don't get agro as Joxby points out, be sure to state clearly that the film is OOD with no gaurantees of results etc etc and that all responsibility lies with the purchaser.

I've shot b&w film dated back to 1949 and had reasonable results from it....colour stuff is a different story!

It's always a gamble with exposure compensation, colour shifts, fogging ...the list goes on, but providing you shoot it with that in mind then it can be fun.
 
The usability tends to depend more on the storage than on the actual age. My most recent play with OOD film was with an emergency (Renault branded for taking shots of accident scenes) disposable that had lived in the glovebox since 2002. The camera was dated "Develop By 2007". It came back from D&P with the comment that it looked like it had been subjected to excessive temperature variations - no dodos, Sherlock! (The results were pretty much unusable even as an "art" experiment!)
 
Solo man said:
I think there are a fair few of us that shoot out of date film, myself, and @Asha... I have film that's still good from 1998(with unknown storage conditions) and it's still capable of producing a decent 'normal' negative...
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......erm well not intentionally to get weird results that attracts the lomo guys..
 
Thanks again everyone.

The sheer volume of stuff we've got to go through precludes messing around with anything in detail and I'm not farting about on eBay with 99p auctions that get 1 bid and I have to parcel stuff up and ship it. There were a few rolls of various Ilford 35mm (FP4, HP5 & I think some Delta 3200) which I might box up and flog for postage. No point in chucking it away if there's people here willing to experiment. Knowing that - at least - has been helpful, so thanks again for all those taking time to reply.
 
Def worth putting out to pasture to see who wants it. I read an article the other day about putting a film in red wine for 24 hours and the 'beautiful' results - looked like crap to me - but someone might like the film to experiment with. my uncle just gave me some out of date film so will be interesting to see what its like (not as out of date as you've mentioned above).

Maybe there is a college near by that might want it to experiment with? My uncles girlfs son (18) is doing a course and they develop their own film and although they might not want it for projects, it might be something they'd be interested in playing around with and be more impressed by the results.
 
No one is mentioning, when playing with old colour film, the cost of dev...Asda is about the cheapest for £3 plus CD, but if your results are crap then it's money down the drain. But in saying that I've used a lot of old film and 99% are OK well maybe not for exhibitions as IMO old colour film seems to be more grainy. erm well ok some love grain :rolleyes:
B/W is the cheapest if DIY.
 
i assume if someone can't afford to waste money on film developing then they wouldn't be interested in playing with the film as they'd know the risks - which as you say aren't always high. So i guess thats just a given in the discussion?
 
dan_yell said:
i assume if someone can't afford to waste money on film developing then they wouldn't be interested in playing with the film as they'd know the risks - which as you say aren't always high. So i guess thats just a given in the discussion?
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erm well I don't want to waste my time taking shots unless I'm nearly 100% sure they are going to come out so don't mind paying for dev. If it's hit and miss I might as well get a digi :eek:
 
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excalibur2 said:
erm well I don't want to waste my time taking shots unless I'm nearly 100% sure they are going to come out....I can't see any fun in that. If it's hit and miss I might as well get a digi :eek:
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Surely then Brian, you wouldn't be wanting out of date film if that's the case?.
There are still plenty of us developing our own film and are happy to take the risk and have a bit of fun doing so... and some of us even shoot digital as well.
 
Solo man said:
Surely then Brian, you wouldn't be wanting out of date film if that's the case?.
There are still plenty of us developing our own film and are happy to take the risk and have a bit of fun doing so... and some of us even shoot digital as well.
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What colour dev? I use plenty of old film but make it a rule at the bootie not to buy pre 2006..no particular reason for that date, but found I've had no problem from 2006 onwards except as mentioned before about being more grainy...could be Asda scanning as Poundland Vista seems a bit grainy also, but then it's old Fuji C200.
Well for me is not about fun but getting the results I want, but maybe you get the results you want from digi and film is a bit of fun ;)
 
excalibur2 said:
What colour dev? I use plenty of old film but make it a rule at the bootie not to buy pre 2006..no particular reason for that date, but found I've had no problem from 2006 onwards except as mentioned before about being more grainy...could be Asda scanning as Poundland Vista seems a bit grainy also, but then it's old Fuji C200.
Well for me is not about fun but getting the results I want, but maybe you get the results you want from digi and film is a bit of fun ;)
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Well.... for a start I've never paid more than a pound a roll for out of date film(so can't really understand why it fetches a high price).
And, yes, I develop all film.... B&W, C41, E6, cross process both E6 to C41, and C41 to E6, I shoot to get results whether it is film or digital lol..
All these are pre 2000 dated film Fuji/Sensia... some have been cross processed, and some straight developed.
For sure it can be harder work when developing your own, but it is do-able.... with a good bit of luck too.

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You did well for pre 2000 film, and it's probably me (about fun) as I've been there and done it, so now just want WISIWIG from my camera :grumpy:...sometimes I earn results cycling for miles for shots well OK it's for excercise as well ;)
 
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This is what you can get with very old film (exp 2000) the colours are wrong and I can't get them right in Photoshop as if I adjust one colour it affect other parts of the shot......IIRC this might be pro film which you should avoid unless for the lomo guys ;)
Anyone is welcome to try and improve the shot.

Etrs 75mm
 
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Brian, I can't help but think you're contradicting yourself here ;0)

You say you want wysiwyg from your cameras (might be better shooting digital for that!) yet you happily buy film of unknown history from car booties? Regardless of the random 2006 cutoff, you're buying film that's probably been found in the back of a drawer with no idea of the possible outcome.

Just admit it, you're a Lomo hipster really ;0)
 
:D but hey Steve I bought the film at Jessops for the Etrs shot above about 2000 while the Fuji\Kodak consumer film kept quite well, all the pro 120 film gave me problems and threw them away and with postage costs thought who would want the dodgy film here. Anyway I hadn't used the Etrs for quite a while and used some old film in the cupboard to check it was working OK..snappysnap dev was £3 and worth it to see if the camera was still light proof.
And how can anyone turn down 35mm Kodak Gold (or Fuji) 36 exposure for 10p or 20p at the bootie, anyway from experience it ages well and will continue to buy it at those prices (y) but you do have a point in that I would buy some other named bootie film for a gamble
 
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joxby said:
*raises hand*
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...but you only use 120? so no surprise :D but I haven't seen much 120 at the bootie, but would definately buy B\W (also 35mm ) to give to the guys at a meet.
 
excalibur2 said:
...but you only use 120? so no surprise :D but I haven't seen much 120 at the bootie, but would definately buy B\W (also 35mm ) to give to the guys at a meet.
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Thats true........I've got 3 35mm cameras on the go, all with end 2018 date APX 100 in em.........I strongly suspect they'll be ood by the time I soup em !



oh the irony.....:ROFLMAO:
 
Well my photography life is probably similar to a few here in that I started off with 35mm, upgraded to 120 (rarely used my S3 ) then something triggered when I saw all these lovely 35mm cameras going for peanuts and got GAS about 6 years ago, but 120 is my first love but cheap 35mm Asda dev and scanning has slowed me up in switching totally back to 120.
 
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