Film: freeze or refrigerate

[james.liam]

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General query:

 

Does refrigerating film (36 F or 3 C) rather than freezing it extend the usability beyond its expiration date?

Edited August 7, 2016 by james.liam

[earleygallery]

Yes it will help but freezing is better for longer term storeage.

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[250swb]

Yes freezing does help extend usability of film beyond it's use by date because it gets shoved to the back of the freezer and you forget about it.

 

The expiration date as explained by Ilford in a factory visit has amongst all manufacturers been a variable that has more to do with stock rotation than film degradation. Heat cycles have more of an impact, hot, then cold, then......you get the idea. So cool is safe, cold is safer, frozen is great if you have a big chest freezer and a lot of film. I think Ilford said HP5 was good for five years beyond it's expiry date in normal conditions, but not the hot glove box of a car.

 

Steve

[rjans]

Yes it will help but freezing is better for longer term storeage.

 

+1

 

Best

[Bill Clark]

Maybe for color film freezing helps.

 

B & W my experience, don't think it helps. If you keep your film in a relatively cool dark place, like a cabinet, It should work just fine. I'm using B & W film at least 12 years expired with little if any fog.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Bill Clark

[gberger]

Shooting transparencies, I bought film, in quantity as it was cheaper that way,  and stored it in the freezer.  Storing in the fridge wasn't an option for those multi-roll packs. In retrospect, that was fortunate, as I still have several rolls if Astia remaining.  At one time, I was shooting Kodachrome, well after it had gone out of production. With today's notice that Fuji is ceasing production of 35mm Superia, if I were younger, I might buy a good stock - -  and freeze it.