[pure-silver] Re: expiration dates on film boxes

  • From: "Koch, Gerald" <gkoch02@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 11:10:20 -0400

Hi Richard,

I thought about the case for color film.  Then I got to thinking that if
the sensitivity and contrast of professional color film can change and
are considered critical why can't the situation be the same for
professional B&W. Maybe I am over intellectualizing the problem. ???

Jerry

-----Original Message-----
From: pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Richard Knoppow
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 8:40 AM
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: expiration dates on film boxes



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Koch, Gerald" <gkoch02@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:45 AM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: expiration dates on film boxes


Professional film is treated differently from amateur film, 
at least by
Kodak.  Professional films are held after manufacture until 
their
sensitivity and contrast match a standard.  Then they are 
released for
sale.  Thus a film like TXP is not "fresh from the factory" 
but it is at
a certain known point in its life cycle.  This is to insure 
consistency
between runs.  In contrast, amateur films are released 
almost
immediately after manufacture.

  I don't think this is true of B&W film. Kodak states that 
this is true for color films. Amateur films are made such 
that the balance and other characteristics are acceptable 
when fresh and at the expiration date and drift through an 
optimum at some point in time. Professional films are 
intended to be stored under refrigeration until use and are 
designed to have optimum and reproducable balance at the 
time of purchase. Dealers for the pro products are required 
to refrigerate them under conditions specified by Kodak.
   The main issue is color balance which is affected by even 
slight changes of speed and especially curve shape of the 
individual layers of the emulsion. B&W film does not have 
this problem and is in all ways less critical.
   Some Kodak "pro" B&W films have retouching surfaces on 
both sides where the amateur film does not.
   My own experience is that longevity is very brand 
dependant. For instance, I have a lot of Plus-X sheet film 
which was bought outdated perhaps 15 years ago. I also have 
some Agfa APX-10 sheet film which was bought new perhaps 12 
years ago. The Plus-X has become slightly foggy. A small 
amount of bromide added to the developer results in 
completely clear film edges. The APX-100 is much more foggy. 
I have not yet tested it with a large dose of bromide but I 
think it may be unusable.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

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