What's normally supposed to occur when shooting with expired film?

[attack_donut]

I know that film can still be considerd good after the exp date, but generally speaking, if I run across film from say, 1975, and shoot with it, what should happen when it gets developed?

[Fen]

Maybe dodgy colours, maybe no picture, maybe nothing will happen...

Give it a try

[huwevans]

Also quite likely to be fogged to some degree. As Fen says, only one way to find out.

[zx9]

Perhaps you should make sure it can still be developed i.e E6 for slides and C41 for negs, before spending too much time and effort.
As to what to expect, if the film was sealed in its original packaging, perhaps a bit muddy and an interesting colour cast. If it has been part used and left in camera then I would expect very muddy colours and perhaps not worth the effort.

C41 Kodak 400ASA exposed about 10 years ago and processed about a week ago.


Same roll of film exposed just before processing.


Please excuse the dust and scratches, I just could not be bothered to take more care after I discovered there was nothing interesting on the beginning of the roll.

[SUNSHINE]

Don't take any important photographs ~ I used some well out of date 120 colourfilm (it hadn't been stored with care, just kicking about at the back of a drawer) The colours weren't too far out of range, but some of the emulsion was lifting in places.
It's always worth trying it out for experimental purposes, but don't expect "normal" results.

Jo

[PeteE]

If you use outdated colour neg film ( and B/W) especially fast 400ASA and faster it will need more exposure. I used some 2002 dated Fuji Superia 400 in Morocco,rated it at 200ASA,had one cassette processed there and it was perfect-took the rest and won some prizes at my Club for RA4 prints I did! I was given some Fuji 1600 ASA and rated it at 400 ASA and it came out OK.

[John_K]

I think a film from 1975 will not give you anything usable because current C41 precessing came into use after that date. The C22 process in use then was totally different with lower temperatures and more steps in the development stage.

[Benchista]

C41 came in in 1972 for 110, 1973 for other formats, with the introduction of Kodacolor II. However, there were certainly older processes still in use in 1975. Most can still be developed in the UK by sometime member here Dom Roberts (no relation!) at Process C22.

[JJM74]

I guess a lot of it's down to storage. I recently used some 120 Porta ISO 400 that had a use by of 2001. I used it as an ISO 200 and it was fine. But it had been sealed, in the dark, and at a steady temperature. Did make sure I didn't use it for anything important though, just in case...

[Learning]

You are expected to be surprised by the results.

[Buri_Ram]

I have been using some Kodachrome 200 recently with expiry dates in the early 90s; on each film the first frame fogged and the other 35 were perfect. I was suprised by the results...

[parkeremily10]

It totally depends. There is a possibility that nothing much happens to your photograph but their is one possibility also that you photo might get some problems such as blur pictures, color problems etc.

[nimbus]

Just noticed this one. Kodachrome is more stable than other colour films, due to it's unique make up where I understand the dyes are added in the processing stage rather than incorporated into the emulsion at the manufacturing stage. I have used out of date K64 on a number of occasions in the past, if anything it seems to have been better than fresh stock!

However some out of date Fujichrome produced some rather lurid colour rendition.