Besides fresh films, many labs in Hanoi periodically stock expired films which are sold out within just a few days. Cheap price is an obvious attraction, yet this item is often frown upon by veteran film shooters who think with film, you pay for what you get. So what’s the pros and cons of shooting expired films and should we do it at all?
Analog photography is a game of high stakes and it is all the more unpredictable with expired films. Below are a few features of fresh and expired films I have learnt for myself, and why I’m fond of these outdated commodities despite knowing well their limitations.
Fresh films – Worth every penny.
Fresh films are within their expiration date. Unlike their expired counterparts, you don’t have to worry about compensating stops but only have to follow the light meter. Your photos will turn out correctly exposed, often smooth and have the desired color. Following the technical guidelines on a fresh film roll well stored, you will have beautiful photos bursting with colors and without grain.
The only disadvantage is that some types of film are quite costly. For example, A Kodak Portra 800 Color, 36 exp 135mm film costs 250k VND, and in total 280k with developing fees. When I first started out, I was keen on testing as many fresh films as possible to see their difference. Now I only shoot fresh films if my job requires because expired films are my first choice.
Expired films – The gift for unexpected experiments.
Films often expire after 2 years from manufacture date. The silver salt will then oxidize, light sensitivity and color masks will degrade, producing photos with less ISO value, more grain and less vibrant colors compared to the same brand of films that hasn’t gone expired.
Most films in the market are 1-3 years past the date of expiry and sold at very reasonable price, only around 40k-80k VND/ roll. For instance, you can get an expired Fuji Superia X-tra 800 24exp roll at the price of 45k when a fresh one will cost 75k VND.
There are also films that are past the expiry date for decades. It is pretty hard to have suitable developing chemicals so I only get them time after time for collecting purpose. There are many popular fresh films like Afga Vista and Fuji C200 available at only 50-55k VND/roll, but to me the joy of shooting film also comes from testing out an unfamiliar brand and getting a new cassette to add to my collection.
To make the best out of expired films
The grainy, washed-out aesthetic is equally loved and hated. But it’s not necessarily the only look you get from expired films. Here are a few tips to enable you take full advantage of your outdated babes.
– Always set ISO lower: with film of ISO 800, you should set it to 400 or even 200 if the expiry date is more than 5 years.
– Always overexpose if you’re uncertain. Shoot in ideal light such as a bright sunny day with low speed and large aperture. As we are not sure how the films have been stored, we have to resort to this method.
– Keep your films in the fridge, be it expired or fresh films. Heat is their number one enemy so the tropical climate of Vietnam makes the degradation process happen much more quickly. Refrigerating films don’t stop degradation altogether but at least it can slow down. And remember to put your film out in room temperature 1 hour before using.
Let’s take a look at two black and white photos taken with fresh and outdated films:
The photo on the left is taken with Ilford Pan Plus 50 expired a long time ago bought at Croplab, and one on the right with Rollei ISO 100 BnW film 135 bought at LeicaStore. Obviously the transition from shadow to highlight is smoother with the fresh roll but for some reason I like the photo with the expired roll better.
“Not everyday is a “indate” day”, I often tell myself before loading an outdated film roll. They always bring me surprises. I will be on edge, nervous to see how the photos will turn out, if they will be well exposed and what the color will look like. Sometimes a perfectly stored expired roll taken in a sunny summer day results in photos identical to a fresh roll. Sometimes they produce dreamy, misty photos of a scorching noon in July.
These are reasons why I always prefer expired films when shooting for myself. I can collect odd film cassettes and save a considerable amount of money to follow the passion for analog that is often considered a bottomless rabbit hole. And I will always remain excited when loading a roll and waiting for it to be developed. How about you, what will be your weapon of choice?
