Old film Old camera

I have been given an old Yashica FX-3 and someone has given me roll of Ilford PANF 50 B&W film that has been stored in a fridge, dated Mar 2005, the film, not the fridge . I am thinking of running this through the camera to "test" what, if anything, is working. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks John, I'll do that and see what happens. I was going to try and have it developed in Boots or one of those Max Speilman shops. I'm not considering going back to film, love the ease of digital too much the only additional cost being the electricity to charge the battery. At the moment it's on ebay for spares or repair but if I can get some images out of it I could "upgrade" the condition

I would look for a specialist b&w lab, there are a fee about

You have done the right thing in putting it on an auction site. Film is dead and is not coming back.. Some here will disagree Because it has a certain nostalgic value for some. More trouble than its worth...

Surely all would disagree? "Film is dead". So it does not exist? It's not available? If your referring to it's decline and lower use by photographers, then say so. If it's just your personal opinion, then say so.

I can't see any trouble with shooting film, dropping it into a lab and getting prints and slides back. Since I started using a 645N II I have used 645 slide film. Seeing the final result is just so uplifting.

Stan's take on his Yashica is perfectly normal for some one who does not intend to start shooting film again.

Best regards

I shot film for decades and I'm not going back but I get the impression there's a hard core minority who still enjoy it. Our own Gray Summers for example who posts some excellent scanned images.

Wouldn't that be classed as digital then.. To reach the wider audience

He posts scans of mono prints and they often display differents qualities to dslr images.

Film can still give a different feel to digital. Main thing for me is being able to use old cameras like Super A's and Spotmatics as it is fun. Most of the time digital is better, but it's a hobby and meant to be fun so playing with a bit of film is what I do. There does seem to be quite a large minority still using it (see the other Pentax forums film photography section and the post pictures thread).

Your old Pan F film should yield results similar to new stock.
Slow speed black and white film ages well. I recently bought
100 feet of Kodak Panatomic-X (ISO32) film made in the 1970's.

Chris

Well, I've fired off one roll on complete rubbish around the garden, just need to find somewhere to have it developed. Am more or less expecting 36 images of the inside of a coalhouse at night

This weeks "Amateur Photographer" poll has 16% of people having shot film in the last month. I probably use film 80% of the time as I find it fun, and the digital camera almost entirely reserved for work images. I was about to write a long critique of comments made in ignorance but then I realised that it what I do at work and I cannot be bothered here!

Luckily (for me) the film section of the US Pentax forums is quite lively unlike here.

K.

The Darkroom UK or Peak Imaging both have an excellent service if a little pricey.

K.

I've shot so much old film (or waited years before developing it) I wouldn't worry about it. For important shots I'd suggest the Ilford lab: link, let them know it's old film and they'll be able to help.

John.