Outdated film - still good to use??

I have some outdated colour print film left over from years ago:

Fuji Fujicolor Superia 100 dated Dec 2007
Fuji Fujicolor Superia 400 dated Apr 2007
and 1 roll of Fuji NPZ 800 dated Jul 2005

It has been kept refrigerated since purchase.

Is any of this still likely to be usable and if so does anyone have any tips to get the best from it (like over or under exposure etc.)

Thanks.

Back in the mid 70's, working for Campkins of Cambridge, we used to sell loads of out of date film in a big bin in the shop.

We would run a test batch every few months but had no problems. Most film is remarkably stable as long as it hasn't been in direct heat/sunlight. We stored all new film in the shop in the dark on shelves on the back stairs!

I do recall though a few years later being asked to take some extra wedding shots for a pro friend with Vericolor from his fridge. Back then that was the advice for such film. They all came out covered with spots!

Vericolor was a pro film and needed careful handling. Kodacolor on the other hand was an amateur film, designed to have a Xmas tree at each end.... i.e. It could be left in the camera for over a year

Exactly most film even in the seventies was very tolerant and much longer lasting than dates indicated on packaging.

I'm sure the modern equivalents are just as durable although i've been digital for 9 years now so wouldn't really know!

Thanks both for the info.

So I guess what I should do is try a roll of the Superia and see how it goes, and maybe think of ditching the one roll of NPZ which is a professional film and even more out of date.

I feel I would like to get the film gear out again as I have completely abandoned it since buying the K10D in 2007.

A couple of rolls of Kodacolor and a roll of HP5 have also emerged from the fridge this morning, although these are only just out of date by less than a year.

Dont' DITCH the 800 ASA -- ditch it to me !
I tried to put a 'link' to a sample but this site does not seem to wotk with 'Flickr' to paste in links .


Trying again ! WEll the 'LINK' didn't appear in the post !

wvbarnes : I used Cambridge Cameras for HUNDREDS of rolls of outdated 120 AGFA CT18 films -- I used to get a box of 100 rolls at a time -- I used to get work from a writer who coloured in etchings and I made 6x7 and 6x9 format trannies on the AGFA CT18 films -- then he moved away and I got no more work and then CT18 was discontinued !

Peter, thanks very much, that is really good information about what speed to rate it, just what I wanted to know.

only one way to find out if it is good.... shoot it.
just don't use it for any professional portraits, weddings, or other once in a lifetime photo ops...

I picked up a box of camera kit at the weekend (another auction) which included some sealed boxes of Kodak Ektachrome-X with a use-by date of September 1968 stamped on them. It's rated at ASA64 so it should be quite stable, I've just got to find somewhere that will develop E-2 and I'll give it a whirl...

Might be worth trying :-

http://www.oldfilmprocessing.com/


Benard

Well they do list it, but they only develop it in black and white chemistry and charge £40/roll for the service. I'm not that keen to be honest!

Have you thought of doing it yourself.

I used to, way way back, when I went throught a slide period. Most was C41 but there was another popular one(I do wish I could remember what though)

I'm sorry I can't remember the recipes but they were easily made up from proprietry packs (in those days most photography shops sold brown glass bottles with red labels on them of various brews) and with the film in a spiral tank it didn't take too long either.

I haven't looked but I bet there's someone out there still selling the potions.

regards
Bernard

Home developing isn't really my sort of thing - much rather have a lab do it for me to be honest

I've got half a fridge full of good in-date films that I can get processed at £1.99/roll so the Ektachrome was only an idle curiosity thing. If it means more money and/or hassle to shoot them I won't be bothering.