Likelihood of Damaged Film

[bond measure s]

I have several roles of 16mm Kodak film in a fridge that have been under a watchful eye for several months but for a short period of time where out of my control.

The question is, really how sensitive is film to the elements? How long would it have to be left in the sun, hot car, or even an 80-90 degree room before it spoiled?

I just want to avoid having to do a snip test on the rolls to see if they are ok. (Especially b.c some of the rolls are 100 ft rolls, too many tests would have to be taken.)

Another question is some of that film is black and white, is black and white just as sensitive, less so? What would damaged b & w do beside fog, or grain. Furthermore some of the b&w film is reversal does that change anything?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Steve Laramie]

main things to watch for are magnets and xrays those are imediate film damage and obviously light exposer.

 

[Mattykins]

Leave it in a hot car all day and you are sure to get some funky images.

Really, it needs to be out of the sun, frozen, or in the fridge. There is a very likely possibility it could be pretty messed up at this point. Especially in high heats like that. Black and White is the same thing really. Grain isn't exactly damage, it is apart of the film. Fogging on the other hand is bad.

I would test them before shooting anything critical.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Another question is some of that film is black and white, is black and white just as sensitive, less so? What would damaged b & w do beside fog, or grain. Furthermore some of the b&w film is reversal does that change anything?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Black and white film is more stable than color. If the 'insult' was short, whatever the effect, it is probably correctable.

I would imagine that heat and humidity is more of a problem with film running throught the camera, than color shifts, or other types of damage due to heat, since the film stock could stick to itself and tear or peel... but that would be due to perhaps after long heat + humidity + no acclimitization period...

I've only worked with still film in hight heat + humidity, and most of the problem was the 'sticky' everything... glasses fogged, hands dripping... etc... or in 'underwater' photography were moisture got into the Nikonos film area...

But why are we talking about Film... I mean, if you really want to carry your Daguerreotype Movie Camera out to a shoot...