Does film have a shelf life?

ScumLord

I recently got given a film camera. There are a couple of unused films in the bag, my guess would be it's been at least 15 years since this camera has seen the light of day, maybe even longer. Worth taking some photos or would it be a waste of time sending off the films?

DaireQuinlan

Depends a lot on the film and what sort of conditions it was kept in. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot something that had been kept in a fridge for 15 years. If it was kept in the glove compartment of a car I'd have second thoughts (though I would probably still shoot it just to see :-D )

Worst film I probably ever shot was a roll of Agfapan from 1974


But it was a relatively fast film for the time (400asa) and didn't really survive too well.

Oldest thing I ever shot was a glass plate from 1910, came up fine

ScumLord

It's been in a cupboard in the south of spain for at least ten years.

It sounds like it's past it's shelf life.