The trick with expired film is overexposing it by one stop

I keep seeing people post shots from expired film that look muddy and flat. You need to set your ISO lower than what the box says. I shot a roll of 10 year expired Kodak Gold at 100 ISO instead of 400 and the colors actually popped. Last week a buddy showed me his expired film shots where he shot at box speed and they were all dull green. Anyone else find that going one stop lower works better than the usual rule of thumb?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_dixon1mo ago

The "usual rule of thumb" is honestly way too generous for most expired film. I've messed up so many rolls by trusting that one stop overexposure trick and ending up with blah colors. Going two stops lower on the ISO has been my go-to for anything past its date, especially if it's been stored in a hot closet. You gotta remember the film base itself degrades over time, so it needs more light to actually get through. Some people swear by that one stop rule but I think it's a good way to waste a roll.

lewis.charlie1mo ago

Two stops down is the real deal for hot closet film, @angela_dixon...