On a recent walk around Princeton University, I exposed an expired Kodak Portra 400 BW 35mm film cartridge.
Kodak Professional Portra 400BW was a multi-purpose chromogenic black and white negative film designed to be processed in standard C-41 chemistry alongside rolls of colour negative film and printed on standard colour paper. It was developed like a colour-negative film in the C-41 process and delivered monochrome images like a black-and-white film. The film was intended for exposure with daylight, electronic flash, and artificial illumination.
Kodak Professional Portra 400BWW was a versatile film for 35mm and medium format cameras. It was made with a Kodak T-Grain emulsion and had a wide exposure latitude. Production of the Kodak Portra 400BW was discontinued and replaced with Kodak Professional BW400CN, which was also discontinued. This film incorporated Kodak T-GRAIN® emulsions, which provided excellent grain and sharpness at a relatively high speed. This film was used for portrait and wedding applications and many commercial applications.
I awoke on Monday morning feeling out of sorts. Not physically but emotionally. I was conflicted about a difficult decision I had to make. I needed to clear my head. It was Presidents Day's federal banking holiday, so I had the day off. After breakfast, I grabbed my Minolta X-700, MD W.Rokkor-X 28mm F2.8 lens and loaded an expired roll of Kodak Professional Portra 400BWW from the box of expired 35mm film that my friend had sent me. I mounted the setup to my Manfrotto tripod. It was an overcast morning, and I wanted to ensure I could expose frames at a lower shutter speed if needed. I tried to avoid motion blur.
As I walked around the Princeton University campus, I became more relaxed. The air was cool, but I was comfortable. It was still early, and the campus was coming alive. I focused on bicycles. They are easy to find on campus. I walked west of Olden Street near the School of Engineering and Applied Science on Shapiro Walk. Shapiro Walk took me to the Fountain of Freedom.
I exposed several frames to photograph the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Foreign Policy magazine ranks the Princeton School second in the world for international relations at the undergraduate level behind Harvard University and fourth at the graduate level, behind the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University.
I exposed this 35mm roll of Kodak Portra 400BW at box speed. The scans exhibit a lot of chunky film grain. I think this is because I did not expose the film correctly. I had not yet learned about the "overexpose by one stop for each decade the film has expired" rule. I should have exposed the film at ISO 50, thereby overexposing each frame to adjust for the age of the film.
The film cartridge was developed at Boutique Photo Lab and scanned on my Epson Perfection V600 with VueScan 9. I made some minor cropping and perspective adjustments in Adobe Lightroom.
After I exposed my first roll of expired 35mm film, I learned that expired film should be overexposed by one step for each decade since the film expired. Good advice.
Last summer, a box filled with rolls of expired 35mm film arrived unexpectedly at my doorstep. Months earlier, I had contacted a college friend about the camera equipment she used at my wedding. Bhavna and I didn't have money for a photographer, and our friend Traci stepped in and offered her skills. I told her I was reshooting the film, and she mentioned that her mom had some expired rolls of 35mm film that she would send me.
Even though they were expired, I was delighted and couldn't wait to see what I could do with them. I catalogued each film stock, recording the type and the quantity. I have already used some of the expired film stock with varying results. After I exposed my first roll I learned that expired film should be overexposed by one step for each decade since the film expired. I updated the table in the original post to include a column for what ASA could be used for the expired film.
I am only guessing at the expiration dates using the year the film stock was discontinued as a guide.
Kodak Professional BW400CN was a chromogenic black-and-white 35mm film with an ISO rating of 400. The film used colour dyes to produce a black-and-white image and was designed to be processed in standard C-41 colour-negative chemistry. This means that it could be developed using the same process as colour-negative films, making it more accessible to photographers who did not have access to traditional black-and-white processing facilities.
The 35mm film was versatile, creating sharp, fine-grained images, making it suitable for various shooting conditions and styles, from landscapes to portraiture.
Kodak Professional BW400CN film had a nominal sensitivity of ISO 400, making it a versatile choice for various lighting conditions. It was known for its fine grain and smooth tonal gradations, which produced images with excellent detail and contrast. The film also had a broad exposure latitude, meaning it could capture a wide range of tones in bright and shadow areas.
One of the benefits of using Kodak Professional BW400CN was that it could be scanned and printed using standard colour printing processes. This made it an attractive option for photographers who preferred to work digitally or who wanted to make prints using traditional colour printing services. It was popular among photographers who wished for a black-and-white film's look-and-feel without needing specialised processing equipment. Kodak Professional BW400CN was the successor to Kodak Professional Portra 400BW.
Exposing an expired roll of 35mm film can result in unpredictable results, as the film's sensitivity to light may have degraded over time. I read on the Internet that to ensure the best possible outcome, it is recommended to overexpose the film by 1 to 2 stops to compensate for its decreased sensitivity. Expired film can be more prone to graininess and other anomalies. I set realistic expectations and was open to the possibility of unexpected results.
I waited for a sunny day to ensure I had opportunities to test the film in various lighting and see how it performed. On a cold day in February, I grabbed my camera, set the ISO to 80, inserted a roll of Kodak BW400CN, and drove to Princeton University. I did my best to take notes, but I expected the worst. Exposing an expired roll of 35m film is like playing the lottery; you most often lose, but when you win, it's exhilarating. When I sent the cartridge to Boutique Film Lab, I expected that I might be wasting $14.
I parked the car on campus and started walking toward the Firestone Library. The air was colder than I expected. I checked the weather app on my iPhone. The outdoor temperature was about 0ºC. There was a strong breeze. I walked for about twenty minutes before I started to lose feeling in my fingers. I exposed a few frames near the John Witherspoon Statue and the Firestone Library before turning around and heading back home.
John Witherspoon was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence and served as the sixth president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University.
I had a scheduled haircut on Friday afternoon at Revival Barber Shop in Hillsborough. Since we now have only one car, I dropped Bhavna off at work and kept the car. I used the opportunity to expose a few more frames outside her office complex. The orange American muscle car was the main attraction.
The next day, Bhavna, Shaan and I stopped at Flounder to try some of their new ales. I exposed two frames inside the brewery under challenging lighting conditions. The brewery was poorly lit, and at ISO 80, shooting indoors was challenging. After a few half-pints, we put returned home. I put the camera away and didn’t pick it up again until later in the week.
I mentioned it before. While 36-exposure 35mm film cartridges are more economical, I prefer the 24-exposure film cartridge. After about 24 frames, I am anxious to finish the film, and I often rush "to get it over with", exposing the last frames for the 36-exposure cartridge without much thought. In this case, I completed the cartridge, photographing subjects inside my home and on the street outside.
I am delighted with the results from the expired 36-exposure cartridge of Kodak Professional BW400CN. I have a few more, but I want to be patient and exposed when I have more interesting subject matter. That means waiting for another sunny day.
Name
Kodak Professional BW400CN
Format
35mm
Features
chromogenic black and white negative
Native ISO
400
Price
FREE
Exposed ISO
100
Lab
Boutique Film Lab
Process
C41
Scanner
Epson Perfection V600
Software
VueScan 9, Negative Lab Pro, Adobe Lightroom
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to using ALL the cookies. However, this website has no interest in selling your information. It does not explicitly use social media cookies from Facebook, Google, Twitter, Threads, Instagram etc. Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.