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Re: [OM] Beating a Dead Horse (Not Animal Rights)

Subject: Re: [OM] Beating a Dead Horse (Not Animal Rights)
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 22:50:59 +0000
Archival lives of the E-6 chromes vary.  The following assumes dark
storage, about 70F (21C), 30-40% RH, and at least some minimal [natural]
air circulation.  This means not up against an outside wall of your
basement near the furnace, in a taped up cardboard box (which won't stop
the humidity), on a shelf next to your pool chemicals.  I don't recommend
ferrous boxes either.  All the figures given below were estimated from some
published esoteric accelerated life testing results using the 80-year life
for Kodak VPS as a benchmark from which to extrapolate.  In other words,
the numbers are rather approximate, and YMMV!

Following Kodachrome (all speeds ~215 years) are Kodak's (current)
Ektachromes (much, much better than the very early Ektachromes).  They are
still ahead of everything else.  Here are some of the E-6's:
  Ektachrome, all:            ~84 years
  Fujichrome, except Velvia:  ~69 years
  Fuji Velvia:                ~50 years
  Agfachrome 1000:            ~28 years
  Scotchchrome 1000:          ~17 years 

With the exception of a few E-6 chromes, they will do better than most, but
not all C-41 color negative.  There are a few of them that will archive
well, just under that of the Ektachromes, down to about that of Fujichrome
(some are no longer made!):
  Kodak VPS:         ~80 years
  Kodak Ektar 1000:  ~74 years
  Kodak Gold 400:    ~65 years (amazing!)

Other C-41's start out about the same as Velvia and go down from there:
  Fuji normal neg films:  ~48 years
  Konica 100:             ~41 years
  Kodak VR films:         ~41 years
  Kodak Ektar 25:         ~33 years
  Fuji Reala:             ~31 years
  Kodak Gold 100:         ~31 years
  Kodak Vericolor HC:     ~31 years
  Agfa various:           ~28 years
  Kodak VPL:              ~11 years

While I've seen horrible degradation of some 25-30 year old C-41, YMMV
depending on the film, and you could get as long as 50-80 years.  Based on
the other half's and her mother's negatives, I think the old Kodacolor II
is similar or less than Gold 100 (20-25 years).  Hmmmm, how long did all
those marriages shot with VPS last?  This may help Lex with a few film
choices (the Fujichromes are about two decades better than Fuji's color
negatives).

For more on archival and preservation of color films, *the* book is:
The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs by Henry Wilhelm

-- John
who continues to use a *lot* of Kodachrome!

At 23:39 9/23/00 , Lex Jenkins wrote:
>Good question - one which I myself have asked and explored - with no simple 
>answer.
>
>The advice of folks I respect for their expertise leads me to conclude that 
>there remain the three familiar (color) films:
>
>1. Kodachrome for best *dark storage* archival properties;
>
>2. Most E6 process slide films for surprisingly good *light storage* or 
>displayed archival properties;
>
>3. Certain C41 negative films for maximum latitude, with the trade-off being 
>shorter archival properties.
>
>For now I'm continuing to shoot Kodachrome for work I consider to be of long 
>term significance.  Meanwhile, I'm exploring various E6 films for one with 
>superior scanning properties and more generous latitude. So far that's 
>looking like Fuji Astia or Provia (100).
>
>I'll keep shooting negative films for much of my work because what I shot 20 
>years ago still looks good.
>
>Lex

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