Pro tip: don't buy expired film from a flea market just because it's cheap

I grabbed three rolls of 35mm film for five bucks at a swap meet in Burbank, thinking it was a steal. Shot a whole roll of what was supposed to be 400 speed color film during a family picnic. Got the scans back and every single frame was a washed-out, grainy mess with weird color shifts. The film was so old it was basically useless. Has anyone actually had luck with expired film, or is it always a gamble?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.tyler2mo agoTop Commenter

Ugh, totally been there. I found a dusty roll of 2003 film at a garage sale and the photos came back with this weird purple tint (like a bad Instagram filter). It's such a bummer when you waste a whole day shooting on it.

roseb472mo ago

That purple tint sounds like a cool, happy accident to me.