Control strips? How long do they keep?

I'm thinking about getting some control strips to track how I'm doing.
Will they keep if I freeze them? Looking at the ones available locally I'm
leaning towards the Fuji ones. The box is smaller. Does it make a
difference? I'm using a mix of Kodak,Fuji and Agfa film.

Thanks
Nick

Nick Zentena wrote:

I'm thinking about getting some control strips to track how I'm doing.
Will they keep if I freeze them? Looking at the ones available locally I'm
leaning towards the Fuji ones. The box is smaller. Does it make a
difference? I'm using a mix of Kodak,Fuji and Agfa film.


And I mean C-41 strips if it matters.

Nick

McLeod wrote:


Yes, they should be stored frozen. Take one out at a time and store
them in a paper safe or other dark storage for the same amount of time
each time, usually 10 or 15 minutes is enough for them to be totally
up to room temp before processing.
If you are using a rotary tube processor that has consistent temp and
agitation and the chemicals are fresh each time you may just want to
run enough to see if your developer time should be longer or shorter.


I reuse bleach and fix but make up fresh developer each batch. I'm just
wondering how long the strips will be good for if frozen? The small box is
30 strips and that's a lot of batches of film.

Thanks
Nick

On Sun, 12 Sep 2004 10:25:56 -0500, Nick Zentena
wrote:


I'm thinking about getting some control strips to track how I'm doing.
Will they keep if I freeze them? Looking at the ones available locally I'm
leaning towards the Fuji ones. The box is smaller. Does it make a
difference? I'm using a mix of Kodak,Fuji and Agfa film.

Thanks
Nick

Yes, they should be stored frozen. Take one out at a time and store
them in a paper safe or other dark storage for the same amount of time
each time, usually 10 or 15 minutes is enough for them to be totally
up to room temp before processing.
If you are using a rotary tube processor that has consistent temp and
agitation and the chemicals are fresh each time you may just want to
run enough to see if your developer time should be longer or shorter.

I'm thinking about getting some control strips to track how I'm doing. Will
they keep if I freeze them? Looking at the ones available locally I'm leaning
towards the Fuji ones. The box is smaller. Does it make a difference? I'm using
a mix of Kodak,Fuji and Agfa film. And I mean C-41 strips if it matters.

Nick, when stored in a freezer, most C-41 control strips are good for about 14
months after manufacture. The Kodak strips have an expiration date on each box
along with the batch code number.

They will remain good for a reasonable time after that, but eventually the blue
Dmin will begin to increase from the effect of ambient radiation on the film.
Eventiually, the LD and HD will shift.This is true of any brand of film or
control strip. Older film you are shooting in your camera may still give good
results a year or two after expiration, but when you are trying to hold a Dmin
control plot to +.03 action and +.05 control limits. it just won't work.

Unless you are using a replenished processor and need to track the consistency
of your process from day to day and make chemical corrctions if needed, I don't
think you really need the expense of control strips. For a rotary tube or small
tank process using fresh developer each time, it will help you verify your time
and temperature, but after that initial run, you shouldn't see any change if
you are consistant in your methods.


Bernie

I'm thinking about getting some control strips to track how I'm doing. Will
they keep if I freeze them? Looking at the ones available locally I'm leaning
towards the Fuji ones. The box is smaller. Does it make a difference? I'm using
a mix of Kodak,Fuji and Agfa film. And I mean C-41 strips if it matters.

Nick, when stored in a freezer, most C-41 control strips are good for about 14
months after manufacture. The Kodak strips have an expiration date on each box
along with the batch code number.

They will remain good for a reasonable time after that, but eventually the blue
Dmin will begin to increase from the effect of ambient radiation on the film.
Eventiually, the LD and HD will shift.This is true of any brand of film or
control strip. Older film you are shooting in your camera may still give good
results a year or two after expiration, but when you are trying to hold a Dmin
control plot to +.03 action and +.05 control limits. it just won't work.

Unless you are using a replenished processor and need to track the consistency
of your process from day to day and make chemical corrctions if needed, I don't
think you really need the expense of control strips. For a rotary tube or small
tank process using fresh developer each time, it will help you verify your time
and temperature, but after that initial run, you shouldn't see any change if
you are consistant in your methods.


Bernie