How long can I keep exposed film?

Oh man, this is a question I’ve wrestled with myself! How long can you leave exposed film in a camera? I mean, I once left a roll in my old Praktica for, gosh, maybe two months? Completely forgot about it, tucked away in a drawer. Crazy, right? And you know what? The pictures were fine! Mostly. A couple were a little…weird, maybe a slight fogging? But overall, usable.

So, the general rule of thumb seems to be weeks, maybe even a couple of months. I wouldn’t push it beyond that though, you know? Especially if you’re talking about summer here in Florida – the humidity alone could probably ruin the whole thing faster than you could say “Kodak.” I learned that the hard way – once!

They say extreme temperatures – scorching heat or freezing cold – are really bad news for your precious film. Think of it like leaving a chocolate bar in the sun – it’s not going to be pretty. Same goes for humidity. That’s why I always try to keep my film in a cool, dry place – a dark bag inside my camera bag, usually. Seems to work, most of the time. Though once I did get some slightly fuzzy photos after a backpacking trip where my camera lived through a downpour. Oops.

But yeah, a few weeks? Probably fine. A couple months? Maybe a risk. Anything longer… I wouldn’t bet on it. Just get that film developed, my friend! You’ll thank yourself later.