Expired Acros 100 (EXP 2008)
It may be somewhat of a biased statement, but Acros 100 II quickly became my preferred black and white film stock. Its fine grain quality and remarkable sharpness make it a very special, all-around monochrome film. When my fellow photography friend, Diego, found a few rolls of expired Acros 100 film, I immediately jumped ship and bought a roll. I probably should have purchased a few more, but since I wasn't sure what to expect, I stuck to a single roll. I regret it now, but no point in beating myself over it.
Acros 100 is a discontinued black and white film negative manufactured by Fujifilm. Discontinued in 2018, Acros 100 was part of Fujifilm's Neopan family of black and white films. This family has since dissolved, leaving Acros 100 II as its sole and current film in the family. When Acros 100 was discontinued in April 2018, it took a little over a year for Fujifilm to respond to the popular demand and release a successor, Acros 100 II.
The roll of Acros 100 was purchased at Tuttle Cameras, a local film/camera shop in Long Beach. The Neopan roll expired in 2008, leaving me rather skeptical of any usable results. Although one can get stunning results using expired film, it is difficult to know in what condition the film has been kept in for such a long timespan. The adventurous and experimental nature of expired film photography has inspired me to shoot more with it, while, at the same time distancing myself from it. While I was excited to shoot with this film, I also wasn't sure what to expect.
For the purpose of shooting our roll, Diego and I decided to collaborate on a dark, horror themed shoot at the Old LA Zoo. We figured the film would capture the overall dark and moody vibe that we were aiming for. Located at Griffith Park, the old Los Angeles Zoo, originally known as the Griffith Park Zoo, was a former zoo that closed down in 1966. The remains of the animal enclosures are left in ruins at the site, now inundated by walls of trash and graffiti. It is; however, a fantastic place to shoot, though it can be a little sketchy and dangerous, especially once you reach upper area where the cages are housed. It was therefore important for us to take precautions when shooting in this area.
I collaborated with Rachel Quan in creating the overall look and aesthetic for the shoot. She is a talented photographer and model whose work I will attach below as well. Having Rachel as our model made the shoot very fun and smooth, allowing us to experiment with different looks and poses.
When we arrived at the location, we shot at the lower section of the zoo, then making our way to the actual cages. It was much easier shooting at the lower portion of the zoo, as its cave-like formation were much better lit. Once we reached the actual cages, it became difficult to find a place to shoot with our slow speed film. Luckily, I brought my digital X100VI camera, so I took advantage of that upper section, but very few exposures were taken with my Nikon F3T. Diego also brought his Fujifilm X-T4 and captured a few shots there too.
After using Acros 100, I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Its old age didn't hold back from rendering the fine grain structure and overall sharpness that the black and white film is famously known for. Upon looking at the scans, I couldn't help but feel that the film didn't embody any traits of an expired roll. The images looked clear and sharp. While black and white film does expire, its chemical composition makes the film more resistant to degradation. In proper storage, black and white film can last far past its expiration date.
The scans came out very sharp and contrasty. I overexposed it by two stops to compensate for its old age. Conversely, Diego shot his roll overexposed by one stop. I'll attach a link to his review below. In the high contrast environments that we were shooting, it produces strong and lovely contrast, with deep shadows and bright highlights. Its grain structure is smooth and pleasant as well. Reminiscent to Acros 100 II, its wide tonal range makes this film particularly pleasant for post-processing. It does; however, look stunning straight out of the roll, if you choose to not further touch it in post. I did a few basics edits in Lightroom to these photos in the shadows and highlights, but the images are, for the most part, untouched.
In my experience; however, I did notice some exposures appear a bit hazy, but it was more so a result of underexposure than its age. I noticed similar results with Acros 100 II. As Acros is less sensitive to light, it is also a tad less forgiving to expose in comparison to higher speed film. I noticed this with some shots, making them difficult to fix in post. When exposed correctly; however, post-processing felt like a breeze, offering a wide dynamic range. As previously mentioned; however, the images straight out of the roll looked beautiful. I will also note that shooting slightly underexposed produces a rather nostalgic look to my eyes that differs somewhat from properly exposing the film. That is subject to opinion, of course.
Its slow speed of ISO 100, while sharp and clear, also makes it challenging for low light situations. As Diego, Rachel, and I ventured through the abandoned spaces at Old LA Zoo, we quickly found the interior of the cages too dark for shooting. That's when I switched to my Fujifilm X100VI, shooting with the Acros film simulation.
In conclusion, my roll of Acros 100 did not feel at all expired, shedding a long pang of comfort in shooting more expired film, at least black and white film. It is a stunning all-around film, perfect for a variety of situations. It is a shame that Acros 100 II is on backorder again, as I was looking forward to shooting more Acros. I have a few rolls left of Acros 100 II, which I intend to shoot in the coming days. They are to expire next month, May 2025, but after shooting with this aged roll, I can rest easy knowing that the film will turn out alright, as long as I am exposing properly, of course.
Miguel S. Romero Instagram: @msr_photography13
Diego Arellano Instagram: @executablethirds
Rachel Quan Instagram: @quragallery
