Konica Colour VX Super 100 - Canon AE-1 Program

January 04, 2023

Konica Colour VX Super 100 - Canon AE-1 Program

So, a friend gifted me an expired film; 24 exposure roll of Konica 100 VX Super in 35mm.

It was definitely expired but had no date on the canister. Looking back at this film through Google to ascertain when it was last produced, I considered that the film would have been over 10 years expired and went with the rule of thumb for exposing expired film. Rule of thumb says that for every 10 years out of date, the photographer should subtract 1 full stop in ISO. Usually I just stay with the box speed but this time around I thought I should take the suggestion and see how they turned out. I exposed this film at 50 ISO.

Storage is key to how an expired film may turn out. If frozen, the film is usually as good as the day it was released. Refrigeration is also good. Letting it sit in the back of a cupboard or in a drawer is not so good.

I was hoping for some low grain on this film; considering I was shooting at 50 ISO. But, I am thinking that the storage over the years was very basic and so this roll exhibits what I consider to be a high grain.

I had seen web sites about this film where various photographers had shot at box speed and the colours and contrast of the film turned out very acceptable. Alas, it was not to be with this roll. The colour is faded and the contrast is low. I did tweak the contrast a small amount in Lightroom but that was all. Even that small tweak was not sufficient to introduce a nice crisp tone or clarity to the photos. Anyway, that is all part of the joys (and learning process) when shooting expired film.

The lens I used was a Focal MC 28mm f2.8. Years ago, K Mart had is own brand of cameras, lenses and, photographic accessories. Usually, as with most things these days also, the Focal equipment started out as an item built in a reputable factory and was then re-branded to Focal before it hit the K Mart shelves. I have read mixed reviews about this lens but I find no problem with it. As you can see though, it is still sharp enough, even when used with an expired film that doesn't give great results.

I used the Canon AE-1 in the program mode to see how it handled the automatic stuff after all these years. Besides, I didn't feel like mucking around with light meters and settings. No problems with that, it is a great camera that I am very happy to have in my collection.

I hope that you have all had a great New Year. All the best for 2023!