How to Shoot Expired Film Without Wasting the Roll

Buying expired film is cheap until you blow the exposure compensation and bin the roll. The actual calculus isn't complex: colour negative forgives more than slide, cold storage slows degradation significantly, and the standard rule of one stop per decade past expiry is a starting point, not a guarantee. If you don't know the storage history, assume the worst and bracket. The unpredictability is part of the appeal for some shooters, but if you're putting a real subject on expired stock, these fundamentals keep you from learning the hard way.