Using old b&w films (60')
 

Hi!
My grandfather gave me a box full of old b&w films. Most of them are
labeled "develop befor 1968". They aren't used (exposed). I tried one
of these "1968". It has got 40 ASA. I took some pictures as if it was
an normal film and tried to develop it. I used Rodinal diluted 1:40
with normal times. The result was only dark (nothing could be seen on
the film). Today I tried one "almost new" film. With expiration date
april 1981. In some pictures I was able to recognize things I
photographed. Direct light could be seen very well with excelent
contrast. Other things are very light and almost invisible. But the
film is not dark as the previous one. Now it is light. I used Rodinal
again with standard times.
Do you know how to expose and develop these films? Should I set my
camera to lower sensitivity for the expose time to be longer? Or
should I use longer developing times? Except Rodinal I could use MQ
(metholhydrochinone) or PQ (phenidolhydrochinone) developer...
M.V.C.

Using old b&w films (60')
 

In article ,
(Martin V. Cera) wrote:

Hi!
My grandfather gave me a box full of old b&w films. Most of them are
labeled "develop befor 1968". They aren't used (exposed). I tried one
of these "1968". It has got 40 ASA. [...]

Do you know how to expose and develop these films? Should I set my
camera to lower sensitivity for the expose time to be longer?

You should set the film aside as a curiosity. It's dead.

Using old b&w films (60')
 

"Martin V. Cera" wrote in message
om...
Hi!
My grandfather gave me a box full of old b&w films. Most
of them are
labeled "develop befor 1968". They aren't used (exposed).
I tried one
of these "1968". It has got 40 ASA. I took some pictures
as if it was
an normal film and tried to develop it. I used Rodinal
diluted 1:40
with normal times. The result was only dark (nothing could
be seen on
the film). Today I tried one "almost new" film. With
expiration date
april 1981. In some pictures I was able to recognize
things I
photographed. Direct light could be seen very well with
excelent
contrast. Other things are very light and almost
invisible. But the
film is not dark as the previous one. Now it is light. I
used Rodinal
again with standard times.
Do you know how to expose and develop these films? Should
I set my
camera to lower sensitivity for the expose time to be
longer? Or
should I use longer developing times? Except Rodinal I
could use MQ
(metholhydrochinone) or PQ (phenidolhydrochinone)
developer...
M.V.C.

The film is probably fogged. Fogging depends mostly on
how the film was stored. High heat is very bad. If film is
stored at low temperatures or even frozen, it will stay good
for many years but exposure to heat will accelerate the
chemical processes that lead to fog. The way the emulsion is
made is also important. when the emulsion is mixed chemicals
are added to suppress the changes whick lead to fogging with
time. Different manufacturers have different procedures for
this, some more successful than others. Some films will stay
relatively good for twenty years, some for not much longer
than the expiration date. The use of an anti-fog in the
developer will help but will substantailly reduce speed. If
the developed film comes out black its probably beyond
saving.
If you know the make and type of the film (it should be
written on the boxes or on the leaders) the old information
can be looked up as to recommended developers and times.
1968 film is "modern" film in the sense that it should have
good stability. However, given that the expiration date is
probably two or more years after the date of manufacture,
this film is getting toward being forty years old, even
people begin to get foggy at that age.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Using old b&w films (60')
 

Using old b&w films (60')
 

"Michael Scarpitti" wrote in message
om...
Expiration dates are given to film for a reason. Throw the film out or
keep it as colectables! Don't use it for photography. It's old and
bad.

It isn't always a waste of time to try outdated film. A friend bought a 4x5
kit at an auction four or five years ago. Included was a pile of seriously
expired film. He shot and developed a sheet of Ilford FP3 that expired in
1963. Surprisingly, the negative turned out very well - it was quite
printable. I suspect there was a little more base fog than normal but I
couldn't detect it visually. The film likely was frozen and if it was it
will be usable.

Now, on the other hand, if it was stored at room temperature it's likely
dead, and if it was stored somewhere that gets hot, it will certainly be
dead. Film needs cool to cold temperatures to have any hope of surviving
any length of time.

I keep all of my film in a deep freeze at about -17 degrees(except for a few
rolls of working supply, which I keep in a refrigerator). This kind of care
isn't necessary, but if I end up finding some five-year-old FP4 in my
freezer, it will still be fine.

Jim

Using old b&w films (60')
 

I have several rolls of Tmax 400 100 ft. that are still quite good five
years past expiration and some TMax 100 120 that's pushing 10 years out.

Storage is important but also the end purpose.

--
darkroommike

----------
"Jim MacKenzie" wrote in message
...

"Michael Scarpitti" wrote in message
om...
Expiration dates are given to film for a reason. Throw the film out or
keep it as colectables! Don't use it for photography. It's old and
bad.

It isn't always a waste of time to try outdated film. A friend bought a
4x5
kit at an auction four or five years ago. Included was a pile of
seriously
expired film. He shot and developed a sheet of Ilford FP3 that expired in
1963. Surprisingly, the negative turned out very well - it was quite
printable. I suspect there was a little more base fog than normal but I
couldn't detect it visually. The film likely was frozen and if it was it
will be usable.

Now, on the other hand, if it was stored at room temperature it's likely
dead, and if it was stored somewhere that gets hot, it will certainly be
dead. Film needs cool to cold temperatures to have any hope of surviving
any length of time.

I keep all of my film in a deep freeze at about -17 degrees(except for a
few
rolls of working supply, which I keep in a refrigerator). This kind of
care
isn't necessary, but if I end up finding some five-year-old FP4 in my
freezer, it will still be fine.

Jim