20-25 year old Pan-X 120, what is the worst that will happen

j-dogg · May 16, 2012

Scored a bunch for free, judging from the vintage Kodak logo it's circa-80's, maybe late 90's.

Going to run a roll soon, worst case scenario what will it look like?

M.A.Longmore · May 16, 2012

.
I'll Be Waiting Patiently, For The Results ...

S.T.F.U., And Start Shooting !

Ron
.

summicron1 · May 17, 2012

depends on how it's been stored. I finally thawed 100 feet of pan-f from ilford last year that I bought, no kidding, at a clearance sale because it was expired. I bought it in 1977 or 78.

it's still just fine.

Wade D · May 17, 2012

M.A.Longmore said:
.
I'll Be Waiting Patiently, For The Results ...

S.T.F.U., And Start Shooting !

Ron
.

LOL!
If it's of the vintage you suspect and hasn't been stored in a hot garage or attic it should be fine. I've been using up some Plus-X from 1989 stored at room temperature that still looks good. Only about a stop slower than when new.
Of course the only way to tell for sure is to try it out.
Good luck with it.

MattKing · May 17, 2012

j-dogg said:
worst case scenario what will it look like?

It will have long lost photos of Elvis on it

steven_e007 · May 17, 2012

Slow films usually keep pretty well. It might have lost a little speed and contrast - but I reckon it will be ok.
If it were Tri-X I'd suspect the worst, but films like Pan X last much longer.

Unless it has been allowed to get damp - mold and fungus is sometimes a problem. I've had glass plates in the past that have worked fairly well sensitivity wise... but have been mottles with blobs of mold.

removed account4 · May 17, 2012

hi jd

it depends on a handful of things
how it was stored ( extremes aren't good )
how you shoot it ( i'd over expose by a few,
or maybe a few more stops ) and process it
in your favorite developer.
personally ( bracket a test roll and
then enjoy your free film )

if it was me?
i'd shoot it at half the original box speed
and process it in either ansco130 1:5/72º for 8mins
or caffenolC spiked with 10cc print developer/1L of caffenol
stand develop for 30mins ...

have fun!
john

NB23 · May 17, 2012

As a student i used to use looong expired plus-x. The problem
was that the emulsion didn't stick too well on the film support. It peeled off on some parts.
But there was no fog.

I'd advise very gentle development. Stand HC110 or rodinal in this case would be a good idea. And a hardening fixer.

Christiaan Phleger · May 17, 2012

I've got some Pan-X expired 1983 in 120 and it looks amazing. Those paper foil wrappers do an excellent job. My same era Plus-X in 120 needs about 1/3 stop exposure and a strong developer, I use HC-110 Dil.B and DK-50 1:1. I've done my Pan-X at 25 with Microdol-X, which in many opinions, was made for and with this film. If you've never seen what it can do, the creamy highlights and smooth tones in bright open light, shoot a roll on a Rollei or Hassleblad and process MDX 1:0. A really treat.

Nicholas Lindan · May 17, 2012

RidingWaves said:
Pan-X at 25 with Microdol-X, which in many opinions, was made for and with this film. If you've never seen what it can do, the creamy highlights and smooth tones in bright open light ...

A superb combination, the next best thing next to TechPan. Which you can't get either...

The closest one can come is TMax-100 in Microdol-X [oh yeah, Microdol is discontinued]. The combination is almost as grainless as TechPan but in 35mm it doesn't have that creamy large-format look to it.

If it were me the last three films made would be Kodachrome 25, TechPan and Ektar 25. Instead they were some of the first to go.

j-dogg · May 17, 2012

Ektar 25 ftw......snatched up 7 rolls of it on here and the last one is in my Nikkormat

Bill Burk · May 18, 2012

Nicholas Lindan said:
If it were me the last three films made would be Kodachrome 25, TechPan and Ektar 25. Instead they were some of the first to go.

Just finished reading Bill Adler Jr.'s Boys and their Toys. He wrote about the traumatic moment when the teddy bear runs away from home. Panatomic-X is my teddy bear (except I keep him in my freezer).

The worst that can happen is you will fall in love with it. I like to think this stuff is as good as the day it was made. My Russian River shots and Old Faithful are Kodak Panatomic-X 120.

My batch Exp. 09/1984 has an uncertain past but I think it was well cared for because I always get excellent results.

This time I got speed between 32 and 40 with CI 0.51 and 0.18 B+F using D-76 1:1 9 minutes.

p.s. I work for Kodak but the opinions and positions I take are my own, not necessarily those of EKC

j-dogg · May 19, 2012

Opened another batch, I have three rolls of Techpan 6415 Special 120...with no ISO rating. How do I shoot this stuff? And how do I develop it?

From what I'm gathering I just got off to one hell of a start on my medium format experience......there is a 45 f2.8 locally I will probably snatch up as well.

As mentioned in my other thread, this is like doing straight Columbian pure cocaine, as opposed to 35mm blunt smoking.

removed account4 · May 19, 2012

not sure how you will shoot your techpan
but i always rate it at 200 and process in sheet film
its pure black+white no greys like kodalith.
sorry, i don't remember the times you might be able to google
a data sheet ...

Ian C · May 19, 2012

In good condition, Kodak Technical Pan is ASA 25. It produces very high contrast results with regular developers used at standard concentration, time and temperarature, usually too harsh for general-purpose photography.

For pictorial results it needs to be developed in a low-contrast developer. Kodak used to sell Kodak Technidol liquid concentrate in foil packets and a powered version called Technidol LC, both for developing Technical Pan for pictorial results.

Photographer’s Formulary sells the following developers that are suitable for pictorial results with Technical Pan:

http://stores.photoformulary.com/-strse-44/Modified-POTA-Delagi-8/Detail.bok

http://stores.photoformulary.com/-strse-41/TD-dsh-3-Techpan-Developer/Detail.bok

My favorite combination with ASA 32 Kodak Panatomic-X was: expose at an EI of 16 and develop in Microdol-X. Although Microdol-X is no longer made, a similar developer is sold by Freestyle

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/749710-LegacyPro-Mic-X-Film-Developer-to-Make-1-Gallon?cat_id=301

You can get similar results with Ilford Perceptol

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/1960529-Ilford-Perceptol-1-Liter

Nicholas Lindan · May 19, 2012

Regarding TechPan:

The best pictorial results are with Technidol. Delagi and Pota don't work very well at all in comparison. I have not tried TD3.

I find rating it at ASA 12 and pulling the developing time by 15% yields the perfect grade #2 negative.

Rating it at 100-200 and developing it in Dektol gets you rather awful high contrast results. Not high contrast enough to be interesting and too high contrast for any sort of pictorial subject matter. If high contrast is your bag you would be better served with using microfilm developed in D8 or A/B lith developer. Microfilm [aka "Bluefire Police" film] is available - http://www.frugalphotographer.com/catBluefire.htm [though I am sure the $0.88 / roll price has to be a misprint...].

20-25 year old Pan-X 120, what is the worst that will happen

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20-25 year old Pan-X 120, what is the worst that will happen

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