70mm Plus-X expiration 1981-1982

[Nokton48]

Hi All,

I've got eight 100' rolls of the old Kodak Plus-X 70mm, dated 1981-1982. Purchased from the original owner, who stored it properly.

Is D-76 a good place to start with this? Being expired, I would think a bit more developement (10-20 percent) would be appropriate. What do you guys think? I think this is probably the same Plus-X that they made in 35mm, not the Plus-X Pro stuff.

Thanks for responding!

Dan

 

[glennfromwy]

I think at the time there was only one Plus-X. A wonderful film. It may have gained some fog. To find out, develop and fix an unexposed piece and see what it looks like. I get great results with D-76 1:1 for 7 minutes with very gentle agitation every minute. The film should be excellent for spooling your own 116/616, among other things. A very nice find!

 

[Petzi]

Is D-76 a good place to start with this? Being expired, I would think a bit more developement (10-20 percent) would be appropriate. What do you guys think?

I wouldn't give it more development, but rather more exposure, so that the shadows in your image are above the fog!

In addition, I would probably use a fine grain developer, e.g. Microdol-X, Perceptol or A-49.

 

[nworth]

I have a couple of rolls of PXN (Plus-X Negative motion picture film) from just a little bit earlier. It has been stored near freezing since I got it a couple of years ago, and it apparently had been stored prperly prior to that. I sometimes use it in a Minolta 16. It works beautifully (or as close as possible for 16mm) in D-76 at its rated speed.

 

[Nokton48]

Glenn,
I've heard it's a wonderful film. Plan to shoot it in my Hasselblad 70mm backs. Have a roll defrosting right now. I agree it's probably the original Plus-X (the good stuff).

Petzi,
Yes, extra exposure (not extra development) makes total sense to me now that I think about it. Hopefully there is not too much base fog, I've had excellent results from other outdated 70mm films.

Nworth,
Glad to hear your old Plus-X is still good, that is very encouraging to hear. BTW I have a Minolta 16 myself. Fun to play with, I think I saved cartridges for reloading. I should find some of the motion picture film to play with.

 

[Nokton48]

Yes this is an extremely old thread. So is the film! So I have loaded up and shot a partial test roll, exposing at EI 100, EI 50, and EI 25 in one of my Hasselblads.

I am going to process it in replenished straight Legacy Mic-X from Freestyle.

-Dan

 

[trendland]

Yes this is an extremely old thread. So is the film! So I have loaded up and shot a partial test roll, exposing at EI 100, EI 50, and EI 25 in one of my Hasselblads.

I am going to process it in replenished straight Legacy Mic-X from Freestyle.

-Dan

Hallo Nokton48,
pls. notice : bw films are often good after the expired dates.
Color emulsions are sometimes good after the expired date.
If you would have a little luck with a color emulsion 1 or sometimes 2 or even 3 fuĺl years of an expired film - you should see this time as a guarantee to bw films.
Just look at the date of absolute fresh film in bw - you will see 3 years.
So nobody will wonder about that you will
have an addition of 1 or 2 years with complete 100% characteristic of bw emulsions (normal storage circumstances ).
And it is also possible to work with bw.
10 - 15 years after expired date.
Some have had indeed films in use after
20 -30 years.
You will have a lost of speed and you will
have the chance to correct this verry simple.
But that is NOT identical with fresh film.
I would compare this with exposure tollerance.With modern bw films you should have a very great space of tollerance (several stops) but when you will have (today) the full profit in concern
to characteristic of bw emulsions you just have to exposure also bw 100% correct.
So (I would allow myself to state) expired
bw film has ALLWAYS a lost of All Spezial
designed properties.
I know someone here on APUG see this different.
But you will not only have a lost of speed
and one is NOT able to compensate all the change of properties of verry old bw film.
No problem to some years but a more and more problem of > 5 years expired films.
You will see this with comparisons and tests and you will see this with bw films
+ 50 years.
This films should have very lousy properties.
So it is more smart to have a fresh cheap
film than a verry old film legend.
This legend will not longer have its legendary characteristic when it is overstored.
Exeption is 100% freezing to the whole time : 1. Day after expired date until 1.day of use is a golden rule to 100% quality within 50 years.
Are some APUG people expirienced with
60 - 70 years old bw films ? (full time frozen)...

with regards

 

[Nokton48]

It's been frozen most of the time I'm thinking.
I'm not worried about it. Plus-X even very old is usually fine.
Just need to test it, as I am in the middle of doing.
I bracket my exposures so I could care less what film speed ends up working the best.
70mm is no longer available new for the most part.

Believe me I know exactly what I am doing.
And Sorry I don't agree with everything you are saying.
But Thanks for your input.

Meanwhile I am crossing my fingers. I have a test roll loaded and ready to develop.
Just need to fill up the Jobo Multitank with a full load of exposed film. Working on that.

If I end up needing more contrast, I will try HC110 Dilution "A" or stronger.

2402 Aerographic no 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

1981 Plus-X Aerographic 2402 developed in HC-110 Dilution "A". Looks good to me

 

[Fixcinater]

Before you posted the photo above, I was curious if it was "normal" Plus-X or the Aerographic version. I have 35mm x 200ft of the Aerographic, haven't shot any of it yet. Looks pretty darn good though, now I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Nokton48]

Here are the two sheets of 70mm Plus-X Pan (expired 1981) developed in Mic-X. The page on the right, was inverted, so that you can see all of the image area on the lightbox. These images were made with s Hasselblad 500C/M with 100mm F3.5 T* Planar, and Hasselblad 70mm A70 Film Magazine. Key light exposures were 1/125 at F11, F8, and F5.6

As you can see, the EI 125 exposure is a little bit thin, but could be usuable, but the EI 64 exposure has really good shadow detail. And the EI 32 has even better shadow detail yet the highlights are not blown out (most likely due to the Microdol).

So I think I will use Ei 64 with this combo, sometimes bracketing to EI 32, if I want to give myself a choice of negs to wet ptint.

So this film is quite usuable. Amazing how old Plus-X is usuallly still good even after many years.

DSC05895 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

For what its worth I had a very large stash of Plus-X Pro 120 from this era and what I found worked the best was DK-50 1;1. I did all the obvious (Xtol Rodinal D-76 Hc-110 etc) and while they worked well (not so much Xtol) I liked the results from DK-50 1:1 the best.

 

[Nokton48]

Here is my stash..........

I just finished processing a short end (about a 220 length) of the (not Aero) Kodak 70mm Plus-X Pan film, which expired in 1981. I processed the film in straight Freestyle Legacy Mic-X (which I replenish and the stock solution is nearly five years old!). Twenty-five minutes spinning in a JOBO Multitank 6, with the help of a Unicolor Uniroller. The film has lost some speed (and some of that is the Microdol), but the base is absolutely clear, no detectible fogging, the film has good D-Max and no damage to the emulsion. This is great news because I have about seven one hundred foot rolls of this stock that were given to me along with some darkroom stuff years ago. I'll examine the film more after it has finished washing and drying. Then I'll post a few images here. Old 70mm film is usually a viable way to produce some very decent images. Gosh I do love the tonality of the old original Plus-X in a Microdol-type developer. I bracketed at EI 125, EI 64, and EI 32 and these look really really lovely. Next I will load a fifteen foot cartridge of the same film in order to get the full seventy exposures.

I would say that this is a total success so far.

This 70mm film was given to me years ago along with some darkroom stuff


70mm Kodak Plus X by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

For what its worth I had a very large stash of Plus-X Pro 120 from this era and what I found worked the best was DK-50 1;1. I did all the obvious (Xtol Rodinal D-76 Hc-110 etc) and while they worked well (not so much Xtol) I liked the results from DK-50 1:1 the best.

Thanks for that. I've got some DK-50 around and I'll try it!

I used to love DK-50 back in the seventies. Used it for press 35mm photos.

 

[Nokton48]

A simple test setup; 70mm Plus-X Pan (expired 1981) Legacy Mic-X.
Sunlit leaves in my backyard, on a key day (pure sun).
Hasselblad 500 C/M, 100mm Zeiss T* Planar, A70 Film Magazine.
This is the EI 125 frame, which seems to scan OK.
For wet printing, I will want a "beefier" neg with more shadow detail,
so for that prupose, I would select the EI 64, or even the EI 32 neg.
I prefer to give myself a choice, so I usually bracket a set, especially when trying a new to me film.

This is the far bottom frame, in the extreme lower right corner, from the negs above ^^^

70mm Plus-X Pan Mic-X EI 125 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

Another from same roll, this one at EI 64.
Playing with Vuescan settings, also.

Plus-X Pan 70mm Mic-X by Nokton48, on Flickr

Has better shadow detail.

 

[Nokton48]

As you can see I found my stash of DK-50
$2 each when a local shop closed down...........

DSC05898 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Nokton48]

And this is how I intend to expose it.....

70mm Hasselblad by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[Werewolfman]

Should you ever decide to want to sell your DK-50, please let me know?
Thanks!

 

[trendland]

And this is how I intend to expose it.....

70mm Hasselblad by Nokton48, on Flickr

Just from interest of 70mm film (65mm Kodak Vision 3) it you want to use your plus x pan in any Mid Format Camera (without 70mm magazine) you have to "cut" your films at each side a bit - am I right?

with regards

PS : Have noticed a side weeks ago with
cheap selfmade constuction cutter to 70mm films.

 

[trendland]

As you can see I found my stash of DK-50
$2 each when a local shop closed down...........

DSC05898 by Nokton48, on Flickr

This have been the "good old times" without liquit developers. I would not sell this stuff if I were you.

Because it is good for developement till
2035 ....May be also till 2085. But if the developer still will work we won't do so.

with regards

 

[Nokton48]

Just from interest of 70mm film (65mm Kodak Vision 3) it you want to use your plus x pan in any Mid Format Camera (without 70mm magazine) you have to "cut" your films at each side a bit - am I right?

with regards

PS : Have noticed a side weeks ago with
cheap selfmade constuction cutter to 70mm films.

Yes you have to make a "slitter" and rewrap the cut down film into a Portra wrapper, or whatever you have.
I've no interest in that. But some here might.

 

[Nokton48]

I just picked up three NOS gallon cans of DK-50 Replenisher.
Useful since I so much DK-50 Developer to use up.

dk-50 replenisher by Nokton48, on Flickr

Also $2 a can plus shipping.


DSC05898 by Nokton48, on Flickr