Ansco Plentachrome 120

TheGreatGasMaskMan

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I still need to decide what I want to do with it, but I recently got my hands on a 1956 expired Ansco Plentachrome 120 film. the problem is, it's so old, there's no ASA listed on the box, nor is there any development time listed on the massive dev. chart. my question is, does anyone know what the original ASA of the film is, and if there's another source for finding development times? My assumption is, this would be about an ASA 100 film, so I'd rate it at 10-12. and if I can't find any conclusive development times, it's going to get an hc110 stand development.
 

Paul Howell

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The only listing my Photographic Encyclopedia 1962 list in 120 is Ansco Chrome 50. How are you going to develop it, as a black and white.
E
 

Augustus Caesar

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It's Plenachrome, not Plentachrome, and it's probably about ISO 64. B&W film.
 

Disconnekt

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Plenachrome is an orthochromatic film, with an iso of 50
 

Paul Howell

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My mistake, I assumed that a chrome was a reference to a color transparency film, double checked my reference, not listed by 62. So ASA 1956, rate at ISO 10.
 

MarkS

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The reason to down-rate the film speed is to get the low values of the negative separated from the (fogged) film base. Since you don't know the fog level, expose even more generously, bracket your exposures, and develop normally. This means long exposures when printing proofs or enlargements, not really a problem; scanning those dense negs, well I have no idea.
 
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TheGreatGasMaskMan

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I had a potential idea for this roll- Load it in my modified Kodak Monitor and photograph some brand new Teslas and Jaguars, maybe also finally use that 1946 expired Plus x I've had for a few years now too
 

BAC1967

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I'm not sure when this Plenachrome expired but I probably rated it around 6 or less. I Semi-stand developed it in Rodinal for 1 hour. Clearly it didn’t age well.

These were shot with a Mamiya C-3.
Drum in a Lake by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Chimney on the Palouse by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

This Bear Photo Special is a re-branded Ansco/Agfa Cadet B-2. It was made in the 1940’s. It has a Plenachrome label inside showing what kind of film to use, B-2 is the same as 120.
Bear Photo Special by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr
 
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TheGreatGasMaskMan

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little update- the Plenachrome's been shot and developed (Iso 6 and given an hc110 stand development) and I've got usable images, but it's probably going to be a couple weeks before I get them scanned and shared
 

nosmok

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Plenachrome was Agfa's corresponding film to Kodak's Verichrome, so that ISO 6 and stand was a great choice!
 
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TheGreatGasMaskMan

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OK, freshly scanned from the camera store- here's what I got back:

Missing one because it's a family photo, and I don't want to share personal stuff like that online.
also, I had to do a double take when looking at these- turns out, the dust like specs are a legitimate part of the negative...
 

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MattKing

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Fascinating.
Those aren't likely to be dust specs. Most likely they are the result of the film's emulsion being pressed into contact with the backing paper for 70 years!
Interactions between film emulsion and backing paper with 120 film is one of the challenges for all films where backing paper is involved.
 

mshchem

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Boy, the people who produced that film would be spooked by those images. Right out of an old episode of The Twilight Zone.
Nice cars! Pretty amazing results. I bet 70 year old digital cameras will be less likely to provide images.
Very nice!
 
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