Could bad developer increase base + fog?

[cirwin2010]

I bought some Ilford DD-X a while back for developing 400 speed film, specifically hp5+. I opened this bottle back in October 2021 and the results I got at the time were great. I didn't touch the bottle for several months since I haven't shot any hp5 lately. I recently started shooting hp5 again and I noticed that the base of the film is much thicker than previously developed film. I initially thought this was part of a light leak issue I was having with my sheet film (see my other post), but I developed some 35mm hp5 and the base of the film is even darker still. My process has not changed but the results have. I understand that DD-X has a shelf life rated at about 6 months after opening, but I would have thought that a developer going bad would result in thin negatives instead. I am using fresh fixer and using the DD-X as a one shot developer 1:4.

I've used up all but the last 100mm of the bottle and the problem seems to have gotten worse the more of the developer I use.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I bought some Ilford DD-X a while back for developing 400 speed film, specifically hp5+. I opened this bottle back in October 2021 and the results I got at the time were great. I didn't touch the bottle for several months since I haven't shot any hp5 lately. I recently started shooting hp5 again and I noticed that the base of the film is much thicker than previously developed film. I initially thought this was part of a light leak issue I was having with my sheet film (see my other post), but I developed some 35mm hp5 and the base of the film is even darker still. My process has not changed but the results have. I understand that DD-X has a shelf life rated at about 6 months after opening, but I would have thought that a developer going bad would result in thin negatives instead. I am using fresh fixer and using the DD-X as a one shot developer 1:4.

I've used up all but the last 100mm of the bottle and the problem seems to have gotten worse the more of the developer I use.

Is all the air squeezed out of the bottle and the bottle tightly sealed? I switch all developers to StopLossBags™ at www.StopLossBags.com and my developers are lasting much longer, even years in some cases.

 

[otto.f]

Last week I ordered a set of brown bottles of 1000ml and 300ml to preserve all my chemicals. I use Vacu Vin stops to pull them vacuum.

 

[Down Under]

Pitch what DDX you have left over and never buy it again. It has a lousy shelf life.

This said, in your case I suspect other reasons are the cause of your bad film negatives. Unless your HP5 (35mm) is ancient, your problems lie elsewhere.

Hanging on to old developers is false economy All the more so when certain products (like DDX, in my past experience) has such a short life span.

We live and we learn. Mostly by failing. Sad but this is life. And photography...

 

[Bill Burk]

Base of HP5+ is gray for anti-halation. I was surprised it’s significant (I think 0.29) but it does not mean fog.

 

[cjbecker]

Base of HP5+ is gray for anti-halation. I was surprised it’s significant (I think 0.29) but it does not mean fog.

Its that only the 35mm version. I find the 35mm has a much darker gray base then the 120 or 4x5.

 

[Bill Burk]

Its that only the 35mm version. I find the 35mm has a much darker gray base then the 120 or 4x5.

Exactly! @cirwin2010 just fix a bit of film without developing and compare.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Its that only the 35mm version. I find the 35mm has a much darker gray base then the 120 or 4x5.

B+F for HP5 sheet film, including 8x10 is only about .11-.13, depending on developer, and normal development time. It tends to go up quite readily with this film and extended development times... That's one thing that makes it not a good candidate for alt printing, such as carbon transfer (unless good old DK-50 is deployed!).

 

[cirwin2010]

Exactly! @cirwin2010 just fix a bit of film without developing and compare.

I'm shooting through another roll of 35mm as a bit of a test. Going to develop in hc-110 this time around. I'll also throw the film leader in some fixer to see how that turns out.