Developing film exposed long ago - recommended fog reduction?

I know this subject has been discussed here before, so I apologise if anyone feels I'm going over old ground, but I couldn't find any advice specific to my situation.

I've get several rolls of 35mm film - mostly Tri-X, but also Plus-X and TMZ - that were exposed up to five years ago. I need to get these films developed!

I'm hoping to use Rodinal (or whatever it's called nowadays) but I'd like to know if anyone has advice on fog reduction additives.

Thanks, P.

One of the most effective methods I have seen for old film uses HC110 and is done at a lowered temperature. I have not done the lowered temp version, but I can attest to the fact that HC110 produces less fog than Rodinal. This will give you some more on the process.

Thanks - that is VERY interesting!

I have some HC110 knocking around, so I'll give this a go at the lower temp.

Yes, HC-110 at 65F works well.

Benzotriazole is a classic anti-fog agent.

I just developed for somebody else an Agfa Rapid film of about 65 years ago (620 roll film).
I also used HC-110 dilution B for 7:00 minutes around 20 C. Apart from some difficulties to put it on the wider 2502 Jobo reels not a big deal.

Like you can expect, a higher base fog but still reasonable good 6x9cm negatives.

So do not worry about your 5 years old exposed film.

Be cautioned that part full bottles of HC-110 after a time can loose thier zing. Test with an inconsequential film first.
I know the concentrate is long lived, but like Rodinal long lived it is not.

Clip test, even safer. Lasts a looong time in concentrate though.

I've got stock solution mixed about a year ago - I think that should be okay?

I always use HC-110 as a straight from syrup to working strength. I seem to recall my B dilution is 32mL per litre.

I would test the year old HC-110 stock solution on a recent non-critical roll first.
I have no experience on how long it lasts.
I do know that D76 stock solution starts to lose some of it's zing after sitting for 6 months, even under ideal situations.

A year is a long time for stock, 6 months is the recommendation. I'd clip test it first for sure. Wise to do anyways with any chemicals that have been mixed for a while before you develop film. Paper printing you can redo but if you mess up a roll of film, it's gone!

phc said:

I've got stock solution mixed about a year ago - I think that should be okay?

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I wouldn't trust just a clip test. All a clip test tells you is that the developer has some activity. It doesn't say the old mix has all the power of new. It does not tell you it is as good as new, just that it's not entirely dead.

I don't trust old mixes. Even if they have some limited life, they might die halfway through. I say don't fall for false economy.

Were it me, I'd say just toss it, but...

If you do decide you just have to ahead with it, use double (or larger) size tanks with half the reels empty so if it craps out fast, you have an excess of developer to keep the process going as long as it can. That is, if you are processing two rolls, put them in a four (or bigger) reel tank and fill it to the top with developer. Fill the empty space with empty reels and lots of developer. Excess developer makes it less likely to die halfway through the process, but you're still risking irreplaceable film.

Were this developer for prints, I'd say go for it. The loss of a couple of sheets of paper is no big deal. Film can't be recovered the instant you fix it.

If you develop by inspection, and if you have some fresh developer about to rescue yourself and can mix it in the dark, then go for it. Otherwise, chuck the old stuff.

Your 1-year-old stock should be fine if there was no air in the bottle. I have used 8-month-old dilution B kept in a half full bottle, and it worked fine with my normal time for pushing Delta 3200. And that is stock solution diluted 1:7 with water. Try using it minimally diluted. Either dil. A (1 part stock to 3 parts water), or straight stock. You want a quick developing time in a punchy, log-fog developer. You may want to add some anti-fogging agent, but I don't know how much it will really help you. If you use very short developing times, make sure your agitation is sufficient to give you an evenly-developed negative, even if it means over-agitating. Over-agitated negs (at least usable) are better than uneven ones (completely useless in most cases).

CBG said:

I wouldn't trust just a clip test. All a clip test tells you is that the developer has some activity. It doesn't say the old mix has all the power of new. It does not tell you it is as good as new, just that it's not entirely dead. ...

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If you develop a clip test for a constant amount of time and compare the density of the clip to a clip test made when the developer was mixed fresh (has to be the same film) then it DOES tell you if it is as good as new. That's the point of the test. If it is half the density then you can develop for twice as long or chuck it, I'd suggest chucking it; but if it is as dense as when new then use it.

Yes, 2F/2F, you're exactly right about comparing densities. I was thinking only about the crudest test of looking for some density rather than the better approach you note of comparing and hopefully measuring density. Given that, if there is a lower density, I might urge a second clip test if possible with the proposed adjusted time/temp to doublecheck that the additional buildup of density is linear.

Mike Wilde said:

I always use HC-110 as a straight from syrup to working strength. I seem to recall my B dilution is 32mL per litre.

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For dilution B, it should be 31ml of concentrate plus 969ml of water to make a liter of working solution. But an extra milliliter of concentrate isn't going to make a big difference in a liter of working solution.

phc said:

I've get several rolls of 35mm film - mostly Tri-X, but also Plus-X and TMZ - that were exposed up to five years ago. I need to get these films developed!

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I just processed two rolls of lost and recently re-discovered 35mm APX 100 that I shot in the Spring of 2006. The film was already several years old at that time, but I'd kept it in my freezer until I exposed it. All these years I thought I'd lost these rolls in the field, but it turned out they were on the floor of my darkroom behind my enlarger stand. I developed them in HC110 dilution B at 68°F. I didn't have high hopes for them, but the negatives came out looking quite good. I probably overexposed them slightly when I took them (I usually rated that film at 80 ASA), which may have helped them to retain a good image. They aren't thin at all, and not noticeably fogged.