Developing old Ilford Pan F

[Melvin J Bramley]

I have been asked to develop a roll on 20 year old Pan F.
Apparently old Pan F has latent image issues.
Where do I start?

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Ugh. I suggest you cut off a short piece of the roll and develop that piece in a developer that reduces (or does not exaggerate) fog. If there image data, adjust as needed for the rest of the roll.

 

[JensH]

Hi,

yes, every PanF has an instable latent image, the film should be developed soon after exposing it. Better in the first weeks, not months.
If the PanF was exposed 20 years ago, you will hardly get any image.

Apart from that, a 20-year old film may (depending on storage conditions) need more light, so you would get an EI of ca. 25.

If it is 120 film one more problem can be artefacts from it's backing paper.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

Hi,

yes, every PanF has an instable latent image, the film should be developed soon after exposing it. Better in the first weeks, not months.
If the PanF was exposed 20 years ago, you will hardly get any image.

Apart from that, a 20-year old film may (depending on storage conditions) need more light, so you would get an EI of ca. 25.

If it is 120 film one more problem can be artefacts from it's backing paper.

The film was exposed about 20 years ago; no idea how it was stored.

 

[loccdor]

I don't think you'll get much from that film.

 

[Vaughn]

Just use the most active developer you can find and cook the hell out of it.

And then whoever asked you to develop the film can just throw it away since there will be nothing on it worth printing, but who knows, maybe scanning will be able to draw something out of it.

 

[cliveh]

Develop in D76 at 1:1 for 15 minutes at 20C

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

Just use the most active developer you can find and cook the hell out of it.

And then whoever asked you to develop the film can just throw it away since there will be nothing on it worth printing, but who knows, maybe scanning will be able to draw something out of it.

I have some old Rodinal.
My usual developer ID11 and if needed Ilfosol.

Any reccomendaations?

 

[Craig]

Develop in D76 at 1:1 for 15 minutes at 20C

I think Microphen would be a better developer in this case. The film is going to need all the speed enhancing it can get, a dilute developer won't help here.

I think this is a salvage operation, not developing for quality.

 

[Vaughn]

I have some old Rodinal.
My usual developer ID11 and if needed Ilfosol.

Any reccomendaations?

No specific ones… but basically I would just double the normal development time with whatever developer I had around.

 

[loccdor]

Yeah, ID-11 stock and double it, then pray.

 

[Don_ih]

I have 40 year old Pan F. The frame numbers can only be seen if the film is drastically overdeveloped. It has lost no speed and gained no fog. I'd advise dropping it in working strength dektol for 4-5 minutes. That should fully develop any image that remains. I'd do a test strip, first.

 

[DREW WILEY]

No worse than trekking to the South Pole in flipflops and Bermuda shorts if you expect success. Pan F forgets what it was within six months. But developing it anyway is easy enough to do.

 

[mshchem]

Develop in D76 at 1:1 for 15 minutes at 20C

This is how I would approach the situation. I probably wouldn't do anything too much different than the recommended processing time. 20 years ago is 2006 not 1954. Develop as normal.

 

[Taylor K Nankervis]

Never liked Pan-F for its latency decay. There is a lot of agreement that it should be developed immediately, but maintaining the integrity of the negatives against time is a problem too. Even a week after exposure is problematic. I last used the film in 2016 but did not process it for 9 or 10 months, and the negatives were disturbingly anaemic and insipid.

 

[retina_restoration]

It's unlikely there will be any usable image there, no matter what you do to develop it.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

Yes to the Microphen, you definitely want some restrainer for the fog so I'd say definitely not the Rodinal. I would try 1;1 at a 3-5 stop push, heat it up a bit, maybe in the 18-20 minute range or more. Expect nothing, be surprised at anything, let us know how it works out.

 

[mshchem]

latency decay

Sounds like a personal issue. "Better latent than never!" Robin Williams

 

[Bill Burk]

Develop in D76 at 1:1 for 15 minutes at 20C

That’s a step in the right direction but I’d do twenty

 

[mpirie]

OP: I'd start by managing the owners expectations......advising them that they are very unlikely to see a usable image.

After that, anything you do develop will be a bonus.

Mike

 

[lamerko]

I have some Pan F that's around 30 years old. There's no fog at all, and it wasn't stored in a fridge. It has barely lost any speed - perfectly usable.
As for the latent image, with normal development the edge markings are visible, but quite faint. Still readable. Pushing it 1-2 stops in HC-110 might be the best approach.

 

[Ian Grant]

Good luck, my experience is not positive after developing a couple of roll 2 years after exposure.

Ian

 

[tezzasmall]

A good range of suggestions there. For the quickness of pulling the plaster off some hairy skin, and so to see the result as quickly as much as anything else, I'd use the suggestion of cooking it in some Dektol. I did some tests with a film and I was quite surprised how well it came out when compared to other film developers.

But please do develop it quickly and report back asap, as I for one can't wait to hear or see the result.

Terry S
UK

 

[loccdor]

I have some Pan F that's around 30 years old. There's no fog at all, and it wasn't stored in a fridge. It has barely lost any speed - perfectly usable.
As for the latent image, with normal development the edge markings are visible, but quite faint. Still readable. Pushing it 1-2 stops in HC-110 might be the best approach.

It can be good expired if it's 35mm and you shoot it recently and develop it promptly. Not good for a 20 year old latent image, also not necessarily good in 120 due to backing paper issues. I'm not sure OP specified if this is 35mm or 120. My 35mm expired Pan F experiment went much better than my 120 one.

 

[pentaxuser]

Develop in D76 at 1:1 for 15 minutes at 20C

Can I ask: Why dilute it and have you had success with this age of Pan F and your recommendation?

Thanks

pentaxuser