Expired 8x10 Ilford HP5 Plus 400 questions - What Would You Do ?

[bascom49]

I have two 25 sheet packs of 8x10 HP5 PLus 400 film that expired in 2006.
With the film I got two 8x10 cameras with lenses and maybe thirty film holders.
I have a nice darkroom so I'm ready to go and looking forward to my first 8x10 contact print.

Since I'm new to 8x10 I'm planning on shooting this expired film to get some experience before I buy new stock.

With the film I also got three 8x10 tanks for hangers, but no hangers.

I have six or seven unopened bottles of of HC110, five or six boxes of Ilford Microphen, a larger stock of Xtol,
a couple boxes of Perceptol and a bottle of Adox Adonal on hand.

If I decide to buy hangers and use the tanks Adonal or HC110 would be good choices given
the volume of chemistry it would take to fill the tanks and the amount of chemistry I happen to have on hand.

If I decide to develop in trays then my choices of developer is wider.

So, what would you do ?

So, if anyone could give me their opinion as to which developer I might want to start with for my expired film
I would appreciate it greatly. Any other thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks,
Charles

 

[henry finley]

If you have all that old stuff, use whatever seems to be the least spoiled. What difference does it make?

 

[removed account4]

hi charles

i would keep things simple ...
do you have a tray ... ?
i have only used xtol out of the developers you mentioned
i would dilute it and process your film in a tray full of it ...
i'd expose the film at 200 instead of 400 ( which i would do anyways ) ..

do you have any dektol ?
instead of the developers you mention try using dektol 1:9 for about 9mins .. tray processed ...

i only really use expired film and i usually process sheets either in caffenol c or ansco 130 ...


have fun !
john

 

[removed-user-1]

With the film I got two 8x10 cameras with lenses and maybe thirty film holders.

This is slightly off-topic, but I'd love to know what cameras and lenses you got.

 

[garysamson]

You might want to take an unexposed sheet and develop it for the "normal" time to see how much fog, if any you may have before photographing something important. I would start with Kodak HC110, dilution B in an 11x14 tray and I would use at least 1.5 liters of solution.

 

[palewin]

I'm more or less in the Jnanian camp. I would take your outdated HP5+, find a scene with a reasonable range of zones, and expose 3 sheets: 320 ASA (my normal rating for fresh HP5+), 200, and 100. I would tray develop in HC-110, but I would use dilution H (1:62) to get a time somewhere around 11-12 minutes (I like longer times because I shuffle process, but that's with 4x5, not 8x10; if you are doing one sheet at a time, use dilution B, 1:31). Then see which sheet looks best to you and that's your rating for the old film. I did exactly this with two boxes of very old Tri-X I found in the back of a drawer, expiration dates in the 1980s, and an old bottle of HC-110. I ended up with ASA 50 but your film is fresher, and faster than 4x5 Tri-X in the base case.

 

[pentaxuser]

I have no experience of HP5+ in sheet form but given that it is HP5+ and only expired in 2006 I'd be surprised if you don't get box speed with Microphen as it's a speed increasing developer, assuming that what you want to use.

Wait to hear what others have to say about this combo but as 8x10 sheets are not stuff to be wasted I wouldn't drop E.I. below 250 maybe even 320 unless those experienced in this combo definitely say to do so.

pentaxuser

 

[wblynch]

<<< I have two 25 sheet packs of 8x10 HP5 PLus 400 film that expired in 2006. With the film I got two 8x10 cameras with lenses and maybe thirty film holders.>>>

Lucky Fellow!

<<< I would take your outdated HP5+, find a scene with a reasonable range of zones, and expose 3 sheets: 320 ASA (my normal rating for fresh HP5+), 200, and 100.>>>

An alternative would be to pull the slide out 1/3 of the way, make your first exposure, take another 1/3 make the second and finally, all out for the 3rd. Like we do for paper enlargements... Of course you would want a stable scene for your test.

 

[EASmithV]

it's all junk.

Send it to me for the cost of shipping.

 

[bascom49]

This is slightly off-topic, but I'd love to know what cameras and lenses you got.

The first camera has a Deardorff bottom plate but its not a Deardorff. I'm sure that it is a Burke and James. It's battle ship grey with a red bellows.
The second camera is a Gundlach Korona View Field Camera.

I got a Schneider 165mm Super Angulon and a Bausch and Lomb 305mm EF Tessar Ic f4.5 gold dot in a Betax No 5 shutter.
I sent the Schneider to Schneider in California for a CLA. When I get that back I'll send the Bausch and Lomb off as well.
If anyone has any suggestions as to who I should send it to for CLA I would appreciate it.

 

[bascom49]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Charles