Expired Ilford Selochrome exposure and processing advice needed...

[AndrewMcC]

I had an unexposed roll of expired (1969) Ilford Selochrome that I want to shoot in my Hasselblad 500CM.

Basically, with the film being so long expired has anyone got any advice on whether I need to make any adjustments for exposure and when it comes to processing....again, any thoughts on adjustments? I've kept it refrigerated since i got it but I've no idea of how it was treated the last 40 years.

I've only just made the move from digital to film and am starting to process my own stuff in my bathroom etc but loving using film.

All hints and tips greatly appreciated.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I have a batch of 120 Ferrania Pan from mid 60's, alleged to have always fridged, known to be frozen for the last 20 years. It is now EI12. It was once EI 100 to 50.

It needs 18 minutes in straight d76 to get anything approching a reasonable development contrast index to allow it to print on a grade 2 to 3 paper.

 

[fschifano]

I had an unexposed roll of expired (1969) Ilford Selochrome that I want to shoot in my Hasselblad 500CM.

Why? It's 40 years out of date and bound to be bad by now. Why waste your time?

 

[AgX]

Frank: "McC"... that guy is scottish!


Andrew: Welcome to Apug. And I like reading about playing with old stuff.

 

[fschifano]

OK then. I get it.

Me? I'd keep it as a curiosity just like I have a roll of very old Verichrome Pan lying around here. I won't use it, but it looks good next to an old Kodak box camera on the shelf.

 

[MartinP]

Best advice would be to ask Ilford. They made the film after all !

 

[mattmoy_2000]

My brother has successfully shot a roll of this stuff, I'll ask him how he shot/developed it in the morning (it's 1.15AM here atm). I do seem to recall one roll he had being completely dead, but I can't remember if it was selochrome, or something else. The worst that can happen is that it's dead, so don't use it for anything special.

 

[pentaxpete]

My boy was given a Yahsica LM 44 taking 127 film and it came with 4 rolls of 127 Verichrome Pan dated 1978 -- well, we used a roll and downrated the film and I developed it in Promicrol and it came out well !

 

[AndrewMcC]

Why? It's 40 years out of date and bound to be bad by now. Why waste your time?

Basically cause I love the unpredictable outcome of playing with expired film...

 

[AndrewMcC]

My brother has successfully shot a roll of this stuff, I'll ask him how he shot/developed it in the morning (it's 1.15AM here atm). I do seem to recall one roll he had being completely dead, but I can't remember if it was selochrome, or something else. The worst that can happen is that it's dead, so don't use it for anything special.

Cheers mate.

 

[AndrewMcC]

Best advice would be to ask Ilford. They made the film after all !

Good advice, I'll drop them an email.

 

[AndrewMcC]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

 

[fschifano]

Basically cause I love the unpredictable outcome of playing with expired film...

I just look at things a bit differently. A day of photography involves more than a little bit of effort for me these days. I like predictability and strive to keep my materials and processes in control so I know pretty much what I'm going to get even before I push the shutter button. Since I mostly do street photography, the unpredictable part is what I'll see on an outing. Horses for courses, as they say.

 

[mattmoy_2000]

My brother used Rodinal at 1+50 for 20 mins agitating for 5s every minute.
Here are his results:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtmoynihan/3966055675/
(There's more than one picture from that roll, so click about).
He did also do another roll which was just completely dead, but thinks that was from poor storage, rather than an intrinsic problem.