HC-110, how old can it be?

[masimix]

First of all, I want to thank all of the contributors to this site, there's a lot of things I wondered about that I found the answer to by searching apug. On the other hand, there is a lot of opinions on every subject matter too, but that's just how it has to be!

So, to the question:

- Today I bought two 1 litre bottles of HC-110 syrup in a local shop here in Oslo, Norway. I got it for half the price (400 NOK ($60/€45) for the two). The shop was closing down, and the owner assured me that the bottles weren't that old.

From what I read on this site, the syrup seems to last long, but what if it has been in the sun, and with a lot of heat? The shelf was close to a window. The bottles have a lilac-brownish mark on top, where the liquid ends just under the cap. There is a batch number also, it reads 06 07609.

Is this anything to worry about?

Marius

P.S Does anyone know the starting time for Plus-x and Ilford Pan F+ with HC-110?

 

[Larry.Manuel]

To me, it looks like it'll work OK. Goggle: Massive Development Chart for times. It's at "Digital Truth". Good luck.

 

[brianmquinn]

If I read the date code correctly then bottle was produced the 7th week in 2006.

 

[bdial]

Ilford and Kodak also publish times, which in my experience, may be more reliable than the Massive chart.
See http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j24/j24.pdf
and http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=5&t=Consumer+&+Professional+Films

 

[Denis K]

Who was it that said the shelf life of HC-110 concentrate is older than the shelf?

Or was that Rodinal?

Denis K

 

[Denis K]

The date code could indicate that it was made in the sixth week of 2007, or the seventh week of 2006 (not old by HC-110 standards).

WATCH OUT: If you bought this in Oslo it is most likely the European version of HC-110, which is formulated with a different concentration than that in the US. If you reference any online development times make sure that the dilution specified corresponds to the HC-110 formulation you bought in Oslo (i.e. European). In the charts you will see dilutions spec'ed as B, H, etc.

 

[Anon Ymous]

If I read the date code correctly then bottle was produced the 7th week in 2006.

Possibly, but the only official document(tech pub cis107) doesn't say anything about that format.

 

[Lee L]

http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/ has information on reading date codes (US bottles) and on the European version of HC-110.

Lee

 

[masimix]

Thanks for your replies! The covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/ is very good, I found it earlier. It is not the half litre european version btw, it says 1+31 for B, and that is the concentrate you get in the US.

Since Plus-x and Pan F+ is 3,5 and 4 minutes, I have decieded to try the H version, 1:63. I will get a syringe, and hopefully it will work out ok. I'm going to the darkroom now, no important films, but would be nice if they turned out ok.

Also found this site http://www.mironchuk.com/hc-110.html. Says the same, one shot 1:63.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I'm processing with HC I bought last spring. I one shot so it's strup. No worries yet.

 

[MattKing]

I'm processing with HC I bought last spring. I one shot so it's strup. No worries yet.

There are probably people here on APUG who are processing with HC110 that they bought last millennia, with no worries yet .

I'm speaking in terms of unopened bottles of course.

Matt

 

[JBrunner]

Just mix a bit up and snip test it. Then you will know.

 

[BradS]

I used to use lots of HC-110 but switched to D-23 and D-76 when I started using continuous rotational agitation....with a Jobo Tank.....anyway,

I have a bottle of HC-110 here that was originally purchased sometime between 1992 and 1996. It was opened in 2004 and I am still using it from time to time for 35mm films. It looks much, much worse than the photo in the OP but still produces excellent and consistent results. Don't worry. Just enjoy the nice discount.

The kodak data for Plus-X and Tri-X are widely believed to be in error. I do Tri-X in dilution D (1+39) for 5 minutes. Works like a charm - every time.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Who was it that said the shelf life of HC-110 concentrate is older than the shelf?

Or was that Rodinal?

Denis K

Must be Rodinal. I have some (previously) unopened concentrate HC110 from the 80's. Dead as a dodo.

 

[CBG]

My old HC-110 works fine. Looks similar to the bottle the OP posted.

 

[Denis K]

I only occasionally use HC-110 so my bottle gets old. I have it with me on an extended trip where the "prepare from liquid" characteristic is desirable. I used some last week and it was still good as new. My bottle has a 1999 date stamp.

Denis K

 

[masimix]

It works, for sure, no surprise. Developed two films, one 135 Pan F+ EI 50, and one 120 Plus-x EI 100. I did cut the Pan F in two and did the other half of it in Rodinal 1+50. (I was lucky and cut it right after 18 frames, just a 2mm cut into frame 19

Times were based on Massive dev chart, the same as Kodak and Ilfords times on their web sites. 4 minutes for Pan F in HC-110 B and 11 minutes in Rodinal 1+50. Plus-x 3,5 minutes in HC-110 B. Because my darkroom was 25 degrees C, choose to develop in 24 C (75F). I used dilution H for Hc-110, 1:63. I did both half the Pan F and Plus-x in a tank, and decided for 8 minutes (doble time of B + 1 min for the Plus-x). In 24C this was converted to 5 min 30 sec. The Rodinal 1+50 7 min 30 sec. I used a syringe to extract 15 ml of HC-110 syrup and added 930 ml of water from the tap. Rodinal 10 ml + 500 ml water.
Agitation, first 30 sec, then two inversions at 1:30, two at 2:30, two at 4:30, and for the Rodinal, two at 7:20. Rinse with water - 25C, Fix with Kodak Max Fix 5 min, rinse with water again, and Hypo C.A. 1 minute. Rinse for 5 minutes in 24-25 C, then Agfa Agepon wetting agent. Dried the films in room temp.

The Pan F looks good. A little more developed in Rodinal, and more contrast. The Plus-X is underdeveloped, very thin, and low contrast.

I have the negs here and will scan them, but of course, they must be printed to see how they are for sure.

 

[greybeard]

Matt King: There are probably people here on APUG who are processing with HC110 that they bought last millennia, with no worries yet.
I'm speaking in terms of unopened bottles of course.


Somewhere there is a post in which I mentioned a bottle of syrup that I diluted to concentrate in about 1991 or so, and it was still fine in 2000. It wasn't stored in the best of conditions, either: a house where the temperatures regularly went into the high 90s (Fahrenheit) every day for weeks on end. I kept it, even though I have gone through several bottles of syrup since then; one of these days I intend to do a serious sensitometric comparison with "fresh" developer. I suppose that if I plan to test it every nine years, I had better get to it...

So, yes---I've processed film in HC110 dating from the last century!

 

[masimix]

I forgot to say that i metered with an incident meter (is it called that? handheld, Sekonic) and exposed right on.