How to develop old Ilford FP4 (non-"plus")

[crockodile]

Hi, I've shot some 120 FP4 which expired in October of 1994 @ EI 50, counting for the expiration and I'm trying to figure out how I should develop it. I currently only have Rodinal but I'm open to suggestions for what (or even if some) developer would be better for this task too. And of course if something like stand development is better suited.

I've also shot another roll of FP4 with unknown expiry date @ EI 50 and the roll came out quite good (I think it was Rodinal 1+25 for 9 minutes), despite some overexposure which was my fault though when shooting.

Thank you.



I also want to try reversal too. I bought some hydrogen peroxide as this was readily available for me. So could I rather try to make a slide out of this FP4? What do you guys think? Or is it better to test with fresh film first?

 

[Don_ih]

So could I rather try to make a slide out of this FP4?

In general, age fog is very bad for reversal development. That said, there's likely very little fog on that fp4.

I'd develop it as though it were new fp4+. I have a bulk roll of non-plus fp4 that's older than what you have that I expose at 100 and develop as though fresh - it's fine.

 

[crockodile]

In general, age fog is very bad for reversal development. That said, there's likely very little fog on that fp4.

I'd develop it as though it were new fp4+. I have a bulk roll of non-plus fp4 that's older than what you have that I expose at 100 and develop as though fresh - it's fine.

So you would say it's okay to reverse this roll? Or develop as negative?

 

[Don_ih]

So you would say it's okay to reverse this roll? Or develop as negative?

It's an unknown. Reversal processing fogged film makes truly crappy slides. Regular processing fogged film makes overly dense negatives that enlarge just fine (often scan just fine).

 

[Disconnekt]

This is a screenshot of the dev times for FP4 using ID-11, LC29 (and a few other Ilford developers) from a Ilford booklet they had in the mid-80s (the pdf can be found here, you have to scroll down to 1985: https://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology.html)

 

[npl]

If you have the cardboard box, the developing times should also be printed inside.