Ilford FP4 Age?

[Chris Livsey]

I have been slowly accumulating IXMOO cassettes for my M2 and some purchased recently have had film loaded. This is identified as FP4 by being perforated into the leader tongue. How this got into an IXMOO is a mystery perhaps a reload of a single cassette ?
So can someone give me an idea of the time span when the perorations were used ? I would like to know to estimate speed loss as I want to shoot the stock just to see what I can get. Usual calculation is one stop per decade unless anyone knows better. I know I can bracket but I'm curious about the date.

 

[Aron]

Bracket.
One frame shot at 125, another at 50, one more at 25, maybe also one at 12.. Load your camera in the dark so you'll not waste a single frame.
Shoot these three frames under the circumstances you want to shoot the rest of your film.

I'd use Rodinal stand (1+100, one minute agitation, one hour stand) or semi-stand development.

Print the images and you'll have an idea how to shoot the rest of it.

Expect some basefog and grain.

Recently I had fun shooting some 30 years old HP5, I like the results at EI 50.

 

[Chris Livsey]

Aron, thanks, I hadn't thought of a clip test that's a really good idea. I was thinking of stand developing and adding possibly some benzotriazole as anti-fog.

 

[Rhodes]

I may be understanding the thread wrong, but my fp4+ that I use from a bulk film, ended in 1996 and I still get normal to good resaults. With any developer (t-max and ifosol-3, never tried with rodinal, I'm lazy loading the film canisters, got to arranja a bulk loader).

 

[Chris Livsey]

I may be understanding the thread wrong, but my fp4+ that I use from a bulk film, ended in 1996

This is FP4 NOT +

 

[Rhodes]

I see, did not know that there were two diffrent branch. Well, good luck with your film!

 

[Bob F.]

There is a history of Ilford here: http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Chronology.html - it should give you some idea of the possible date, but FP4 was made for a few years: 1968-1990.

 

[railwayman3]

I'd guess it was a "darkroom reload" put into a IXMOO cassette. Ilford supplied these at one time, being a precut 36 exposure length of film, supplied wrapped in black paper inside a little screw-top pot (seen one of the empty pots on Ebay quite recently), which you loaded into your own cassette in your darkroom.

I'm fairly sure that these were discontinued some time in the early 70's, so, noting Bob F's info of FP4 being introduced in 1968, that might start to narrow-down the date of manufacture?

 

[Chris Livsey]

Railwayman, thanks for that info. I hadn't realised single length reloads were made which explains the markings, and the neatly cut leader

BobF, thanks for the link an excellent resource. I do own an Ilford Advocate and an Ilford Sportsman and will enjoy going through the fine details as well as the film stuff.

Very glad I asked, a great help from all, much appreciated.

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Chris,

I also have an Advocat ( mint ) : 'The Cream Dream' one of my most treasured cameras

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[w9cae]

I have some spools of Ilford FP4 my brother found in his film fridge that expired in the 1970's. Still working fine makes one wonder what the life span is or it was a lucky batch ?

 

[Chris Livsey]

Simon, It never fails to draw lots of interest when in use just the opposite of a stealth camera
Mine's not mint but does have the internal sticker "ALWAYS USE ILFORD" which is good advice

 

[Chris Livsey]

BTW for those coming to the thread from an Ilford Advocate search you could help by filling in this survey

:http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Ilford/Advocate/Advocate_Survey.html