Kodak HC-110, indestructible!

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

I have been using my last bottle of HC-110 so long I had forgotten it even had an expiration date. I checked it this weekend and found it was expired in 2016! Whoops. The syrup is now bright red instead of light yellow, and there are chunks of solid covering all over the walls of the bottle. But the stuff still works! The negatives I get from it are flawless. Such an amazing product. I'm down to the last 20% of the bottle which should last me the rest of this year. Come christmas time I'll be ordering up another bottle and I'll be good for another 4-5 years.

Kodak HC-110 is indestructible!

Helinophoto · Aug 3, 2018

Agree!

You should pour that last lump into a smaller container, so that oxidation doesn't eat up 25% of it before it is gone, it does dry out and react somewhat to air (or was it moisture?).
I always split my hc-bottle into several smaller glass-bottles and use each of those when developing.

When I open a new small glass-bottle, it never has any discoloration, no matter how long it has been stored, but at the end of the usage, small red/brown spots has started to form.

I once just used the main bottle and even though the HC still worked, it was red/brown gunk all over the place ^^

DWThomas · Aug 3, 2018

I do similarly to Helinophoto, I divvy up the bottle into an assortment of small (8, 4 and 2 oz.) Nalgene bottles I picked up at a camping store and work from the smallest bottle. (When the standard bottle jumped up to 1 liter, I bought two more eight ounce bottles.) I believe, as suggested that humidity working it's way in starts that darkening process. Generally my unopened bottles stay relatively light for years (and I ignore the expiration date).

Nodda Duma · Aug 3, 2018

I’m getting to the last of a bottle that expired in 2011, and it still works great.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Helinophoto said:
Agree!

You should pour that last lump into a smaller container, so that oxidation doesn't eat up 25% of it before it is gone, it does dry out and react somewhat to air (or was it moisture?).
I always split my hc-bottle into several smaller glass-bottles and use each of those when developing.

When I open a new small glass-bottle, it never has any discoloration, no matter how long it has been stored, but at the end of the usage, small red/brown spots has started to form.

I once just used the main bottle and even though the HC still worked, it was red/brown gunk all over the place ^^

Nodda Duma said:
I’m getting to the last of a bottle that expired in 2011, and it still works great.

Wow....that's much older than mine.

Nodda Duma · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Wow....that's much older than mine.

The lighthouse pic that I put up in the media section was developed with the stuff two days ago.

Carter john · Aug 3, 2018

I've had a similar experience, I didn't realize HC-110 had an expiration date.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

I wonder how bad HC-110 has to get before you see it fail.

Wallendo · Aug 3, 2018

If a bottle of HC-110 lasts for years, it suggests the photography isn't shooting enough film . Although even if it is not your primary developer, it is nice to have a bottle of HC-110 (or Rodinal) available when needed.

I've been tempted to try XTOL, but with reliable bottles of HC-110 and Rodinal, I never get around to it.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Wallendo said:
If a bottle of HC-110 lasts for years, it suggests the photography isn't shooting enough film . Although even if it is not your primary developer, it is nice to have a bottle of HC-110 (or Rodinal) available when needed.

I've been tempted to try XTOL, but with reliable bottles of HC-110 and Rodinal, I never get around to it.

I will never, EVER try XTOL. Ever.

Cholentpot · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
I will never, EVER try XTOL. Ever.

I was at the shop a little while ago looking for some. It was sold out.

Rudeofus · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
I will never, EVER try XTOL. Ever.

I am not trying to sell you a developer, but do look at the Delta 100 comparison between XTol and HC-110 here. The clip developed in HC-110 has higher contrast and significantly more grain, and still has a lot less shadow detail.

This may or may not matter to you depending on your shooting style, but you should at least be aware of it before you make a judgment call.

MattKing · Aug 3, 2018

I expect that the expiration date relates more to the integrity of the packaging than the nature of the contents - after a certain period of time the bottles can get brittle. Once water (not air) gets in, the contents can degrade.
I've used much older than 7 years "expired" HC-110 and/or HC-110 replenisher with no obvious bad effects.
I have tried the "decant into smaller bottles" approach, but it always concerns me how difficult it is to transfer the viscous liquid without significant waste. I would actually prefer to just transfer once, to a single glass container.
I've recently transferred over to replenished X-Tol after several years of using HC-110 either one shot or, even better, replenished, but I'm not letting go of the bottles of "expired" HC-110 and very "expired" HC-110 replenisher that I have left.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Rudeofus said:
I am not trying to sell you a developer, but do look at the Delta 100 comparison between XTol and HC-110 here. The clip developed in HC-110 has higher contrast and significantly more grain, and still has a lot less shadow detail.

This may or may not matter to you depending on your shooting style, but you should at least be aware of it before you make a judgment call.

If I want shadow detail, I use DD-X. Never XTOL. Never.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Cholentpot said:
I was at the shop a little while ago looking for some. It was sold out.

Many years ago, when I was in China, I used to frequent the same film shop, buying all my film and chemicals from this one nice man. He barely spoke English so I rarely understood what he wanted or was saying. One day he gave me a free bag of XTOL. I could not explain to him in a nice way that I did not want it so rather than try to give it back, I gave in and took it. I chucked it into the garbage as soon as I got out of the store.

If my wife was there, I would have understood why he was giving that to me. I was a pretty good customer so he would often give me a free roll of film or something on occasion. That was the one time he gave me a developer. Maybe I should have asked for D-76. I used that sporadically from time to time.

mshchem · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Many years ago, when I was in China, I used to frequent the same film shop, buying all my film and chemicals from this one nice man. He barely spoke English so I rarely understood what he wanted or was saying. One day he gave me a free bag of XTOL. I could not explain to him in a nice way that I did not want it so rather than try to give it back, I gave in and took it. I chucked it into the garbage as soon as I got out of the store.

If my wife was there, I would have understood why he was giving that to me. I was a pretty good customer so he would often give me a free roll of film or something on occasion. That was the one time he gave me a developer. Maybe I should have asked for D-76. I used that sporadically from time to time.

OH Ratty, XTOL and ACROS. You can hear the Acros give a sigh of joy when you pour in the XTOL .
Mike
And yes HC-110 is bulletproof .

DWThomas · Aug 3, 2018

Wallendo said:
If a bottle of HC-110 lasts for years, it suggests the photography isn't shooting enough film .

Enh, a valid point! But at the unofficial "Dilution H" (1+63) for 120 or 35mm loads that's somewhere between 145 and 250 rolls. I make some effort to use film on "worthy" (to me ) projects, giving some thought to each frame, so that's quite a lot of images (for my frugal self!) I even used HC110 1+63 to develop 8x10 X-ray film on the last couple of pinhole day projects.

Cholentpot · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Many years ago, when I was in China, I used to frequent the same film shop, buying all my film and chemicals from this one nice man. He barely spoke English so I rarely understood what he wanted or was saying. One day he gave me a free bag of XTOL. I could not explain to him in a nice way that I did not want it so rather than try to give it back, I gave in and took it. I chucked it into the garbage as soon as I got out of the store.

If my wife was there, I would have understood why he was giving that to me. I was a pretty good customer so he would often give me a free roll of film or something on occasion. That was the one time he gave me a developer. Maybe I should have asked for D-76. I used that sporadically from time to time.

Send it to me next time. I'll make some tea out of it.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Cholentpot said:
Send it to me next time. I'll make some tea out of it.

There won't be a next time.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

DWThomas said:
Enh, a valid point! But at the unofficial "Dilution H" (1+63) for 120 or 35mm loads that's somewhere between 145 and 250 rolls. I make some effort to use film on "worthy" (to me ) projects, giving some thought to each frame, so that's quite a lot of images (for my frugal self!) I even used HC110 1+63 to develop 8x10 X-ray film on the last couple of pinhole day projects.

I use dilution E.

Cholentpot · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
There won't be a next time.

I'll pour off an ounce and mail it to you. Don't call the hazmats please.

RattyMouse · Aug 3, 2018

Cholentpot said:
I'll pour off an ounce and mail it to you. Don't call the hazmats please.

Pass.

Cholentpot · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
Pass.

You'll call in a suspicious white powder.

jim appleyard · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
I will never, EVER try XTOL. Ever.

Why not?

pentaxuser · Aug 3, 2018

RattyMouse said:
One day he gave me a free bag of XTOL. I could not explain to him in a nice way that I did not want it so rather than try to give it back, I gave in and took it. I chucked it into the garbage as soon as I got out of the store.

.

I do wish you'd stop beating about the bush when it comes to Xtol. I am never sure how you feel about it.

pentaxuser

Kodak HC-110, indestructible!

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