Old Exposed Verichrome Film and Development Ideas

[declark]

I've come across some exposed rolls of 620 and 127 Verichrome Pan film. These were probably my Grandfather's and they had a expiration dates of around 1959. I read up what I could here at APUG and figured I just go for it with one of the loosely wound 620 rolls figuring it's probably shot anyway. I used HC-110 dil "H" for 12m @ 68F with 3 min agitation cycles. The negatives came out a very dark brown, but surprisingly enough there are 8 6x9 recognizable images that look like they will be a bear to print.

Tonight I tried another 620 roll that had been wound much more tightly figuring it might have a better chance. I also went on a recommendation I dug up (that showed very decent images from similarly aged Verichrome) that suggested a lower temp and higher concentration would minimize fog.

So I tried dil "B" for 8m at 64F with 1 min agitation based on what this person had found worked well. The negative still looks very dark brown, but recognizable images. Any tips on temp, dilution, time, and agitation would be appreciated. I suspect most of these are just scenery shots of Rochester NY and probably not anything that critical, but who knows. Thanks.

 

[Whiteymorange]

I just did a roll of 620 Verichrome found in a camera from the early 60's. HC110, dilution B, 7 minutes, agitation every 30 seconds for 5 seconds. The images came out quite printable. I'm surprised at the brown color of your film, however. Mine is light gray where fogged. I also did a roll of 616 Agfa Plenachrome found in an old Ansco Clipper camera from the same lot. Same development --and images that are overdeveloped, fogged and a filled with light leaks from the poor winding job, but also printable.

 

[John Shriver]

I have a small inventory of VP127 that expired in 1962. Exposed at EI 25, developed in HC-110 dilution B, 5:30 at 66 degrees F, it's quite nice. Agitation every 30 seconds, as with most Kodak developers. For a previously exposed roll, I'm sure the same time would be fine.

I'd say you over-developed in both cases, more so in the second.

But, never any hint of brown. Try fixing some more.

 

[declark]

Thanks for the tips. I suspected that I might have overdeveloped, but the recommendations I found seemed to indicate to do this. I will try backing off a bit and see if that doesn't help. I am using Kodafix hardening fixer and it still seems pretty fresh.

 

[nworth]

In 1971, Kodak recommended 8 minutes in HC-110 (dilution B) or 9 minutes in D-76 (1+1) at 20C to give a CI of about 0.55 (d-76) or 0.6 (HC-110). These times can probably be used with the earlier film as well. Film that old, especially if it has not been kept under ideal conditions, may have deteriorated some.

 

[honeydo]

Ooo, I have awesome directions for this in my locker. I can stop by and get them this afternoon after work. I had gotten a roll of film that was in my Grandfather's Brownie (mine now ). 40 years old. I found awesome directions that let to beautiful results. I couple didn't turn out well, but it appeared to me more of an issue with his composition than it was with the film and the developing.

There was an hour presoak, lots of washing throughout. Only 5 minutes of develop time with HC-110 though. And at a very cold temp. I can post it tonight. But it worked fantastic! The guy I got it from (if only I could remember where) had done boatloads of experimentation.

 

[honeydo]

OK, the printout from the guy (whoever, thanks!) says he gets consistantly good results with this formula of high concentration HC110 and low temperature.

Pre-soak in water for 30-60 minutes
One more rise to get rid of anti-halation
HC-110 dil A for 5 minutes
Agitation: 5 inversions every minute + one more every 30 seconds
Stop 2 minutes
Kodak non-hardening fixer 8-10 minutes
Water rinse
Hypo solution 2 minutes
Water 5 inversions
Water 10 inversions
Water 20 inversions
Photoflo 15-30 minutes

 

[Trask]

Honeydo -- you mentioned low temp. Do you have info on what temp he used?

 

[BobBill]

I have a number of rolls of 620 my mom had in a drawer. I am guessing these were exposed between 1940 and 1960. I do not want to mess up, so was researching and located the above.

Am guess the hypo term is same as say Rapid Fixer etc.

Pre soak makes a diff?

Am I good to go here?

 

[Mike Wilde]

Presoak will allow the long dried out gelatine to swell, and thus be able to admit the film developer so it can get to work quite quickly.
Otherwise the developer has to be left in for quite a while just to swell the gelatine and develop the surface grains of exposed halide, and given enought time, unexposed ones as well , and that is when fog can easily start to build.

HC-110 dilution A is as strong as it gets in kodakspeak. It will develop print paper (but is and expensive way to do so from a chemical cost viewpoint). At this concetration temperature is not as likely to be a huge influence. I would guess 17-18C would be fine, but have not tested this combination myself.

Yes, Hypo is a term used from the earliest days of photogrpahy to describe fixer.