Very Expired Plus-X, best developer recommendations.

I have obtain about 100 rolls of Plus-X both in 120 and 220. Expiration range from 1987-1991. I was told it has been frozen since purchase, of course I am can only assume this.

Like to draw on some of the group's in experience on developers to use to obtain the best results.

Any recommendations on what to use and how to develop would be much appreciated...

HC-110 period.

Denis K

I'd call it more like Moderately Expired. Have got best results with least base fog by using D76 1+1 for East-Germay ORWO film from that very same era and stored god kows how. Rodinal and HC110 give nice thick fog with the same film. But if the film was really frozen, you might get away with very light fog at all. I have developed some films from 90 which were really kept frozen for all the time. NO fog at all. It was ISO25 film though.
I'd expose and develop first roll just by the book.

Thanks, I will try HC-110

I got a stack of 120 from that period, frozen, and I could not get anything close to box speed with Xtol. Switched to Rodinal 1:25 and got to about 80 or so, but what looked best was down-rating to 64 and then doing it in Microdol-X 1:0. Didn't try HC-110 but I think that would be a good call.

ASA 64 Microdol-X or Perceptol 1:2 10.5min 20C

Actually, if I were using Microdol-X at full strength with FRESH Plus-X, I'd rate the film at EI 64. For box speed, I'd use D-76 or XTOL. I couldn't even hazard a guess with film that old though. I'd start with normal development and see what happens.

Earlier I had said just said HC-110 period, but now that I see others recommending other developers I think I should elaborate a bit. I was attempting to argue for HC-110, not because I thought it was the best developer for Plus-X but because HC-110 is the developer most people have found that can do a good job with seriously outdated film and a particularly choice for those who are attempting to develop film with very old latent images. Conceptually, HC-110 is a very active developer in its stronger dilutions and can get the job done fast before excess fog has a chance to build up. Even though it might not be the first choice of someone using Plus-X (although it could very well be) it is, in my opinion, a very good starting point for very old film stocks. Short of trying to tame D-19 for pictorial use, it is about as active as you can easily find. Let me say that nothing I have said should be interpreted as an attempt to throw dispersions on any of the other recommendations, which could, for all I know, be excellent choices for developing normal Plus-X film. Since I don't use Plus-X film, I will differ to them for their knowledge in this area.

I will say that I just developed a roll of Tri-X with a 1/2006 expiration date and was shocked to find a Base+Fog density of 0.39 log units. This was developed in XTOL (1+0 for 7.0 min. at 20C). The next time I'm faced with Tri-X of this age, I'm going to try HC-110 Dilution A for 3.75 min.

Denis K

Yeah, I get that point about HC-110. I'd start with that first to see where the film is. Franks suggestion about XTOL is what I tried, and I can tell you, for expired Plus-X of that vintage, Xtol 1:0 and 1:1 was very thin, it was very evident that the film needed more of a stronger developer, and Rodinal 1:25 looked very good. My point about Microdol-X 1:0 is that since I was willing to take a speed hit anyway, the characteristics and 'look' of the old Plus-x was strikingly appealing, especially with an older lens.

Thanks for all the suggestions, going to shoot a roll of 220 this week and use hc-110 and see what happens

Thats not that expired. I shot some Tmax 100 that was older than I am (expired 1991) and got very usable images out of it. I used d76 1:1 and overdeveloped by a minute or two. My recommendation is to shoot a test roll, shooting at several speeds, and develop at with normal times/temps. If the images from a slower speed come out better, either shoot at that speed or adjust development with another test roll.

I shot half a 4x5 pack of Tri-X Professional (TXP523) that expired in June 1981 over the weekend, developed it at data sheet times in HC-110 (10 minutes in Nikor sheet/cut film tank), and it's maybe a stop slower than the box speed of 320. Film base + fog density is 0.5, which is noticeable, but not awful.

Since it was part of six packs I just bought on eBay, I now have very handy film to use my Pony Premo No. 4 as a "point and shoot" camera.

Since your film is slower (and less subject to fog by cosmic rays), and rather newer, it should behave quite decently. Probably a film base + fog density of 0.3.

i would see how it looks by doing a clip test
and processing your films in a few different developers
HC and the rest ..
i would include dektol 1:5 @ for of 5 min
and ansco 130 1:5 @26mns (stand)
in your tests

good luck!
john

Rodinal 1+24 or HC-110B (I prefer it in Rodinal and sabe the HC-110 for my Fuji Neopan films).

Last year I pulled latent images off a roll of 120 Plus-X that was shot in 1981. I ran it in my usual HC110 1+63, tossed in an extra minute or so of time, and got recognizable images. The base density was noticeably higher, and looking at the emulsion side there was a sort of funky, granular appearance. I haven't tried to print them, but was able to scan them with some success. Plus-X is cool stuff.

DaveT

I had some that expired in 1976 and worked fine with any developer I threw at it. If it really was frozen all that time, it should definitely be fine.

- Thomas