When I can't find a developing chart online.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Jan 25, 2018

So, I recently found I have a few (genuinely old) rolls of film I want to use, but can't find an online development chart for Sprint chemistry, while there is information for other systems. These films are:

two rolls of verichrome pan, expired 1959 and 1960
one svema foto 64- expired either in the 1970s or 1990s (I need to take a magnifying glass to the expiration date)
one royal x pan- expired 1960s (I don't remember the exact year- and all the information I can find on developing this is that there is no information available)

does anyone have any suggestions on times for any of these? (And please note I only have access to Sprint chemistry).

mikemgb · Jan 25, 2018

I use HC-110 solution B at 9 minutes for films of this age, I've developed quite a few and always get a usable negative. When shooting deduct 1 stop for every decade expired so if a 1960 expired film was 100 ISO treat it as 1.5 ISO.

Try one roll and see what happens.

Bill Burk · Jan 25, 2018

Are they vintage photographs to be developed on that film? (so latent image loss and fog are a potential issue) Or did you just shoot it recently? (so fresh latent image will be easier to get a clean image from) Or do you plan to shoot in the future once you get your ideas together? (You could plan to expose enough to overcome fog)...

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Jan 25, 2018

Bill Burk said:
Are they vintage photographs to be developed on that film? (so latent image loss and fog are a potential issue) Or did you just shoot it recently? (so fresh latent image will be easier to get a clean image from) Or do you plan to shoot in the future once you get your ideas together? (You could plan to expose enough to overcome fog)...

These are expired films I plan on shooting some time in the future.

Sirius Glass · Jan 25, 2018

I found a recommendation for Verichrome Pah in stock XTOL for 5 minutes at 20 degrees C or 68 degrees F. I have not tired it yet. I am waiting for a fitting occasion.

Craig · Jan 26, 2018

My Darkroom Data guide from 1969 says for Verichrome Pan 6 1/2 min @20 deg C in D76 or 7 1/2 min in HC110 dilution B

The Royal-X Pan time is not given for D76, but says 9 min in HC110, Dil B. Interpolating, I'd guess about 8 min in D76.

I must admit I've never heard of Sprint chemistry, but it's easy and cheap enough to get a hold of D76. Or Ilford's ID11 is the same thing, and comes in a 1 litre package, which is easier to deal with than D76's 3.8 litre.

For the 64, I'd treat it like Ilford Pan F and use similar times.

MattKing · Jan 26, 2018

You could do some guesstimating.
First find the times for D76 from the posts above.
Then compare those times with the available information from Sprint to see which modern films require similar times.
Then use the times for those films.
Then - and this is the tough part - guess what changes to those times you need to incorporate in order to deal with 60 year old film.
In case it helps, here is a thread of mine where I dealt with film of a similar age: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...year-old-verichrome-and-super-xx-film.136477/

darkroommike · Jan 26, 2018

You can get close (probably close enough) processing all 400 speed films for the times given for Tri-X and all medium speed films for the times given for Plus-X and maybe as much as 25% more (note this does not work for T-grain films). After all you are not going to get anything close to optimum results with old films. Sprint developer is similar to D-76 (but with phenidone?) so you can also compare D-76 times for a known film Tri-X and a film that Sprint does not have time data for and apply a fudge factor. Or if you have an old Kodak Darkroom Data guide find the "factor" for each film and then find the reference mark for your developer.

Wallendo · Jan 26, 2018

With film that old and stored under unknown conditions, any development timing is purely speculative. My best guess would be to develop all the films with the published times for FP4+. With a hybrid workflow, most issues could be corrected in photoshop. With a pure analog workflow, it may take a lot of effort to get a decent image.

I have shot very old film before, but only with bulk rolls where I have had enough film to shoot a few practice rolls.

msage · Jan 26, 2018

With all of the current rolls available, why would someone waste time, effort and chemicals on almost 60 yo film? I am a photographer and results count, I would rather sell/give them to someone who collects old rolls then try to process them.

mikemgb · Jan 26, 2018

msage said:
With all of the current rolls available, why would someone waste time, effort and chemicals on almost 60 yo film? I am a photographer and results count, I would rather sell/give them to someone who collects old rolls then try to process them.

Because it's fun to try stuff like that.

timmct · Jan 27, 2018

The Sprint Standard film developer was engineered to replace D76 1:1 so if you can find recommendations for D76 1:1 just follow those guidelines for Standard 1:9. It's your guess as to the "unknown" factors that your project may impose. Maybe a bit longer on the pre wet and the actual development times? Definitely do some testing...shoot tests at the beginning of the roll and develop that part first, and separately.

Good luck.

Bill Burk · Jan 27, 2018

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
These are expired films I plan on shooting some time in the future.

That’s the best!

You could follow advice already in this thread. I think you can’t go wrong.

If you want to really test I would take 6 inches of film and expose in sensitometer, develop and measure to find the effective speed and development time... I could expose some film for you if you want to send me a strip (make sure to keep it sealed from light and clearly labeled)

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Jan 29, 2018

Bill Burk said:
If you want to really test I would take 6 inches of film and expose in sensitometer, develop and measure to find the effective speed and development time... I could expose some film for you if you want to send me a strip (make sure to keep it sealed from light and clearly labeled)

thanks, but no thanks. I enjoy the unknown factor of expired film.

Bill Burk · Jan 29, 2018

TheGreatGasMaskMan said:
thanks, but no thanks. I enjoy the unknown factor of expired film.

Haaa, well the offer is open- It’d be more worthwhile if you come across three or four rolls of the same batch. For one-off’s you take your chances. If you can spare one shot... take a pair of the same picture where you give normal exposure to one and 2 stops more exposure to the second shot. It can tell you something and the overexposed picture might be the good one.

JensH · Jan 30, 2018

mikemgb said:
Because it's fun to try stuff like that.

+1 Right.

Sirius Glass · Jan 30, 2018

Because I learned about photography with a Brownie Hawkeye camera and Verichrome Pan. I have the camera again and two rolls of that film and I do not want to blow it by over or under developing.

TheGreatGasMaskMan · Feb 13, 2018

timmct said:
The Sprint Standard film developer was engineered to replace D76 1:1 so if you can find recommendations for D76 1:1 just follow those guidelines for Standard 1:9. It's your guess as to the "unknown" factors that your project may impose. Maybe a bit longer on the pre wet and the actual development times? Definitely do some testing...shoot tests at the beginning of the roll and develop that part first, and separately.

Good luck.

Well, tonight, I tried a 126 Verichrome Pan I found last week (left on exposure 5, camera wound up being broken) at 9 minutes in sprint standard per d76 recommendation. I think I did it right, but I got a blank roll. Thanks for the information as well.

When I can't find a developing chart online.

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency