Old TMAX and PAN-F

<p>I just inventoried my freezer and found the following 100 ft. rolls of film.<br>

2 TMAX 400 exp 1990<br>

1 TMAX 100 exp 1990<br>

2 PAN-F 50 exp 1992<br>

1 ORWO NP27 exp 1991</p>

<p>These have been frozen or refrigerated so I would assume they would keep fairly well. I would like to start using these now and would like any advice about exposing and processing these old films. I know that the TMAX films have been replaced by a new version. I have a Lloyd loader and what I remember you should be able to get about 17 36exp rolls out of 100 ft. From what I have herd slower films keep better over time than fast ones. Thanks for any info.</p>

 

<p>There may be some base fog from cosmic rays on the TMAX 400 and Orwo NP27. The others should be very close to "as new".</p>

<p>The problem with older film is that it may have fog. Usually, it's not so bad that you cannot print through it, but you will need to overexpose enough to get your shadow detail up out of the fog, so to speak.</p>

<p>Make a test roll starting at your normal EI and then gradually increasing exposure by 1/3 stops. Do a proper proof (printing so the film edge is max black on your paper) and see which neg has the shadows you want. This will be your EI for that film. </p>

<p>If the prints are not contrasty enough, increase development by 10% increments till you get the contrast you need. </p>

<p>After a couple of short test rolls, you should be in business.</p>

<p>As mentioned above, some of the film may be in close to new condition.</p>

<p>Best,</p>

<p>Doremus Scudder</p>

<p>I had about 10 rolls of tmax 400 from the 80's that i used. they sat in and out of freezers for the 20 somethin years in which they were never used. I took pictures with these, and developed them all in the past few months. they came out great, there is no fog whatsoever, the only thing i noticed is that the film seems to be a bit too dark, maybe thats just because my only comparison is brand new arista edu film (what the california gov't gives highschool photo classes), which is some really high qaulity stuff. Also, it wont straighten no matter what i try, but you shouldnt have this being as much of a problem, seeing as how you have the larger rolls. Im considering buying a 100ft roll from adorama, what does loading your own film entail? is it a pain in the rear, or would it be worth it?<br>

-Austin</p>

<p>Austin the bulk loading is fairly easy you just need a loader, 100ft. roll of film and some cassettes. Freestyle has it all and I like the Lloyd loader that they have reintroduced. I have 2 of the old Lloyd loaders that I have used for years and they work great. You just tape the film end to the spool assemble the cassette, enclose it in the loader, put the crank in and roll of how much you want. If your camera uses DX coding then you will need to get cassettes that have the DX code or manually set the ISO speed.</p>

<p>I think i might start doing that this summer, thanks for the help. so earlier in the thread, it said 17 36 exp. rolls per 100ft roll? how do i know when ive reached the 36 exp. mark?</p>

<p>If you use the Lloyd loader there is a chart on the side that tells how many turns for the number of exposures. Some other loaders have frame counters but I have not used them.</p>

<p>Austin, the Watson bulk loader has frame numbers if you'd prefer such a setup. I usually roll 36 exposures per cassette and get 20 rolls out of 100 feet. If you're trying to cut some costs, pick up empty cassettes at your local one-hour (Wallgreens, CVS, etc.). You can simply tape the "new" film onto the little leader sticking out of the used cassette. I use a wrap of Scotch tape around the junction of the leader/new film stock. It works like a charm and as a bonus I no longer have to worry about having one of those snap cassettes popping open on me (it's happened, it sucks). You do have to set your ISO manually, but in practice, that's really not a big deal.</p>

<p>that sounds awesome, especially since i just got a watson bulk loader for free ( along with a ton of other stuff, check out my thread: what is this enlarger?, for full list). so looks like im set to do this, once i get a roll of film, and some cassettes. ya, doing it manually is no big deal. so can you load them in the daylight? it looks like you can on the loader, but that doesn't seem right... and id be fine with the adorama brand plastic reusable cassettes, correct? Also, what film rolls would you all recommend (im sure that gets covered a bunch, but im just wondering) i like to shoot fine-art type stuff, so id want a slow speed (400 or under, preferably under that). the only modern film i use is the arista edu as i talked about earlier, does this come in bulk? the negatives always come out very clear, straighten easily, process easily, and tend to enlarge well. </p>

<p>I am not familiar with the watson loader but you have to load the 100ft. roll in total darkness or a changing bag which is dark. You can load the cassettes in daylight close the loader and crank off the film. I just bought a 100 ft. roll of Legacy Pro film from Freestyle and it is 100 ISO. Freestyle has a good selection of bulk film at good prices. </p>

<p>I recently used frozen Pan F from the mid 90's with great success.</p>

<p>On bulk loaders. I must have at least a dozen of them. Most are Lloyd's and Alden 74's. Among them is one solitary Watson. </p>

<p>The Lloyd's loaders are dead simple and have exactly 1 moving part, the light trap door, unless of course you count the crank as a moving part. The crank handle is not attached to the rest of the machine, and can sometimes get lost. Light fastness is accomplished with a felt light trap, which, if you keep it clean, will not scratch your film. Anyone who tells you it will is either mistaken and has a problem somewhere else in the film handling change or is not keeping it clean. A small bit of low tack painters tape will easily remove any grit that MIGHT accumulate without damaging the felt. If you're careful, they're very efficient. The very short path between the light trap and the cassette is very short so very little film is wasted to fogged leaders. These are my favorites. They are simple, efficient, and dead reliable. There is simply nothing to wear out in normal use.</p>

<p>The Alden 74's are the Cadillac of bulk loaders. They are more complicated in construction and operation than the Lloyds, but very reliable nonetheless. There is no felt light trap, that function being handled by a light tight gate. The design is foolproof. The outer door cannot be opened unless the light trap is closed. The light trap gate cannot be easily opened if the outer door is open. There is a sprocket wheel driven mechanism to indicate the number of frames loaded and the total length of film used. They are not as efficient as the Lloyd's loaders because of the longer path between the light trap and the cassette. Where you might be able to squeeze that extra frame out of the Lloyd's, you never can with the Alden. Not a big deal. What do you do with that extra frame when you want to make a contact sheet and you have 37 frames to print, while your 8 x 10 or 8 1/2 x 11 can only fit 36? </p>

<p>The Watson loaders are similar to the Alden 74's, but are designed slightly differently. They're not as solid, and not as foolproof. They employ a light trap gate instead of a felt light trap like the Alden, but the implementation is not as foolproof. It is easier to make a mistake and open the light trap gate while the outer door is open. The counter is not as reliable, and the whole thing feels cheaply made compared to the Alden 74. </p>

<p>Freezing essentially stops aging.</p>