F-76

<p>What is the longevity of Clayton F-76 bw film developer after it's opened?</p>

<p>I used this developer a few years back and it's really very good and a fairly good value cost wise. I didn't have any keeping problems, but used it up well within six months if I remember right. It has a good shelf life and should keep as long or longer than D76. I would imagine if you used mylar wine bags or something similar you could increase the longevity by a lot. Keeping air(oxygen and it's bi-products) out is the key. Probably the only reason I don't use it(F76) or another "store bought" like it is because I mix my own developers now.</p>

<p>Not as good as Rodinal</p>

<p>Martin,<br>

Not many developers are as good as Rodinal for shelf life, but that's not what the OP asked.</p>

<p>I tried some a few years ago. While I don't remember exactly how long it kept, I did find its shelf life to be somewhat superior to D-76. Nevertheless, I would recommend decanting it into several smaller glass bottles for longer keeping.</p>

<p>They sell it at Freestyle photo and they will also have the PDF file with specific information. It's a liquid and I assume it would be stable for a long time in it's original container. Being a liquid you do not need to dilute the entire thing all at once like a D76 powder. Also it comes in a small container or a large container depending on your need. If it's going to sit around for months probably just buy the small container. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hello everyone. What ever size bottle you purchase, keep the exposed liquid to a minimum for longest shelf life. For ages I have added glass marbles to different sized bottles to bring the liquid to the top. You might also investigate the ability to purchase small bottles of Nitrogen gas from a welding supplier. This is the ultimate gas for preservation. I have used the Nitrogen when some "exotic" chemistry is brewed up. Aloha, Bill</p>