Best dev & method w/o anti-fog for long-stored film

[michael_kopp2]

I have some Tri-X, 35mm, stored indifferently for about 5-15 years

after exposure.

 

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I have done one experiment in developing these images without any

special techniques, and find high fog, low contrast, and low speed.

 

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Benzotriazole anti-fog is not available to me easily or cheaply in New

Zealand; potassium bromide might be a possible. Commercial "developer

conditioners" are unknown out here.

 

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Looking for actual experience but will take opinion as well as to how

to get reasonable negs without special chemisty. The general range of

packaged developers is available here.

 

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Have considered using a low-fog dev like Rodinal, and perhaps HC-110.

 

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But I'd like to know how to insure retention of speed, shadow detail,

and high enough contrast, without blocking-up, all while keeping fog

down, using just dev choice and time/temp/dilution controls, or

perhaps, at most, addition of potassium bromide.

 

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TIA

 

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Michael Kopp

Wellington, New Zeala

[pat_j._krentz_29_palms__ca]

I would think that you are going to have fog no matter what you do, I

would suggest a pyro developer if you can get it there, Kodak SD-1 or

PMK, and the compensating WD2D. Regards, Pat

[nigel_smith]

I recently found some Plus-X that had been floating around in a box

from house to house for the last 16+ years... I used my developer at

the time (since changed) of Ilfosol S and since I had written on the

canisters that they'd been exposed at 250asa and 540asa I extended

development by about 20% (250asa one) & 40% (540 asa) The end result

was negatives that definitely have a higher base fog, but are

printable. Here's an example (although this may show up a bit

contrasty due to my screen setup when I did this... It's looks bad to

me now! but I'm lazy and aren't going to rescan at the moment :) <BR>

<img src=http://www.eisa.net.au/~nlandgl/gallery/footy1.jpg> <BR>

[pete_andrews]

I agree that anti-fogging agents aren't going to do a lot, except

lengthen the development time. The fog you've got is real, caused by

the combined action of heat, cosmic-rays and other naturally occurring

radiation over time. It's just as if the film had been exposed to a

very weak light for 15 years. Fast films are more susceptible to this

type of storage fogging than slower ones, and to make matters worse

there's a thing called latent image regression. This means that the

image on the film begins to fade from the moment the shutter closes,

taking away the most weakly exposed parts of the image first. In other

words, whatever you do, the shadow detail in those negatives is gone

for good by now.

 

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I had some Kodak High-speed recording film(1000 ISO) that had been in

storage for a long time, and nothing would get rid of the high fog

level. Kodak used to publish the formula for a developer specifically

for high-speed films that were prone to high base-fog, I think it was

called D65. I even brewed some of that up, with minimal effect.

 

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I'd go for a vigorous developer without any additives. Perhaps using

your Rodinal or HC-110 at above normal strength, but I can't give you

specific time-dilution recommendations, as I don't use Tri-X.

[pete_andrews]

I've just looked at Kodak's Website and I'm surprised to learn that

they still do DK50, which is another developer once recommended for

low fog levels with high speed film. The smallest quantity available

makes up to a gallon though. {:-(

[conrad_hoffman]

I've been using some very old HP5 with success, but it wasn't exposed

then aged, just old when I loaded it. You're going to get fog no

matter what. I tried adding some Orthazite (benzotriazole) and it

didn't make any significant difference. Rodinal might be grain city,

so I'd avoid that unless you like the effect. XTOL works as good as

anything, and may retain the most shadow detail. Test, test, test!

[ed b.]

I recall a number of years ago when they found some photographs taken

prior to World War I by baloonists trying to fly over the north pole

(the film has remained frozen for 50 years), it was reported that the

film was developed in a pyrocatechin developer. I can vouch for the

fact that the new Pyrocat-HD developer generates virtually no base

fog. You might consider it for a test. It uses a small amount of

bromide to tame the fog generated by the addition of phenidone. The

formula is on my site at UnblinkingEye.Com.