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Message from discussion Developing Old Films
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Richard Knoppow  
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 More options Sep 9 2000, 6:18 pm
Newsgroups: rec.photo.darkroom
From: dickb...@ix.netcom.com (Richard Knoppow)
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2000 22:17:14 GMT
Local: Sat, Sep 9 2000 6:17 pm
Subject: Re: Developing Old Films
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"Francis A. Miniter" <mini...@attglobal.net> wrote:

>Hi David,

>I saw your post earlier this week, but had no time to look things up
>until today.  In the 1967 British Journal of Photography Annual, p. 236,
>the following development times are given for development of the
>respective films in D-76:

>Kodak Panatomic X Mini Film       7 minutes
>Kodak Panatomic X Roll Film        9    "
>Kodak Super XX Sheet Film         16 minutes.

>On the other hand, the Amphoto Photographic Lab Handbook from 1969 gives
>(at page 46) 7 minutes for Panatomic-x mini or roll film at 68 degrees
>with full strength D-76; and does not mention D-76 at all for Super XX
>sheet film but instead recommends HC-110 (Dil B) for 7 minutes or DK-50
>(full strength) for 5 minutes.  I do not find any information for Super
>XX other than for sheet film.

>I am unable to find anything yet on the other films mentioned.  I would
>suggest you look for earlier issues of the BJ Photography Annuals and you
>will probably find the information you need.

>I engaged in this process over the last year and have had some reasonable
>success, even with films that spent the last 20  years in a hot attic.
>The older the film, the greater the risk of fogging.  That would suggest
>doing one at a time and determining whether you need to add an
>anti-fogging agent to the developer and increasing development time
>accordingly.

>Good Luck.

>Francis A. Miniter

The problem is that Kodak, at least, changed the emulsion of some of
its films over the years. Tri-X, Plus-X, Panatomic-X, etc., of fifty
years ago were not the same emulsions of thirty years ago and
development recommendations can be very different.
  In general, the older emulsions too much longer developing times.
This may be in part due to the early charts being designed for higher
contrast than was considered desirable later but I think the emulsions
were made thinner and probably other changes made.
  Sometimes the age of roll film can be told from the design of its
backing paper, sometimes you just have to guess.
  The latent image stability of film made for the last fifty or sixty
years is surprizingly good. A number of people who have processed very
old exposed films have posted here that they have had good results and
printable, if not perfect, images.
  Generally "normal" development is suggested. Extended development
tends to build up fog faster than the image. Anti-foggants tend to
destroy what is left of the latent image so are not desirable.
  If Kodak, or anyone else, knows of any magic method to recover
images from old film they seem not to be talking.

>pbccon wrote:

>> I am developing some exposed old films taken by the late husband of a
>> neighbour.  I have successfully developed Ilford FP4, FP3 and HP3 in
>> Microphen 12 min. but am now onto the older more difficult films.

>> Because of the uniqueness of each film, I cannot experiment but have
>> to get it right (ish) first time.

>> The films are:

>> 120 Kodak Panatomic X 120 1960s?
>> 620 Kodak Super XX Panchromatic 1960s?
>> 127 Kodak Super XX Panchromatic 1960s?
>> 127 Gevaert Ridax Ortho Superchrom  1940/50s?
>> 127 Standard Ortho 1940/50s?
>> 24x36 mini roll film (not 35mm) Lumiere Super-Lumichrome 28o develop
>> by date Dec 1945
>> 24x36 mini roll film (not 35mm) Lumipan probably 1940s also

>> Can anyone help with development advice please?

>> David Morris

>> Accrington, Lancashire, England.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, Ca.
dickb...@ix.netcom.com

 
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