Storing unprocessed exposed film

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I'm using Ilford Delta100 and processing in Ilfosol3 at a ratio of 9 to 1 using a 450ml Jobo daylight loading tank. This allows me to process 11 films with a 500 ml bottle of Ilfosol but once opened it reacts with the air and starts to oxidize. I've found that after two months the remaining liquid has changed colour dramatically and I've so far limited myself to using it all within that time frame.

 

If I develop film as soon as it is exposed this puts me under pressure to use 10 or 11 films within two months. As this is a hobby and sometimes the weather isn't fit or I don't want to go out under pressure to photograph just anything just to keep up with the clock I was wondering about storing exposed film in the fridge and only buying the liquid developer, fixer etc once I have built a stock of say five or six films. This of course could be several weeks or several months and I'm just wondering about possible effects on the final quality of the negatives of such storage.

 

I've so far stored three films for just short of a month and the only effect I saw was that the negatives seemed to have more 'curl ' once cut. They were kept in the top of door of the fridge which isn't the coldest part but is a lot cooler than room temperature.

 

I prefer to convenience of one shot liquid developer rather than mix my own from powder and even with powder the clock would be running once it was I started to use it.

[joeswe]

I'm using Ilford Delta100 and processing in Ilfosol3 at a ratio of 9 to 1 using a 450ml Jobo daylight loading tank. This allows me to process 11 films with a 500 ml bottle of Ilfosol but once opened it reacts with the air and starts to oxidize. I've found that after two months the remaining liquid has changed colour dramatically and I've so far limited myself to using it all within that time frame.

 

If I develop film as soon as it is exposed this puts me under pressure to use 10 or 11 films within two months. As this is a hobby and sometimes the weather isn't fit or I don't want to go out under pressure to photograph just anything just to keep up with the clock I was wondering about storing exposed film in the fridge and only buying the liquid developer, fixer etc once I have built a stock of say five or six films. This of course could be several weeks or several months and I'm just wondering about possible effects on the final quality of the negatives of such storage.

 

I've so far stored three films for just short of a month and the only effect I saw was that the negatives seemed to have more 'curl ' once cut. They were kept in the top of door of the fridge which isn't the coldest part but is a lot cooler than room temperature.

 

I prefer to convenience of one shot liquid developer rather than mix my own from powder and even with powder the clock would be running once it was I started to use it.

 

Regarding film: Several weeks shouldn't be a problem for Delta 100, several months ... well I'm not so sure, I personally wouldn't risk it.

 

Developer: Are you sure the developer is bad after two months? A change in color does not necessarily mean that the developer has turned bad. The Ilford datasheet says that Ilfosol 3 should be good for 4 months in half filled bottles at cool to normal (4-20°C) ambient temperatures. I guess you could further improve the storage properties by using a protective gas and/or dividing the concentrate into smaller portions that you store in appropriate glass bottles.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I've already bought some brown glass bottles of various sizes - 500ml, 300ml and 200ml so I could fill a 300ml completely and store for later use and use a 200ml to begin processing films. Each film requires 45ml of developer. I have read of a method of keeping the level up in bottles being used by adding glass marbles to displace the liquid contents.

 

As you say Ilford state that Ilfosol3 and their rapid fixer are good for 24 months in full bottles and 4 months and 6 months respectively if half full. Of course I've no idea how long the full bottles have stood on the dealer's shelf before purchase.For the developer I could get round this by using a powder concentrate but I'd like to avoid this if I can as I'm now used to working with Ilfosol 3.

 

My assumption that the colour change in the developer after two months means that it is becoming unusable isn't based on any evidence and I could extend this self imposed deadline.

[joeswe]

Thanks for the suggestion. I've already bought some brown glass bottles of various sizes - 500ml, 300ml and 200ml so I could fill a 300ml completely and store for later use and use a 200ml to begin processing films. Each film requires 45ml of developer. I have read of a method of keeping the level up in bottles being used by adding glass marbles to displace the liquid contents.

 

As you say Ilford state that Ilfosol3 and their rapid fixer are good for 24 months in full bottles and 4 months and 6 months respectively if half full. Of course I've no idea how long the full bottles have stood on the dealer's shelf before purchase.For the developer I could get round this by using a powder concentrate but I'd like to avoid this if I can as I'm now used to working with Ilfosol 3.

 

My assumption that the colour change in the developer after two months means that it is becoming unusable isn't based on any evidence and I could extend this self imposed deadline.

 

You will find a batch code on the Ilford chemicals (and paper, btw), and IIRC the first two digits will tell you the month and year of production. I don't have the info at hand, do some Internet search, the key to decipher the code should turn up.

And don't worry too much about the fixer, the concentrate usually keeps very well, you just might use some protective gas to keep air out of the container.

[250swb]

You could perhaps try Ilford DD-X developer. It does have a time limit but it doesn't tend to oxidise. But oxidation in itself is not always a sign that the developer has given up the ghost. I have a bottle of Rodinal that is now about ten years old and has turned dark brown but still works as well as the day it was opened. I'm not saying your Ilfosol would be as good after ten years, but you could test it on one film next time it turns brown.

 

Steve

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Thanks to all who have replied with suggestions. I've investigated the mystery of the Ilford date code and it appears to have been devised by the same people who gave the Maya the Long Count.

 

If I've followed the various explanations I found on the web correctly it uses the numbers 01 to 99 to represent sequential months. Once the cycle has progressed to 99 it reverts to 01. Zero is not used.

 

It appears that October 2004 was a 01 month and began a new 'count'. This cycle ended at 99 in January 2013 ( if my maths is correct ) and a new cycle began at 01 in February this year.

 

The last bottle of Ilfosol3 I bought in June this year has a code starting with 99 so it would appear to have been produced in January and was already six months old when I bought it.

If this explanation of the code is correct it would seem prudent not to purchase anything with a code in 90s range and to look for codes later than 01.

[aesop]

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...try accordion bottles, Howard - the idea is to keep the air out before sealing.

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...try accordion bottles, Howard - the idea is to keep the air out before sealing.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have an accordion bottle that I bought years ago but it may be too large as I think it has a full capacity of 1ltr. If I could get a 500ml that compressed down to say half that size that would probably best. I'll have to have a look round to see what I can find.

[Bill Clark]

I have found that empty, either 1 or 2 liter, soda bottles works best. I've tried the glass, accordion bottles and, from my perspective, it was the lids that allowed oxygen to creep into the bottles. The lids on mine were usually plastic coated cardboard that didn't seal well. They didn't last very long from repeated opening and closing.

 

However, the soda bottles have that challenge solved as they are made to completely seal over and over.

 

I've had ID11/D-76 developer that's two years old and works just fine. If you question using the clear plastic bottles some sodas come in green bottles.

 

I keep them in a cabinet in the bathroom.

 

Hope this helps you.

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Thanks for the suggestion Bill, I will add this to the list of ideas to try out.

[joeswe]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do have an accordion bottle that I bought years ago but it may be too large as I think it has a full capacity of 1ltr. If I could get a 500ml that compressed down to say half that size that would probably best. I'll have to have a look round to see what I can find.

 

Stay away from accordion bottles, they are no good. I won't go into the details, as it has been discussed before and the info is all over the web. A glass bottle with tightly closing cap in combination with protective gas or glass pearls to take up any air space is much better at keeping oxygen out. Brown glass bottles like they are used by pharmacists would be ideal. For powder developers kits like D76 or Xtol that give 5 liter of stock solution, a used 5 liter wine bladder is just perfect.

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Stay away from accordion bottles, they are no good. I won't go into the details, as it has been discussed before and the info is all over the web. A glass bottle with tightly closing cap in combination with protective gas or glass pearls to take up any air space is much better at keeping oxygen out. Brown glass bottles like they are used by pharmacists would be ideal. For powder developers kits like D76 or Xtol that give 5 liter of stock solution, a used 5 liter wine bladder is just perfect.

 

Thanks for the advice. I have some brown glass bottles and can get more locally so I'll probably use those before trying anything else. I'd prefer not to store too large a quantity of developer and 500ml of Ilfosol 3 split between 300ml and 200ml bottles appears to be the best solution. I just need to find some glass marbles to raise the level in the 300ml bottle so that the air in the neck is displaced.

[rpopescu]

Would someone in the know be so kind to post their advice regarding Ilford Ilfotec HC?

 

It is supposedly similar to Kodak's HC-110, however the Ilford product sheet indicates no storage time for undiluted syrup, after opening. Instead they say:

 

Full, unopened bottles of ILFOTEC HC concentrates stored in cool conditions, 5–20ºC (41–68ºF), will keep indefinitely. Once opened use completely to make stock solutions.

If stored in cool conditions, 5–20ºC (41–68ºF), ILFOTEC HC stock solutions will keep for up to:

- 6 months in full tightly capped bottles

- 2 months in half full bottles.

 

Any experience if it can be treated like Kodak HC-110? That is making working solution straight from concentrate and keeping the bottle with the concentrate for ages without care? (I've got an HC-110 open for over a year, and I've heard of it being good for years after opening, like Steve's mention of Rodinal above).

 

I'd appreciate any first-hand experiences here; thanks in advance.