Topic: d-76 shelf life

[seekingfocus]

Yes, the age old question...

I've got some d-76 stock solution mixed up that exactly a year old today... am I gonna have to toss it? It's been stored in a full dark, stoppered bottle in the fridge, but according to Kodak stock shelf life is only 6 months. Anyone want to tell me different?

I mixed it all up and never got around to use it since I had been using other (more favoured) developers... but I'm out of everything else and I really need a darkroom fix tonight!

Also, have some powdered Kodak Rapid Fix and Photographer's Formulatory Stop Bath that's about the same age... any opinions on that?

Thanks,
Jason

[This-is-damion]

hello,

in my very limited experience,  any time ive seen such question, or asked it, most recently to Ilford about ID-11 etc.  The answer always seems to be that as long as air tight etc etc that will last for long past the shelf life, you just will need to experiment with timings as will no doubt need a little longer to brew.

as i said though,  i wouldnt trust a word i say,  havent got a clue, me.

[db]

Jason

Do you know the sort of people that don't read the instructions, never use a recipe, or follow a street map?- That's me.
Just so you know who it is giving you advice.

So when I say I wouldn't even think twice about that before mixing up the soup and tossing in that priceless roll you shot of the Loch Ness monster, yeti or honest politician  (insert your local mythical creature here) you are right with me, yeah?

It sounds like you have done all the right things and so what if the contrast is down a smidge, or the densitometer tells you it's quarter stop under... wassa madder?

I also know I live too far away for you to send your brothers around if it all goes horribly wrong 

[LT]

everything Don and damion says - BUT D76 isnt bank breaking in cost, so if you're worried, get some new. If you're skint, use it, I'm sure it'll be fine -especially if you're planning to scan and not do any silver printing

[marktweedie]

I've got some unmixed D76 in tins. Not sure how old they are but at least 5 years. Anyone got an idea if they are likely to be usable? I suppose I could just get my finger out and run a test....

[al]

I've got some unmixed D76 in tins. Not sure how old they are but at least 5 years. Anyone got an idea if they are likely to be usable? I suppose I could just get my finger out and run a test....

There's a good thread here:
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00IWxZ

By the sounds of things you're OK so long as it's not oxidised and gone brown, and mixes up nice and clear.

[seekingfocus]

Thanks everyone for the replies...

I'll go ahead and shoot a test roll of something lousy so I'm not bummed if it doesn't work out. I'll report back later this evening.

@DB, thanks for the advice- that's exactly the encouragement I needed to go ahead and try it!

@LEON, yeah it's not about coast (already ordered some new chems), but I just have noting else to use at the moment... the local camera shop recently stopped stocking films... chemistry and paper is also tough to find local so I have to wait on the post!

@MARK, I've heard good things about the stuff packed in cans, unmixed should be fine for years as long at it's not turning brown/yellow or clumping up. Of course, mix up a batch and test on something not some crucial first...

-Jason

[Francois]

An old skool tip for making it stay fresh longer:
Pour the batch into many small amber glass bottles with rubber stops.
If you can't find small enough bottles, drop marbles in the bottle to raise the level. It will stay fresh longer.

[seekingfocus]

Well, everyone can rest easy now: the long-expired d-76 worked just fine. Found a couple rolls of forgotten photos from earlier this year to give it a try... I know you were all so worried that my Yeti photos would have gotten botched, but they did survive.

I developed two rolls, Agfa APX 400 and Illford HP5 400, and both came out nicely. Not quite perfect, but certainly suitable for some old forgotten developer. So here's to all the naysayers! Development time was a little longer- added an extra minute and a half to the Illford, and about two minutes to the Agfa. Both were developed in stock (one shot) d-76, mixed up in Nov 2006.

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[outofcontxt]

You are a brave man, Jason. I would have just tossed the soup and mixed up more. But seeing that it's hard for you to get the stuff, it looks like it was worth experimenting with.

Now, for me, I don't give a second thought about shooting with expired film. As a matter of fact, I just recently scored 15 rolls of Tri-X Professional that's dated March 1980...