120 Verichrome pan experinces/developer

eli griggs

eli griggs

Well-known
Local time
4:43 AM
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
561
I have most of a cold stored brick of 20 rolls of Verichrome Pan and I am wondering on how well it process in D-76 @ 1:1, vs, Parrodinal, and HC-110?

I would like to know favorite lighting conditions and speeds, I looked earlier at the M.Development Chart, and saw that most of the outdated recommendations called for pushing the ISO a stop or so, past box speed, so I'd also like to know your experience with this.

Most of the film is still in the freezer, a trade years ago, for a bulk roll 64mm colour film, and while I was doing a quick search on a photo road trip today, I say an outrageous price for this film, in 120 format.

I'd like to know what it's practical value is, so I have a choice of shooting it or selling it, to make the best of this resource., as I would really prefer selling, or trading/buying Tri-X in that format, if it means substantially more film for the value.

Reminiscent memories are as welcomed as tips, so feel free to comment, it's all good.
 
Verichrome Pan was one of the most beautiful BW films ever made. I miss it. I would not pay a lot of money for it, though. It was discontinued 20 years ago. Even kept frozen, I would not think that film that outdated would be better than modern film.

When I used it, I loved the look in D-76 1+1.

byron-houses-1.jpg



byron-houses-2.jpg



lima-tree-4.jpg


All made on Verichrome Pan in D-76 1+1
 
Eli, I've only used Verichrome Pan since its been outdated. I have good negatives processed in PMK and Pyrocat HD, exposed at ASA 80. It's got lots of latitude and in that sense reminds me of FP4. I like the way it prints, but I wouldn't pay a premium for it. I've got a few rolls left & most likely i'll save them for portraits.
I'd take advantage of your stash and use it.....all
 
Deardorff38 said:
It's got lots of latitude.
Click to expand...

That is the point of Verichrome Pan. Kodak made it for box cameras with one shutter speed and one f/stop. I think it had two speed film layers that softened its sharpness but let you take a photo of a black car in a snow drift with a Brownie:

Not taken by me and this is probably Verichrome prior to the Pan:


found foto by John Carter, on Flickr
 
eli griggs said:
Were you shooting at box speed?
Click to expand...

Probably not. It was probably 80, but I'd have to dig through my notes to know for sure. Few films work well at box speed if you want maximum image quality, though many amateurs obsess over 'box speed' as though it were carved in stone tablets on Mount Sinai. The actual speed of the film depends on the developer you use. Some give higher speeds. You could probably get box speed from fresh Verichrome using Tmax Developer, but the images would have more grain than you'd get with D-76. Film loses speed as it ages, and you'd be unlikely to get good results at box speed with any developer.
 
HC-110 dilution b at 64 degrees has been my developer with Verichrome Pan in the last few times it has come through my darkroom. Theory I read is that since HC-110 is a fast acting developer there is less time for fog to build up, and the low temperature slows developer action which can minimize fog. Didn’t test this as negatives were decent. I was shooting 126 VP which was marginally stored. Slight under exposure (1/2 stop) seems to have worked best from memory.
 
I've only processed long dormant rolls from (mostly) deceased owners' cameras on behalf of curious family members—over a dozen times at least, perhaps more—mostly 620, but even a couple of rolls of 116. Fog varied probably mostly from storage conditions I suspect. Only one roll failed to show images. Learned later the camera involved resided on a mantle above a fireplace. Generally a film with an ability to preserve a latent image I can only describe as phenomenal, I recovered astoundingly well preserved images exposed at least sixty years earlier in some cases. I processed in either ID-11 or HC-110. I'd suggest HC-110 if available. If carefully stored and exposed today, based on both my own inspection of older images and what others have achieved shooting it recently, I'd expect it capable of yielding surprisingly good negs for very old film—perhaps a benchmark against which to judge all others.
 
Yes, Verichrome Pan was a two layer film. While it wasn't very fast or very fine grained, it had lovely gradation. I miss it.
 
Sarcophilus Harrisii said:
I've only processed long dormant rolls from (mostly) deceased owners' cameras on behalf of curious family members—over a dozen times at least, perhaps more—mostly 620, but even a couple of rolls of 116. Fog varied probably mostly from storage conditions I suspect. Only one roll failed to show images. Learned later the camera involved resided on a mantle above a fireplace. Generally a film with an ability to preserve a latent image I can only describe as phenomenal, I recovered astoundingly well preserved images exposed at least sixty years earlier in some cases. I processed in either ID-11 or HC-110. I'd suggest HC-110 if available. If carefully stored and exposed today, based on both my own inspection of older images and what others have achieved shooting it recently, I'd expect it capable of yielding surprisingly good negs for very old film—perhaps a benchmark against which to judge all others.
Click to expand...


I enjoy developing those long-forgotten rolls too. If its Verichrome Pan, the odds are pretty good that there are some decent results on the film. Others... Not as much. Remind me to post some of the Anscochromes I developed a couple years ago.


This is 127-format Verichrome Pan (unknown camera).


8UpAQd.jpg
 
I can't add anything to the discussion about how to develop Verichrome Pan, however I will share two images I took in the early 60's using Verichrome Pan 127. I used my Brownie Holiday camera to shoot these images.

original.jpg


original.jpg


Note that these images were scanned from the prints so aren't as sharp as they could be.
 
Back when I shot fresh Kodak Verichrome 120 Pan film, I shot it at the film box speed and developed it in this modified D-76 developer:

750ml distilled water (125F/52C)
2 grams Metol or Elon
57 grams Sodium Sulfite (anhydrous or desiccated)
5 grams Hydroquinone
1 gram Potassium Bromide
8 grams Borax (granular)
Cold distilled water to make 1,000ml

Developed for 6-8 minutes at full-strength at 68F/20C.
or
Developed for 8-10 minutes in a 1:1 dilution at 68F/20C.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom