Graflex.org

[primus96]

In '04 I was using Ansco 282 I rated at 50ASA with an expiry date of 1957, which was 9 years before my birth.
I had five boxes of 25 sheets. There were two different batches. One was OK & the other was only fit for display.
Being used to Ilford HP5, FP4 and Kodak 4125 the Ansco 282 seemed as if it was coated on linoleum.

At this present time the oldest stock I have is a part-used box of Kodak 4125 dated Oct 2001 and some 2013 dated Shanghai.
I dunno about the Shanghai. I always rated it at 50 ASA and souped it in Rodinal.
The new stuff is only around 22 pounds. Does Isaac Chen still have an ebay shop?
I used to buy Shanghai film from him and always had good service.

The only fresh film I have is Fomapan 200. I need to look closely at the reciprocity table before I start to use the stuff.

[disemjg]

Well, my example is the opposite of yours, I had very old exposed film that I had shot about twenty years before, and had bouncing around in my desk drawer for some reason. I finally got around to processing it and it was fine, the latent images had not suffered. It had not been subjected to harsh environmental conditions. I also had a friend who similarly had held onto an exposed roll of film, in his case for more like 25 years. His also came out fine. His roll had been subjected to all manner of poor storage conditions over its life. Both examples were 35mm B&W.

I have a refrigerator drawer full of old B&W sheet film, most ten to twenty years past date. I would use it without hesitation, although admittedly if I knew I was going to get to photograph Bigfoot or Nessie I would see to it that I had fresh film for that. It really comes down to the conditions under which the film has been stored. If good conditions are provided it can really last a long time. I don't know about color film and would expect that it would compare poorly.

I see Shanghai sheet film on eBay, so if you search for it you should find it. I have no experience with it, but the seller I found has it in several sizes, including 3X4. As you've used it, what is it like?

John

[primus96]

I haven't used any of it recently, thus why my last box is dated 2013. The opinion on the film is that it is not as badly behaved as the 120 version. Probably largely because it does not have that foul backing paper of the 120 version. In Rodinal it looks like the film de-rates to 50 ASA. It gives a better result at that speed in the shadows anyway.

[Laurent Laval]

My oldest film is from 08/1942 some 4x5 sheets of Kodak Super-XX Panchromatic
I also have some Kodak Super Panchro Press Type B from 05/1944

[primus96]

But Have you used the Kodak Super XX and the Panchro Press Type B?
What were the results like when you did use it?

[Laurent Laval]

Not used them yet. I don't have a lot of them ! so I do not want to spoil them !

The oldest film I actually used is some Perutz 17 from 07/1965
I shoot this one with a very nice Kodak Medalist II

Usually I take off a stop for each decade but anyway I process those film with 1/2 Stand Development in Rodinal so the ISO setting is not really important.

I have almost all the time some dots, but I really like this kind of old look


Perutz 17 with Kodak Medalist II in 1/2 Stand Rodinal

[keshlam]

I have just acquired a Graflex RB-D (I think), apparently in pretty good condition despite having lived in a Wisconson garage for decades.

It came with one of the film-pack backs with an unused 12-shot metal pack of Kodak Verichrome Pan (VP-518) still loaded in it.

Unfortunately the only other back I have for it right now is the original Kodak 55 roll-film back, and as far as I know nobody is making film which can be persuaded to work with that.

So... Do I preserve that unused film and its back as a historical/hysterical example, or do I try shooting and developing it just to see how well it did or didn't survive?

I suppose I could kluge one or both of those backs to hold a single sheet well enough to check the camera for light leaks and shutter operation... but it probably makes more sense to wait for a reasonably-priced sheet carrier to appear on eBay to perform that experiment, right?

(There's a slotted Grafmatic on eBay at the moment for what appears to be a reasonable price, but I'm not convinced I want to invest that much before finding out if the camera is going to need a lot of work to be more than a prop. I'm not currently in either serious collector mode or looking to spend much time shooting with it; I just appreciate old equipment and more so when it can be demonstrated.)

((Reportedly some folks have adapted these now-unsupported backs to use with plates. I'm definitely not that ambitious!))
_________________
() | ASCII Text Campaign
/\ | Stamp out HTML mail!

[45PSS]

Verichrome Pan was made for years. It may have a lot of base fog, the older it is the worse it will be.

What you are calling back are film holders. A back is a part of the camera.

Look behind the view hood on the door, there should be a 5 or 6 digit number. Post the number when/if you find it.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[keshlam]

Thanks for the reply, and for your patience. I'm still mapping this beast into my experience with cameras _younger_ than myself...


Correcting myself: Looking again, I think it's an RB Auto. (I'm still not sure what's Auto about it?) The number on the bottom-hinged front door is 95231. The most recent patent date on the bottom plate appears to be MAY 8 - 13. The shutter speed plate is mounted on the viewfinder hood and is of the style shown in figure 6a, bronze showing through black mask printing. Lens, if I'm reading it correctly, is a Heliar 18cm f4.5.

If there are other details I should gather (and/or somewhere else I should put them), please let me know.


Biggest functional problem I've found with it so far is that the leather top handle is falling apart; the innermost layer of leather is holding for now but the outer layers have broken at the front end and the stitching holding them to the inner layer has failed. If there are instructions somewhere for replacing this handle, I'd appreciate a pointer. It _looks_ like it should be straightforward to fit something usable if replacements exist, or if I'm willing to have it not look exactly like the original; it seems to be secured by string wrapped around anchor posts and then tied/glued into the handle tabs.


For what it's worth, the Kodak-cartridge holder doesn't have a model plate as the ones I've seen on eBay do, and I see no sign that it ever did; its loading door is plain leather over metal.
_________________
() | ASCII Text Campaign
/\ | Stamp out HTML mail!

[45PSS]

95231 is listed as a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 RB Auto. Its likely late 1915 or 1916 manufacture date.

https://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=3889&highlight=handle

Additional questions? post in the reflex help section.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.