Is HC-110 no more?

[Milton Tierney]

I haven’t been keeping up with the Kodak news. Can’t find it anywhere, has Kodak stop making HC-110? Is Kodak planning a come back on HC-110, if so when? If not, what is a good developer replacement ? Should I use Ilford Ilfotec HC or some other? I shoot T-max 100, 400 and Try-x sheet films. I’ve used HC-110 for years and like the results. What are your thoughts for a substitution?

[Drew Wiley]

I sure haven't had any trouble getting it in this part of the world. And there are alleged direct substitutes, like the one
Freestyle sells, though I haven't had any reason to try them yet.

[Light Guru]

I haven’t been keeping up with the Kodak news. Can’t find it anywhere, has Kodak stop making HC-110? Is Kodak planning a come back on HC-110, if so when? If not, what is a good developer replacement ? Should I use Ilford Ilfotec HC or some other? I shoot T-max 100, 400 and Try-x sheet films. I’ve used HC-110 for years and like the results. What are your thoughts for a substitution?

I think it has been discontinued I tried to buy some about a month ago and could not find any available to purchase. I wanted to try it HC-110 because it comes in a liquid concentrate but i guess I will stick with the X-Tol ive been using

[Ken Lee]

Adorama and B&H list it as "discontinued", "no longer available".

[Mark Sampson]

HC-110, and its replenisher, are still listed on Kodak's site. But then they also have a 2003 tech sheet for Microdol-X up, and that's been discontinued for a few years, hasn't it? Perhaps our big NYC retailers aren't interested in shipping liquids anymore.

[Steve Goldstein]

There was a lengthy thread on this over on APUG. Apparently Kodak discontinued the small bottle we're all familiar with here in the US, and introduced a larger bottle under a different SKU number. You can get it from Freestyle.

[Drew Wiley]

Yeah, just a packaging and shipping thing. Even the local camera store carries it here.

[Kirk Fry]

If you are worried about it, buy a LARGE bottle. It keeps several decades. K

[Dave Gesell]

My local brick and mortar store (Henry's on Queen St), doesn't stock the pint (473ml) bottles anymore, only the quart (946ml). Supply of anything darkroom or film related is getting spotty over there, so I've decided to switch to XTOL because if I have to I can order it (or Eco-Pro), from B&H or Freestyle.

[Milton Tierney]

I see Freestyle has it in a large 16L bottle, maybe. I’ve tried B&H and Amazon; they do not have it. It looks like I may will need to change my developers, which means more developing tests. I do not shoot a lot of film all at once which makes HC-110 convenient. I’ve never used XTOL due to that I would have to mix 5 liters at a time. To all you masters of the darkroom: what’s the shelf life after mixing XTOL and has anyone used Ilford Ilfotec HC? Thanks

[Dave Gesell]

I haven't got any direct experience with XTOL yet, but a lot of folks recommend using distilled water to mix the stock, and the shelf life is 6+ months in a full container, 2 months or so in a partially full one. With that in mind I've bought a bunch of 500ml amber Boston Rounds for storing stock, so in my 3 reel Patterson tank 1 bottle will do one processing run at 1+1, or two runs at 1+3.

If you want to keep using HC-110, you could just pour out the concentrate into 4 smaller bottles to keep it fresh longer. I'm using up my last bottle of HC-110 that "expired" January 2012, and it's still fine, and all I did was add marbles to the bottle to keep air to a minimum.

[Kirk Gittings]

For really long shelf life I would stick with Rodinal, HC110 (or their substitues) or my preferred-Pyrocat HD in Glycol (mix it right before using).

[David R Munson]

I guess the new version of the packaging hasn't shown up on B&H yet? A search for "HC-110" yields only the one, discontinued result. Just the sight of it nearly made me cry, though. Even with the availability of substitutes, the actual, full-on discontinuance of HC-110 would pretty much be the beginning of the filmpocalypse for me. I'd have to start dressing in black and listening to Cradle of Filth in order to compensate.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Gosh, how very discouraging.

I am going to try this (http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2011427105392231.pdf) if I can find it again.

[okcomputer]

Just ordered the double-size from Freestyle. As has been mentioned, the familiar size is discontinued, but not the product. Freestyle also has their own copy of HC-110, if worse comes to worse.

[neil poulsen]

I read a review on B&H that HC110 is now made in Germany, and that from his experience, it's different. What's the experience from others? Has it changed? Is it still a good developer?

B&H won't ship it, stating that it's only available in their N.Y. Super Store. Just checked with Freestyle, and they anticipate continued availability in liter bottles. Currently at $35.99 there. (Compared to $28.50 at B&H.) Portland's local store sells it for $40.00! Are there other, more reasonably priced options?

[Wayne Aho]

In the past, the EU concentrate was diluted more, don't know why the difference.

Wayne

[Fredrick]

Isn't Ilfotec HC the same thing?

[adelorenzo]

There was a recent discussion on APUG about the new HC-110 packaging (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/125209-question-about-hc-110-new-1litre-packaging-usa.html). Some people are saying they get different results although I asked Kodak and was told that it is the same formula.

I'm still working through a couple of the older bottles so I don't have any firsthand experience.

[C_Remington]

I just acquired 14 unopened bottles of HC110. They're all US made and have an expiration date of 2014 on them.

I don't know when these bottles were purchased new but, is the expiration date really indicative of when this stuff will go bad?????

[Michael Cienfuegos]

I just acquired 14 unopened bottles of HC110. They're all US made and have an expiration date of 2014 on them.

I don't know when these bottles were purchased new but, is the expiration date really indicative of when this stuff will go bad?????

I don't think the stuff will go bad.I juststartedon a bottle marked "2012" It seems fine, works great. I think I bought a number of bottles of the stuff in 2009, this is the last one.

[Jim Jones]

The $11.65 price tag on mine is dated March 1990, and it seems to work fine for my probably slipshod developing.

[smithdoor]

Try http://www.freestylephoto.biz/5010541-Kodak-HC110-Film-Developer-1L or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/926496-REG/kodak_5010541_hc_110_professional_developer.html

[David R Munson]

I don't think the stuff will go bad.I juststartedon a bottle marked "2012" It seems fine, works great. I think I bought a number of bottles of the stuff in 2009, this is the last one.

In Korea after a long time spent searching I found a bottle of HC-110 in the basement of Il Kwang Camera in Busan. It was covered in dust and the contents had crystallized. It worked fine. After that, I stopped worrying about HC-110.

[StoneNYC]

I just acquired 14 unopened bottles of HC110. They're all US made and have an expiration date of 2014 on them.

I don't know when these bottles were purchased new but, is the expiration date really indicative of when this stuff will go bad?????

If you have the US one (which is NOT a 1L bottle) then if you look close there is an area that says "expiration: Indefinite" or something to that effect.

I've been wanting to test the "old" bottles against the new mixture but I can't find any of the older stuff, can I buy a bottle from you?

[BetterSense]

HC110 is immortal. My bottle came from an old camera club and was probably sold in the 90s. I finished it off last year, couldn't find it in stock so I bought a bottle of Rodinal instead (I'm not picky).

Back in 2008 or so I calculated the cheapest developer, and HC110 won easily, even against replenished D23 with buying sulfite in bulk.

[Louis Pacilla]

I just acquired 14 unopened bottles of HC110. They're all US made and have an expiration date of 2014 on them.

I don't know when these bottles were purchased new but, is the expiration date really indicative of when this stuff will go bad?????

Nope not at all. The unbelievable shelf life (in concentrated form) is one HC 110's finer points. Even once the bottle is opened but not mixed for use. Then it will go bad somewhat quickly.

[StoneNYC]

HC110 is immortal. My bottle came from an old camera club and was probably sold in the 90s. I finished it off last year, couldn't find it in stock so I bought a bottle of Rodinal instead (I'm not picky).

Back in 2008 or so I calculated the cheapest developer, and HC110 won easily, even against replenished D23 with buying sulfite in bulk.

HC-110 was cheaper than Rodinal?

[C_Remington]

If you have the US one (which is NOT a 1L bottle) then if you look close there is an area that says "expiration: Indefinite" or something to that effect.

I've been wanting to test the "old" bottles against the new mixture but I can't find any of the older stuff, can I buy a bottle from you?

I don't know if this is the "Old" stuff. I think it's still pretty new. Do you want to see a picture of the label and bottle?

[BetterSense]

I don't know if I tested Rodinal. It was more a test of whether mixing developer was worth it compared to concentrate.

[StoneNYC]

I don't know if this is the "Old" stuff. I think it's still pretty new. Do you want to see a picture of the label and bottle?

If it's less than 1L (like 487ml or something) it's the old stuff, if it's 1L exactly it's the new stuff....

[Michael Cienfuegos]

HC-110 is now packaged in the one liter bottle, so it is more expensive, but it will last forever. I usually use dilution B, so I get a lot of mileage out of a bottle of this soup. I'm on my last old bottle, will have to buy some new stuff next time.

[C_Remington]

If it's less than 1L (like 487ml or something) it's the old stuff, if it's 1L exactly it's the new stuff....

Then yeah, it's 16oz (743mL).

[Roger Cole]

HC-110 is now packaged in the one liter bottle, so it is more expensive, but it will last forever. I usually use dilution B, so I get a lot of mileage out of a bottle of this soup. I'm on my last old bottle, will have to buy some new stuff next time.

It's not more because it's a bigger bottle. Well the price per-bottle may be more, but not necessarily the price per-volume.

I have a bottle of the old stuff, unopened - been meaning to test it. I'm thinking with its cheap cost it might be good for my 1/2 gallon deep tanks even used one shot. I don't develop enough film to bother replinishing. I will use use D76 1+1 because that's not too bad what with no more than I use, but HC110 would be better (best of all is my Diafine, just pour it back in the bottle, but I don't always want what it does and it only does what it does, not much room for change.)

[StoneNYC]

I used HC-110 mostly for developing ancient films (expired in 1947-1990's film) because of it's low fogging qualities. But I'm mostly done with that now, so I don't really need it anymore, so I'm waiting on results from others before I buy the new more liquidy version...

[paulr]

If companies like Kodak had a soul, they'd publish any proprietary formulas when discontinuing.
That seems like a pipe dream, so in the darkroom (and kitchen) I avoid proprietary formulas when it's practical to do so. It's too disruptive to keep having the rug pulled out by a discontinuation or ... um ... improvement.

[Drew Wiley]

Kodak has indeed released formulas for numerous things it no longer has commercial interest in. And HC-110 has been replicated. It's just tricky to make. But why
not just buy the official Kodak product?

[StoneNYC]

Kodak has indeed released formulas for numerous things it no longer has commercial interest in. And HC-110 has been replicated. It's just tricky to make. But why
not just buy the official Kodak product?

He answered that question above... When a company changes something it messes with your process, but if you make your own, no one will mess with your process, where kodak could easily change things on you (and has many times, including the new HC-110 which is different in some way as it's not as thick as it used to be).

[BetterSense]

I totally grok the stability argument-that's why I run slackware instead of ubuntu. But perhaps some perspective is in order... my Ansel Adams book talks about HC110, so it's been around what 30 years? Buy a couple bottles (i.e. 10 years worth) and use it while its around.

I used to use replenished D23 for simplicity and its a beautiful developer, but I eventually tired of losing almost a whole stop of speed. I never liked D76.

[StoneNYC]

I totally grok the stability argument-that's why I run slackware instead of ubuntu. But perhaps some perspective is in order... my Ansel Adams book talks about HC110, so it's been around what 30 years? Buy a couple bottles (i.e. 10 years worth) and use it while its around.

I used to use replenished D23 for simplicity and its a beautiful developer, but I eventually tired of losing almost a whole stop of speed. I never liked D76.

Depends how much you shoot/process, I only used it a little and went through a bottle in a year, the same year I killed a whole bottle of Rodinal, as well as 2 bottles of DD-X, 3 bottles of Ilfsol3... So 10 years of just HC-110 is a lot of bottles to keep on a shelf... I know I don't have that storage for sure.

EDIT: oh and I don't really shoot that much...

[Drew Wiley]

HC-110 is famous for its keeping qualities in concentrate. I just mix it as needed right from concentrate.

[evan clarke]

If companies like Kodak had a soul, they'd publish any proprietary formulas when discontinuing.
That seems like a pipe dream, so in the darkroom (and kitchen) I avoid proprietary formulas when it's practical to do so. It's too disruptive to keep having the rug pulled out by a discontinuation or ... um ... improvement.
Yep, I decided lomg ago to collect my own formulary and make chemistry I can control..It's pretty easy to make the stuff.

[paulr]

To be fair, Kodak has published formulas in the past, as Drew suggests. My post may have been excessively cranky. Openness doesn't seem like the contemporary Kodak's M.O.

[Ari]

Update:

For those in Canada having difficulty finding HC-110, I can recommend Film Plus in Toronto.
I just bought 3 bottles of the stuff for $30/ea. and they will deliver.
By comparison, Henry's lists it at $42.00.

And with our current (crappy) exchange rate, their sheet film prices are on a par with B&H's.

[John Kasaian]

I thought Kodak branded chemicals were now being made by the third party in Canada?

[Ari]

I thought Kodak branded chemicals were now being made by the third party in Canada?

Which third party?
You mean the New Democrats? :)

[StoneNYC]

Which third party?
You mean the New Democrats? :)

I thought Kodak I did chemicals were being made by a third-party in general, specifically Tentenal I think.

That's why all the bottles got switched to 1 L and changed shape I thought.

[Jmarmck]

Freestyle has HC-110 in 1L bottles for $35.99. Is the now made by Tetenal and sold with the Kodak label?