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Basic film developer question.



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 27th 04, 05:53 PM
Tom Gardner
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Default Basic film developer question.



I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...


  #2  
Old July 27th 04, 11:04 PM
Richard Knoppow
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Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.


"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
gy.com...


I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls

of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying

to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore

one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the

darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...


The closest to an optimum developer for T-Max films is
Xtol. The problem is that there have been many reports of
sudden failure of the developer. The exact cause is unknown
but is very probably due to trace impurities in the water.
D-76 works well and is reportedly the developer used at
Kodak for testing during the development (no pun intended)
of T-Max emulsions. D-76, however, tends to produce images
which do not have good visual sharpness even though measured
resolution is very good. My experience has been mostly with
D-76 diluted 1:1. I've gotten good results but find 100T-Max
has a tonal rendition which can look a little muddy in it.
Other developers like T-Max RS and Microphen are noticably
grainier than D-76 or Xtol. Overall my recommendation is
Xtol but mix it with water which has been filtered with an
activated charcoal filter to remove trace metals. For
additional advise on T-Max and on developers generally see
Ryuji Suzuki's web site at http://www.silvergrain.org


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA



  #3  
Old July 27th 04, 11:04 PM
Richard Knoppow
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.


"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
gy.com...


I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls

of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying

to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore

one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the

darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...


The closest to an optimum developer for T-Max films is
Xtol. The problem is that there have been many reports of
sudden failure of the developer. The exact cause is unknown
but is very probably due to trace impurities in the water.
D-76 works well and is reportedly the developer used at
Kodak for testing during the development (no pun intended)
of T-Max emulsions. D-76, however, tends to produce images
which do not have good visual sharpness even though measured
resolution is very good. My experience has been mostly with
D-76 diluted 1:1. I've gotten good results but find 100T-Max
has a tonal rendition which can look a little muddy in it.
Other developers like T-Max RS and Microphen are noticably
grainier than D-76 or Xtol. Overall my recommendation is
Xtol but mix it with water which has been filtered with an
activated charcoal filter to remove trace metals. For
additional advise on T-Max and on developers generally see
Ryuji Suzuki's web site at http://www.silvergrain.org


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA



  #4  
Old July 27th 04, 11:14 PM
Severi Salminen
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Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

Richard Knoppow wrote:

The closest to an optimum developer for T-Max films is
Xtol. The problem is that there have been many reports of
sudden failure of the developer. The exact cause is unknown
but is very probably due to trace impurities in the water.


I think there were only problems with 1 litre packages of XTOL and those
have been long time discontinued. Kodak also (IIRC) changed the material
of the 5 litre package and now recommends only 1+1 dilution just to be
safe. 1+2 and 1+3 seems to work for most people still. I think the 1
litre packages let some oxygen through and that caused failures - not
100% sure though. 5 litre packages never had this problem.

Bottom line: XTOL can now be used safely and is very good developer
almost for any film. It gives good film speed, sharp and small grain.
Definitely at least worth trying.

I personally use Rodinal for ISO=100 films and XTOL for faster films.

Severi S.
  #5  
Old July 27th 04, 11:14 PM
Severi Salminen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

Richard Knoppow wrote:

The closest to an optimum developer for T-Max films is
Xtol. The problem is that there have been many reports of
sudden failure of the developer. The exact cause is unknown
but is very probably due to trace impurities in the water.


I think there were only problems with 1 litre packages of XTOL and those
have been long time discontinued. Kodak also (IIRC) changed the material
of the 5 litre package and now recommends only 1+1 dilution just to be
safe. 1+2 and 1+3 seems to work for most people still. I think the 1
litre packages let some oxygen through and that caused failures - not
100% sure though. 5 litre packages never had this problem.

Bottom line: XTOL can now be used safely and is very good developer
almost for any film. It gives good film speed, sharp and small grain.
Definitely at least worth trying.

I personally use Rodinal for ISO=100 films and XTOL for faster films.

Severi S.
  #6  
Old July 28th 04, 12:49 AM
LR Kalajainen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

Tom Gardner wrote:
I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...


I use a variation of a Patrick Gainer formula for both Delta 100 and 400
(also t-grain films like T-max) that I like very much--fine grain, very
sharp, and full tonal scale.

1 liter water at 70 degrees
1 tsp. Kodalk Balanced Alkali (sodium metaborate)
1/2 tsp. powdered Vitamin C (or Ascorbic Acid in powdered form) from
Health Food store
1 tsp. Sodium Sulfite
4 ml. 1% Phenidone solution (1 g. Phenidone dissolved in 100ml 90% alcohol)

Suggested starting time for T-max 100-- 6 minutes at 70 degrees.
Agitation: two inversions every 30 sec.
  #7  
Old July 28th 04, 02:31 AM
Richard Knoppow
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.


"Severi Salminen" wrote in
message ...
Richard Knoppow wrote:

The closest to an optimum developer for T-Max films

is
Xtol. The problem is that there have been many reports

of
sudden failure of the developer. The exact cause is

unknown
but is very probably due to trace impurities in the

water.

I think there were only problems with 1 litre packages of

XTOL and those
have been long time discontinued. Kodak also (IIRC)

changed the material
of the 5 litre package and now recommends only 1+1

dilution just to be
safe. 1+2 and 1+3 seems to work for most people still. I

think the 1
litre packages let some oxygen through and that caused

failures - not
100% sure though. 5 litre packages never had this problem.

Bottom line: XTOL can now be used safely and is very good

developer
almost for any film. It gives good film speed, sharp and

small grain.
Definitely at least worth trying.

I personally use Rodinal for ISO=100 films and XTOL for

faster films.

Severi S.


This is a separate problem and seems to happen to
ascorbic acid developers. The same kind of sudden failure
has been reported for Ilford Ilfosol-S. The best guess I've
seen about this is that it has to do with some catalytic
effect of certain kinds of Iron compounds in the water. EDTA
does not bind these and can actually exacerbate the effect
under certain circumstances. Nonetheless, Xtol is very
reliable in most locations. Iron compounds can be removed
from water by activated charcoal filters like the Brita
filter. Its also good practice to use boiled water for
mixing photo solutions. Boiling removes much of the
temporary hardness, drives off dissolved gasses (like
oxygen) and precipatates organic matter (might be a problem
with well water). Filtering the water in addition will
remove almost anything that could affect photo chemicals.
Xtol is a very good developer. The problems with sudden
failure are actually quite rare and shouldn't discourage
anyone from trying it. It gives about the best combination
of speed, fine grain, good tonal rendition, and sharpness of
any developer, at least for T-Max films.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA




  #8  
Old July 28th 04, 04:08 AM
Frank Pittel
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Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

Tom Gardner wrote:


: I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls of T-max 100 that
: were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying to decide which
: developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore one film/developer
: combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the darkroom, people leave me
: alone, so...

I'm partial to Tmax for processing roll film and Tmax-rs for sheet film.

--




Keep working millions on welfare depend on you
-------------------

  #9  
Old July 28th 04, 05:43 AM
Donald Qualls
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Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

Tom Gardner wrote:

I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...



If I could have only one developer, I'd have to pick HC-110. The
concentrate keeps well, it's versatile and produces good results over a
huge range of conditions and processes from stock solution (1:4 from USA
concentrate) that will develop film in a minute or two to Dilution G,
1:29 from stock, that is a mild acutance developer with strong
compensation that responds well to altered agitation, can be used for
document films like Tech Pan and Copex Rapid, and can also be used for
true stand development of conventional films. HC-110 also contains a
strong antifoggant that makes it a good choice for developing old
"found" film, and works well for pushing either by extended development
or by dilution. Some 30 years ago, I've developed with HC-110 at 95 F,
and it still works at 65 F.

Lately, I've been developing my T-Max 400 (TMY) in HC-110 Dilution G,
fifteen minutes at 70 F (which converted to 10 minutes at 77 F this
evening); the sharpness is excellent and the compensation of the highly
dilute developer helps tame the tendency of T-Max films for highlights
to run away.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

  #10  
Old July 28th 04, 02:45 PM
Michael Scarpitti
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Posts: n/a
Default Basic film developer question.

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message igy.com...
I've been slow to start but now have accumulated 20 rolls of T-max 100 that
were shot as zone tests and well documented. I'm trying to decide which
developer to marry. My thought is to thoroughly explore one film/developer
combo at a time. I've found that while I'm in the darkroom, people leave me
alone, so...


I'd suggest something like Ilford DD-X or Kodak HC110, well-diluted.
 




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