Help with Black and white developing...

[babak]

Hi Jim,

I read on other threads that 6ml of concentrate will develop 8x10and hence 4 5x4. Therefore for 6 I would need 9ml of concentrate in solution B = 279 ml.
Please correct me if this is incorrect..

Babak

[Stoogley]

Chemistry is the cheapest part of the process.
Too little developer == possibly poor negatives. Too much developer == no adverse affect.

Why possibly risk bad negatives to save $.05 of developer?

There's a lot more invested in getting the film to the developing tank.

IMHO

[Bill Burk]

Chemistry is the cheapest part of the process.
Too little developer == possibly poor negatives. Too much developer == no adverse affect.

Why possibly risk bad negatives to save $.05 of developer?

There's a lot more invested in getting the film to the developing tank.

IMHO

Stoogley,

You're right, it's not good to try developing film without enough stock solution per sheet. The issue is sometimes mechanical.

Sometimes it's tempting to mix the developer to your chosen dilution, and then just fill the tank with it.

But as has been told... When you do that for this tank, you only have enough developer (concentrate) to process 4 sheets, even though the tank holds 8 (or more?).

So the logical, but not-intuitive approach is to only put 4 sheets in the tank and "fill-er up".

Other approaches are to choose a higher-concentration mix from stock (if it fits your esthetic purpose). Extend the time. Live with inconsistent results. And so on.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Ken Lee used to have a great web page for doing a test run, but he seems to have taken that page down.

The one on scanning tips?

[Ken Lee]

Ken Lee used to have a great web page for doing a test run, but he seems to have taken that page down.

I took it down when I became interested in the BTZS method of film testing, exposure and development.

I've restored the article: you can find it here: Testing Black and White Film with the Zone System.

In the end I have found the BTZS approach more helpful and convenient, but am unable to explain it thoroughly in a single page.

A valuable short-cut I've discovered over the years (using both the Zone System and BTZS) is to find subjects that are already well suited to capture on film. While some people are inspired to shoot subjects whose lighting and tonality require heroic rescue or interpretation, I have learned to search for subjects that are already beautiful and require only competent handling.

[Bill Burk]

I took it down when I became interested in the BTZS method of film testing, exposure and development.

I've restored the article: you can find it here: Testing Black and White Film with the Zone System.

Ken Lee,

Thanks for restoring a valuable resource! I've always liked your simple approach to testing, and this article is a favorite of mine.

[Stoogley]

Thanks Ken.

I think this is a great "get your toes wet" approach that gets a beginner in the ballpark quickly.

I took it down when I became interested in the BTZS method of film testing, exposure and development.

I've restored the article: you can find it here: Testing Black and White Film with the Zone System.

In the end I have found the BTZS approach more helpful and convenient, but am unable to explain it thoroughly in a single page.

A valuable short-cut I've discovered over the years (using both the Zone System and BTZS) is to find subjects that are already well suited to capture on film. While some people are inspired to shoot subjects whose lighting and tonality require heroic rescue or interpretation, I have learned to search for subjects that are already beautiful and require only competent handling.

[Lenny Eiger]

I wouldn't use this developer, or this film...

Try something in the ISO 100 range, my favorite is Ilford Delta, and use Xtol or some version of Pyro, for an optimal scanning experience.

Lenny

[Jim Noel]

HC110 is not the best developer for a 24 degree process.

Where did the 24 degrees come from? And why not HC110?

[Jim Noel]

Hi Jim,

I read on other threads that 6ml of concentrate will develop 8x10and hence 4 5x4. Therefore for 6 I would need 9ml of concentrate in solution B = 279 ml.
Please correct me if this is incorrect..

Babak

YOu can read anything on the web. Go to the source and see what the manufacturer suggests. As I said before, too much is far better than too little. I don't know why people attempt to develop with minimal amounts.