NEW55 Monobath Developer? What?

[StoneNYC]

Saw this today.

http://shop.new55.net/collections/fr...bath-developer

How can this work? It develops, stops, and fixes, all in one bath in 6 minutes and can be viewed with safelight after 2?

This can't be archival can it?

How does it work?

~Stone

[photonsoup]

All polaroid instant films were a monobath. So with the proper mix it should be as archival as Polaroids were��

I mixed some up with a thickener and it develops quite well.

I think I've see Donald Qualls on this forum. He developed this, hopefully he will add his insight

[Tobias Key]

I guess if it was any good all film would be developed like this. That we all use separate dev, stop and fix speaks volumes.

[IanG]

I did a lot of commercial work in Monobaths in the late 1970s and if balanced correctly they worked very well. Ilford used to sell Monophen.

Ian

[Oren Grad]

The monobath concept has been around for a very long time. It's not magic; just as with two-bath development, it has quirks which make it not quite so "automatic" nor so widely useful as the idea might imply at first blush.

More (rambling) discussion here:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/1...evelopers.html

[Michael R]

Stone,

On a simplified level, a monobath combines a fast-acting developer with the fixing agent in a single solution. The idea is to balance the actions of development and fixation such that the developing agents can develop enough image silver density before the fixing agent has dissolved too much silver halide. As the fixer continues to dissolve silver halides (exposed and unexposed), development will slow and then stop since there is eventually no silver halide left for it to develop. Quick wash and you’re done.

The formula has to be carefully balanced, using concentrations, pH and thiosulfate levels as the primary controls over contrast and emulsion speed. In the literature the point is made that a monobath really needs to be customized for a particular film. This is why representative monobath formulas often specify ranges for some of the compounds, rather than fixed quantities.

As a side note, the monobath mechanism highlights why particularly with print processing, it is best to use a stop bath and/or a thorough running water rinse before fixation when using an alkaline fixer. Depending on the developer composition, if the developer is not neutralized or thoroughly washed out before fixation, it is possible for development to restart in the fixer.

[Tin Can]

From my readings, I believe Monobath development was driven by Press photographers who needed a simple quick field process that could be done in a hotel room.

They didn't worry much about archival, as the fastest to newspaper printing won the prize. Cash!

Since a member here invented this formula, and published it, one may as well mix your own.

The bigger question is not storage but capacity. Is it One shot?

I don't normally like powders, but a powder formula would be most convenient for travel. Simply add water...

[Taija71A]

... Since a member here invented this formula, and published it, one may as well mix your own...

__

http://new55project.blogspot.ca/2010...-monobath.html

Regards,

-Tim.
_________

[StoneNYC]

From my readings, I believe Monobath development was driven by Press photographers who needed a simple quick field process that could be done in a hotel room.

They didn't worry much about archival, as the fastest to newspaper printing won the prize. Cash!

Since a member here invented this formula, and published it, one may as well mix your own.

The bigger question is not storage but capacity. Is it One shot?

I don't normally like powders, but a powder formula would be most convenient for travel. Simply add water...

Thanks everyone, makes sense.

Randy, I can see your point, could be useful for long trips.

[IanG]

From my readings, I believe Monobath development was driven by Press photographers who needed a simple quick field process that could be done in a hotel room.

They didn't worry much about archival, as the fastest to newspaper printing won the prize. Cash!

Since a member here invented this formula, and published it, one may as well mix your own.

The bigger question is not storage but capacity. Is it One shot?

I don't normally like powders, but a powder formula would be most convenient for travel. Simply add water...

No the Press use of Monobaths wasn't common there were attempts to sell monobaths for press use but their main uses were in applied photography.

All monobaths are one shot, they are relatively temperature insensitive and work to completion so timing isn't a critical issue.

Ian