Originally Posted by
jnantz
hI pritcher
I've never used that film, so I can't help you there, but I have been using caffenol continuously since around 2005 or 6. I've used it with both black/white as well as c41+E6, and for paper too. I don't do any of the wacky recipes people have where they add salt or bromide or stuff like that, and I don't use a scale. My version is pretty plain. It is pretty much the table/teaspoon version of the developer, but I got sick of so many tablespoons and teaspoons measuring out for 1L at a time that I started to just estimate ingredients and pour them out. I don't let it sit &c like a lot of people do, I pour the ingredients into a beaker and use it straight up for years. Eventually I began putting a dash of whatever print developer I had on hand in the caffenol. I say a splash because I didn't measure it at first I just poured a tiny bit in there. I've used both D72(dektol) as well as Ansco130 (which I have been using to process film since around the end of the 1990s )Even though I got great results from my local grocery cheap coffee (instant) as well as instant brands I bought overseas when I went to visit family (and processed film in their laundry room). I began using sumatran robusta beans I sourced from a local coffee shop. The owner bought 100lbs+ beans for someone local who had a coffee shop to roast for her, but she eventually went out of business so I bought about 100lbs of his green beans ( and roast them myself ). You can find my recipe and methods in the Caffenol Cookbook, it's under "sumatranol130". I don't visit the caffenol blogs but I know there are many of them, and there are recipes on the development chart. Your problem might not have been your recipe but your coffee or other ingredients, sometimes it can be tricky to find a combination that works for you film and / or shooting styles, and / or development style. I've used the caffenol I use in a variety of ways, from semi stand ( put it in a tank for 30-40 mins and its done ) to regular agitations, to rotary processor, to split development and really haven't had many problems, like I said it takes a while to get used to "it". While some caffenol users claim to be experts in its use, I don't do that, because there's always something new to learn about it.
good luck !
John
Bookmarks