Shanghai Film Caffenol Processing

[Pritcher]

Greetings all, I am finally throwing in the towel with my experimentation and asking for some help. A while back I got some 3.25x4.25 Shanghai 100 iso film for my Graflex cameras. I figured the stuff was so darn cheap, and fits the extinct format, so why not get some. I got the film and I took a couple test pictures to make sure everything was on the square. But, unfortunately, it was not. I can only assume the pictures themselves were fine, but when developed, they looked terrible. Everything was incredibly grainy, and nothing looked as it should. I use the caffenol process for development, it has worked on everything I have tried so far, I wonder why this would be different? Does anyone have any experience with this film? Is it even possible to develop it with caffenol? I would like to avoid having to get an entirely new set of chemicals just to develop this one film, but alas, some things may just be unavoidable.

Thanks,
Jack

(P.s. the picture enclosed is perhaps the best results I got out of a test picture)
220519

[_tf_]

I don't use either, but the Massive Dev Chart has times for GP3/Caffenol combos, (https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=Shanghai%25&Developer=Caffenol%25&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C&TimeUnits=D) so it should be possible. I'd probably try to develop a sheet in some other developer, e.g., rodinal, to see what that looks like for reference.

[Tomas]

Hi

I have used Shanghai GP3 a lot. 120, 4x5 and 8x10 formats, developed in (for the most) Rodinal.
I have never seen any such problems you describe, but I have read other users have been experienced
different quality issues with this film (around 2016-2018 and maybe earlier). This film has
been all good to me.

Sorry, but I can not help you any further with this, since I have zero experience with Caffenol.

T

[Alan9940]

I've only ever developed Fomapan 100 (4x5) in Caffenol and it works fine. I've shot quite a bit of GP3 in 120 format and like the results in D-23. If you want to try a different developer, as suggested above, D-23 is two chemicals and simple to mix up yourself.

[Pritcher]

Hello any persons who may see this thread in the future, I am simply coming back to say that I never fully resolved my problems with Caffenol. I tried 2 more times, with no success at all. I then switched developers to Fa-1027 and got some flawless results (picture attached). Unfortunately I have no other news to report with Caffenol and GP3, it seems as though it simply doesn't work.

At any rate, thanks for the help regardless,
Jack
226055

[noneau01]

I've developed 4x5 GP3 in Caffenol, stand-dev only though, and never got any issues. 1 hour total, with inversions at the beginning and at 30 mins, so it does work.
Having good results with D76 too using standard inversion.

[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

[Alan Gales]

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


Hi John, sorry for the interruption but I tried to respond to your PM but it says your box is full and you need to empty part of it. ;)

Now back to original scheduled programming, Caffenol Processing.

Alan