First exposure with Frankenstein 200

[Mitchellsig]

This is two firsts for me. First exposure with my Calumet 401 4x5 and the first time using FPP Frankenstein 200. Shot with 135mm, F22, shutter set to 50. Developer is Cinestill DF96 monobath. Scanner is an Epson. let me know what you think.

229686

[Jim Noel]

I suggest changing to a traditional developer and fix to help with contrast.

[nitroplait]

You asked.
I am not sure I fully understand the reason for going through all the trouble of LF and then "cheat" by using a monobath?

[Mitchellsig]

That is what I needed to hear! Thank you. I will be switching to traditional development with my next order. Any suggestions for the developer?

[nitroplait]

I like HC110, but I am not super happy when using it with Foma200 (same as your Frankenstein). Rodinal works better to my liking for that film, but others may have more experience and better suggestions.

Assuming you use monobath to simplify things, I’d suggest you use a single shot developer - both of the above mentioned are.

[Bernice Loui]

GOOD _!_

Continue making more view camera images..

Regarding monobath B&W developers. the concept has been around before the 1900's.. It is valued for ease of chemical processing, not image quality.
Read from page 278 on in this book, "Developing by Jacobson."
http://www.processreversal.org/public/text/Jacobson_developing.pdf

Information about history, mix your own and more...

If "Frankenstein 200" is Foma 200, it develops fast in Kodak HC-110. This is why no package recommendations for HC110. Foma 200 can be developed in HC110 using a very dilute ratio of HC110 concentrate to water.

Scanned negatives does not impose the same requirements as negatives made to be optically printed on graded B&W paper. Yes, the same discipline and methods of film negative creations should apply. Never know when or if printing your negatives via the optical/photo-chemical process might or could happen.


The view camera journey begins,
Bernice

[Fred L]

I've been happy using HC-110 or Rodinal with 320TXP in sheets or rolls. I've been using Pyrocat HD more and more lately so worth looking into that perhaps ?

[Yourix]

Frankenstein 200 is repackaged FOMA 200, better shot at iso 100.
You can very easily process it in Rodinal (or rodinal clone like Adonal or Fomadon R09) + traditional fixing. This is easy and SUPER cheap to do. Dev cost nothing and fix last forever... The fixator (Adofix) I'm curently using is a 1 litter solution I prepared in last march and it already fixed about a hundred of 4x5 + a few 120 rolls... I test it every 15 sheets or so and toss it when the fixing time reach 5 minutes.

[koraks]

The fixator (Adofix) I'm curently using is a 1 litter solution I prepared in last march and it already fixed about a hundred of 4x5 + a few 120 rolls... I test it every 15 sheets or so and toss it when the fixing time reach 5 minutes.
Fixer capacity isn't just clearance time. Have you considered how much silver is actually floating around in your liter of fixer solution? How well will all of this wash out of your film?
Why would you want to risk let's say €50 worth of film to save €2 on fixer?

There's a saying that applies here. It's "penny wise, pound foolish."

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Consider also not buying repackaged brands like "Frankenstein." Consistency is key, and ensuring you know what film you are using is very important in case FPP discontinues it.

[Bernice Loui]

Over uses ala spent fixer wil leave spots on the negative as the silver particles fall on to the film during the fixer clearing process. These silver spots damage the negative permanently with these spots.

For some, this might not make any differnce at all. Others, even one nano single spot of damage on the film negative is completely unacceptable.

Personally, one liter of plain fixer goes for about 10-15 roll of 120 film or about 20 to 30 sheets of 5x7 film or two to three months at most. Once past these limits, the fixer is re-newed. No exceptions.

There is simply too much effort and resources put into film images that the "pennies" that might be saved by over extended fixer..

It is possible for those new to this film stuff, none of this is important or significant.. as there are folks new to film that seek making film images for randon imperfections as a idea of creative expression.


Bernice



Fixer capacity isn't just clearance time. Have you considered how much silver is actually floating around in your liter of fixer solution? How well will all of this wash out of your film?
Why would you want to risk let's say €50 worth of film to save €2 on fixer?

There's a saying that applies here. It's "penny wise, pound foolish."

[david@bigeleisenlaw.com]

For what it's worth, I use xtol a lot. It has a very fine grain and very sharp contrast. It's easy to use, and lasts a long time. The only drawback is that it takes a while to mix a batch up. I also use PMK once in a while.

David

[koraks]

There is simply too much effort and resources put into film images that the "pennies" that might be saved by over extended fixer..


I agree. And that's coming from someone who even attempted to reuse a working solution of 1+100 rodinal when he started out shooting film! So I know how it feels to try and save pennies left and right. In the end, it just cost me a lot of time, it introduced uncertainties into the process and sometimes I lost or damaged images because of it.

As to fixer, I currently use it one shot for film. Especially for sheet film, only a small volume is needed anyway, so it's feasible to mix one shot and discard after use. A single sheet of 4x5 film needs only around 20ml of fixer concentrate. You could probably get away with less, but why bother? It still makes for 50 sheets per liter - I call that very economical! And no more problems with jugs of working stock fixer sitting around precipitating silver and/or sulfur, uncertainties about silver content, clearing time etc. It works the same, every time, like new - because that's what it is.

[nitroplait]

I don't think it is particularly difficult to mark the bottle of mixed fixer for each film/roll/sheet processed and gradually extend the fixing time until the manufactures limit for the solution is reached.
I find it convenient to have the fixer already mixed and ready to use, and only have to mix the developer. I am more productive that way.
If one don't develop enough to make full use of the fixer within the one-two month, then the one-shot approach is the obvious choice.

[Tin Can]

Bernice, usually I Grok all you write!

However renewed is not the same as replace

Which do you mean?


I use Poly ARKAY floating lids with top covers, the spigot is 2" above bottom sludge, 2.5 gallon capacity

But I do have silver blackened inside stuck firmly to the Poly, it does not flake and has dried out for 5 years...

I am about to half fill it with TF5 again

I do the same with Ilford PQ, I reuse it until it obviously slows

Citric acid stop made fresh each short print session

All made with Distilled water

Thank you







Over uses ala spent fixer wil leave spots on the negative as the silver particles fall on to the film during the fixer clearing process. These silver spots damage the negative permanently with these spots.

For some, this might not make any differnce at all. Others, even one nano single spot of damage on the film negative is completely unacceptable.

Personally, one liter of plain fixer goes for about 10-15 roll of 120 film or about 20 to 30 sheets of 5x7 film or two to three months at most. Once past these limits, the fixer is re-newed. No exceptions.

There is simply too much effort and resources put into film images that the "pennies" that might be saved by over extended fixer..

It is possible for those new to this film stuff, none of this is important or significant.. as there are folks new to film that seek making film images for randon imperfections as a idea of creative expression.


Bernice

[Yourix]

I use ADOFIX Plus and manufacturer recommandation are 20 films at 1+4 or 15 at 1+7 dilution per litre.
Given that one 36-exposure-135mm film = one 120 = four 4x5 = two 5x7 (roughly) it is reasonable to fix 50 or 60 4x5 sheet films with one liter of solution without even having to think wether the fixer is still good or not (assuming it is prepared and stored properly).
My last batch was diluted at 1+7 and I fixed 96 4x5 sheets + 4 120 films before tossing it. I tested it every 15 sheets or so and clearance time increased from 1 min 20 sec (fresh mix) to 4 min 30 sec. I always fix at least one or two minute longer than total clearance time but manufacturer recommended time at 1+7 is between 6 and 8 minutes !!!

I store my fixer in a bellow-bottle with zero air left and I never had any particle precipitating in it....
Mixing fresh fixer every time you process is a total nonsense, unless you process once a year or it is a fixer designed to be used that way. Manufacturer recommandation are not fancy writings on the label, they are serious (and conservatives) data based on testing and about a century of experimenting.

[Bernice Loui]

Fixer is essentially a solvent, puts silver and other stuff that was on film into suspension. There is a limit to how much silver and stuff the solvent (fixer) can retain in suspension. Once this suspension capacity is exceeded, silver and stuff can and does drop out of suspension on to other surfaces and places ... like the film being processed resulting in spots and stuff on the film that are not so nice..

This is the fixer that has been used for decades, very basic, not a lot special about it.

~Non-hardening fixing bath~

~Water 125F/52C 500 ml
~Sodium Thiosulfate (Hypo) 240 g
~Sodium Sulfite (anhydrous) 30 g
~Cold water to make 1000 ml

Process about 15 rolls of 120 film or 20-30 sheets of 5x7 film, shelf life about 2-3 months max. Actual capacity is higher ..but no.


Bernice



Bernice, usually I Grok all you write!

However renewed is not the same as replace

Which do you mean?


I use Poly ARKAY floating lids with top covers, the spigot is 2" above bottom sludge, 2.5 gallon capacity

But I do have silver blackened inside stuck firmly to the Poly, it does not flake and has dried out for 5 years...

I am about to half fill it with TF5 again

I do the same with Ilford PQ, I reuse it until it obviously slows

Citric acid stop made fresh each short print session

All made with Distilled water

Thank you

[koraks]

I use ADOFIX Plus and manufacturer recommandation are 20 films at 1+4 or 15 at 1+7 dilution per litre.

Working stock, or concentrate? My bet is Adox' spec refers to the concentrate. That's 4 ~ 7 liters of working strength fixer, taking you waaaaay out of spec.

[Yourix]

Working stock, or concentrate? My bet is Adox' spec refers to the concentrate. That's 4 ~ 7 liters of working strength fixer, taking you waaaaay out of spec.
Working stock of course

[koraks]

Be that as it may, if you insist on using your fixer to this rather generous capacity limit combined with keeping it around for several weeks or more, you're going to run into trouble sooner or later. At least it'll make troubleshooting easier when you end up with scans or prints this look like someone emptied a salt shaker onto them.

And no, manufacturer's capacity ratings for fixer are not conservative by any means. Open any decent book on photographic processing and observe guidelines on fixing.

The fact that you've never deen fixer silvering out is very nice, but you'll get to that point, no worries. You'll know what I mean once you see a nicely silver plated jar and suddenly realize how much silver you've been washing your film with.

It's foolishness, but don't listen to me; you've got it all figured out apparently. I learned the hard way, you're entitled to the same experience. You're saving a few euros while risking a more significant investment in money and effort and there's no rationale to justify it. That's all I have to say on it; let's get back on topic.

[Yourix]

I don't pretend having everything figured out, I just say that based on my experience of darkroom printing (that started 20+ years ago) one-shot fixer is not the only way to do.
Your process suit your needs, mine suit my needs...
As every photographer or the other you crafted your way of processing and it is with no doubt perfectly effective but don't say there is no alternative. An at the end everyone do whatever he wants and it is perfectly fine for me. ;-)

[koraks]

Yeah of course, everyone chooses their own methods. If it works for you, that's fine.

[Bernard_L]

The fixator (Adofix) I'm curently using is a 1 litter solution I prepared in last march and it already fixed about a hundred of 4x5 + a few 120 rolls... I test it every 15 sheets or so and toss it when the fixing time reach 5 minutes.
5 minutes (clearing? fixing?) sounds awfully long.
Ilford rapid fixer 1+4; Tetenal superfix 1+4; fresh clearing time 30s, fix for 2x clearing time, discard when clearing time reaches 1 min.
Adocx Adofix also at 1+4 fresh clearing 1min; will not buy again.