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Matthew Rolfe
10-Jul-2009, 03:59
I've never used this film before (8x10 sheet) and I'm not too sure which developer/fixer combination I should go for. I know that the film emulsion is quite fragile and that it would most likely require a hardener in hte fixing stage. So far I've looked in to using either, D-76 or Rodinal for the development and a couple of Kodak and ilford fixers. Any advice? Does anyone work with Efke/Adox 25 film that could give me a good combination to be getting going with?

thanks

IanG
10-Jul-2009, 04:24
Either developer will be fine, I've used both, at the moment I use Pyrocat HD, it stains well and gives superb negatives very easy to print.

I just fix with Hypam/Ilford Rapid fixer, the emulsion is better than it used to be in the 70's/80's.

Ian

Matthew Rolfe
10-Jul-2009, 04:44
Thanks Ian

Philippe Grunchec
10-Jul-2009, 06:00
Maybe better, Ian, but still rather fragile... I gave up!

IanG
10-Jul-2009, 06:48
At I time I used to put a couple of drops of Formaldehyde in the developer, that hardened the film, but I wasn't using 10x8 film then, you could use a hardening stopbath.

Ian

Wallace_Billingham
10-Jul-2009, 07:55
I use all the Efke films a lot and use either Diafine or Rodinal. With Rodinal being the developer of choice with the Efke 25 and 50.

77seriesiii
10-Jul-2009, 13:14
I am with Ian on the Pyrocat HD. My understanding is that the Pyro hardens the developer and i seem to recall some of the long term Pyro users recommending not using Hardener in the fixer...Having said that I have used Kodaks rapid fix with hardener and had no problems with 120 or 4x5 film. However, I develop the 4x5 in a combi plan, stops me from scratching the negatives with my meat hooks.

Erick

IanG
10-Jul-2009, 13:44
Erick, I think the alkali fixer bit is a big myth, and is mainly hype. I've not seen any evidence to the contrary, and no research that backs it up.

But Pyrogallol & Pyrocatechin developers are tanning developers and will harden the emulsion, maybe by not enough though.

Sandy King says Ilford & Kodak Rapid fixers are fine with Pyrocat HD, and I can substantiate that, but the maybe the PF want to sell more TF-4 :D

Ian

Drew Wiley
10-Jul-2009, 15:05
I use presoak, PMK pyro, a VERY WEAK stop bath, and TF4 fixer. It's also important to keep temp low (68F) since this has a fragile gelatin layer.

77seriesiii
11-Jul-2009, 08:11
Ian, on the alkali versus acidic fixer that is the rumor I have heard in the past. I've used Pyro-HD for the past 9 mos and a number of different films and fixers and the negatives come out looking the same. Of course this is with the calibrated eyeball...:p.

All hail TF-4, Long live TF-4!... :D

Well I can no longer say I havent scratched a negative in the combi. I developed some film last night pulled it out of the box took a cquick glance before I was about to hang it and...the negative flew out of the clip (had wings I swear and I saw a glimpse of teeth, honest) and landed jelly side down. Oh yea scratches and more scratches. :rolleyes: I guess the combi didnt do it but I blame it. :)

Erick

IanG
11-Jul-2009, 09:26
Erick, someone did some densitometer tests and found there was no measurable difference between Pyrocat negatives fixed in TF4 or Hypam. The same is supposed to be the case with Pyrogallol based developers.

Ian

Lenny Eiger
11-Jul-2009, 09:36
I've never used this film before (8x10 sheet) and I'm not too sure which developer/fixer combination I should go for. I know that the film emulsion is quite fragile and that it would most likely require a hardener in hte fixing stage. So far I've looked in to using either, D-76 or Rodinal for the development and a couple of Kodak and ilford fixers. Any advice? Does anyone work with Efke/Adox 25 film that could give me a good combination to be getting going with?

thanks

One ought to specify what kind if printing you will be doing.... Do you have an 8x10 enlarger, are you contact printing, and for what medium (silver or alternative), are you scanning and printing side format?

I spent a lot of time with Efke and the best results I had were with Xtol. I think pyro and pyrocat work well also. It's a very versatile film. D-76 is a fairly mediocre developer in comparison. Rodinal will make all the grains show up, some folks like that for smaller formats. With 8x10 you likely won't see them anyway so there's no benefit.

Lenny

IanG
11-Jul-2009, 10:07
Rodinal works very well with EFKE 25, most definitely EXTREMELY fine grain, I've used the combination in 120, & 5x4.

Ian

Jim Fitzgerald
11-Jul-2009, 10:26
I have had great success using Pyrocat-HD 1:1:150 dilution for 18-24 minutes minimal agitation in tanks for my 8x10 negative. I print carbon transfer and need negatives that have some body to them. This is a great film/combo. I use a 5 minute presoak, stop in water and use TF-4 to fix. Gives me great negatives.

Jim

Matthew Rolfe
11-Jul-2009, 12:04
Lenny, I will be printing (enlarger & silver process), but I also want to be able to scan the negatives for display on a website.

Lenny Eiger
11-Jul-2009, 12:43
Lenny, I will be printing (enlarger & silver process), but I also want to be able to scan the negatives for display on a website.

Scanning for websites is a non-issue. Anything will work. For silver printing, I think I would try the pyro or pyrocat's.... D-23 is also good and so is Xtol. Xtol had the finest grain of any developer I tested. Not as controllable as a compensating developer as some of the others, IMO.

With all due respect to some others I have never been impressed with Rodinal, but I don't know everything and just because I never got it to do what I expected doesn't mean someone else hasn't. There's a million variables and maybe I just missed one....

Lenny

Matthew Rolfe
12-Jul-2009, 09:12
Thanks for all the advice everyone!

Bosaiya
13-Jul-2009, 07:17
I presoak for five minutes and then develop in Rodinal 1:25 or 1:50 per the Massive Dev Chart. I like the results.

The emulsion is soft and sometimes has some snotty gunk on it that dries clear. These lead a lot of people to dismiss the film, but for me it's well worth it.

jack_hui
14-Jul-2009, 23:59
For EFKE, I like to use Rodinal / Stand development, 1:100, 20DegC, 1hour, shot at film's rated speed. This film got the finest grain, even with rodinal ... just be careful, not to touch it's emulsion surface, it is really really soft!

Jiri Vasina
15-Jul-2009, 00:41
I use Adox CHS 25 5×8" (cut from 8×10") and in 120 roll, shoot at EI 25, develop in Rodinal 1:50 @ 20°C for 10:00min with continuous agitation on Unicolor roller base. The tonality is great, wonderful smoothness.

As has been noted before, the emulsion is a bit softer, but not significantly so...

Here are some photos done with it at my website (http://www.vasina.net/?tag=adox-chs-25).

Jiri

Tim Povlick
15-Jul-2009, 20:48
Agree with Lenny on Xtol (1:1). I also like TFX2.

Excellent results / images Jiri !

Regards All,
Tim