Questions about "Modern Photographic Processing" by Haist

[Eric Woodbury]

Modern Photographic Processes by Grant Haist.

I'm in the mood to read this book, but it sure ain't cheap. There are used copies, some are Volume 1 only, or 2 only, or both. It seems to be cheaper to buy the volumes separately and they have different costs.

I have never seen this book. What is in Volume 1 and what's in 2? Is Volume 1 worth more than 2? Does anybody have a secret source for a nice used copy? I have looked all the normal places and posted a WTB here. Is it a 'good read'? My dad always said that if you learn one thing from a book, then it is worth it. I'm sure I'd learn one thing, but this book costs more like it is ten books.

Thanks for your comments.

[Bruce Watson]

Modern Photographic Processes by Grant Haist.

I'm in the mood to read this book, but it sure ain't cheap. There are used copies, some are Volume 1 only, or 2 only, or both. It seems to be cheaper to buy the volumes separately and they have different costs.

I have never seen this book. What is in Volume 1 and what's in 2? Is Volume 1 worth more than 2? Does anybody have a secret source for a nice used copy? I have looked all the normal places and posted a WTB here. Is it a 'good read'? My dad always said that if you learn one thing from a book, then it is worth it. I'm sure I'd learn one thing, but this book costs more like it is ten books.

Thanks for your comments.

My local university has an adequate library. They have a copy. It's been several years since I last went to use it. What I remember is that it's huge, and that it basically is the entirety of photographic chemistry up to the time it was published. Haist was right in the middle of the research at Kodak. If it was known, Haist probably knew it, and he wrote it all down in these two huge tomes.

That said, it's a bit out of date by now. Published in 1979 IIRC, so it's 30 years old. I doubt it contains anything about the vitamin C developers like XTOL for example. Just sayin'.

I don't know that you could or would sit down and read it from end to end. It would take quite a while for one thing. And that would be like sitting down and reading a text book. Hard to do even when you are taking the course and the instructor requires it. I use it like a reference -- for example, if I want to know more about how agitation effects development, I'll go look it up in Haist. But that's just how I use it; clearly YMMV.

[IanG]

LFA Mason "Photographic Processing Chemistry" is another good book, Mason was the Ilford equivalent of Haist in research term, and GIP Levenson of Kodak helped edit the book. The 2nd Edition was 1974.

Ian