Re: Processing--I Did It!
Good for you. The pics look great too.
Re: Processing--I Did It!
A good start! In B&W, DIY is the way to go. Color? Send it out.
Re: Processing--I Did It!
Good for you! Faster cheaper and more reliable than mail order
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Re: Processing--I Did It!
There is nothing quite like seeing your first negatives come out of the soup. Not everyone has a 100% positive experience the first time, but it’s still close. (Ask me how i know).
Re: Processing--I Did It!
I just started using the SP-445 too Kent. It's a terrific tool that wasn't available when I last did 4x5 processing; back then it was open trays in a darkroom. I have no darkroom so the SP-445 makes it possible.
One thing about the SP-445 people need to know is that it will leak all over the place if you skip the step where you squeeze it before putting the caps on! It's in the instructions, so it's my own fault... Tim (the fellow who makes and sells it) even has a video on YouTube called "squeeze play" where he explains the why and the how of it.
Another thing to watch for is you have to make sure the film holders are perfectly dry. I did two batches in one day and the holders were a bit damp. Not only did it make it hard to load the film, but also one negative was destroyed because it was "glued" to the holder in places. I may invest in a second set of holders for times when I want to process 8 sheets in one day.
I'm also using the same film and developer. I compared FP4+ and HP5+ and am very pleased to see that with Dilution H of HC-110 (1:63 at 18 minutes at 20 C) the grain of the HP5+ is very comparable to the FP4+. It made a much flatter negative in Dilution H, but I'm scanning rather than optical printing so the flat negative is actually a plus. I'm also keen to try Xtol with HP5+. Many claim it gives you a very good combination of tone, sharpness and grain.
Needless to say I share your enthusiasm! Enjoy the journey.
Re: Processing--I Did It!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rdeloe
Another thing to watch for is you have to make sure the film holders are perfectly dry. I did two batches in one day and the holders were a bit damp. Not only did it make it hard to load the film, but also one negative was destroyed because it was "glued" to the holder in places. I may invest in a second set of holders for times when I want to process 8 sheets in one day.
Never used the SP-445, but on other tanks like the Combi Plan I found a hair dryer on low worked well enough to get the holders dry for quick turn around.
Re: Processing--I Did It!
The last time I tried this, the only options I could find were "open trays in the dark" or the HP Combi-Plan. I used the latter, which did seem to use a lot of chemicals for few sheets. But at the time, I didn't want to mail out my film and didn't have any good/easy local options for 4x5. Eventually, though, I just switched to a 6x7 roll back for that camera because it was easier to deal with.
(The camera in question was a Crown Graphic, which I got more for the "retro press photographer experience" than for LF by itself, so a 90mm lens and 6x7 back got the job done.)
Re: Processing--I Did It!
Looks good. Feels good don't it?
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Processing--I Did It!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rdeloe
1. One thing about the SP-445 people need to know is that it will leak all over the place if you skip the step where you squeeze it before putting the caps on! It's in the instructions, so it's my own fault... Tim (the fellow who makes and sells it) even has a video on YouTube called "squeeze play" where he explains the why and the how of it.
2. Another thing to watch for is you have to make sure the film holders are perfectly dry. I did two batches in one day and the holders were a bit damp. Not only did it make it hard to load the film, but also one negative was destroyed because it was "glued" to the holder in places. I may invest in a second set of holders for times when I want to process 8 sheets in one day.
3. I'm also using the same film and developer. I compared FP4+ and HP5+ and am very pleased to see that with Dilution H of HC-110 (1:63 at 18 minutes at 20 C) the grain of the HP5+ is very comparable to the FP4+. It made a much flatter negative in Dilution H, but I'm scanning rather than optical printing so the flat negative is actually a plus. I'm also keen to try Xtol with HP5+. Many claim it gives you a very good combination of tone, sharpness and grain.
Needless to say I share your enthusiasm! Enjoy the journey.
1. I do have some leaks when using the HC-110, but not the tf4. i do the squeeze thing, but I think I'm filling it too full. There needs to be some air in there to create a vaccuum.
2. I've been doing two batches back to back. Once I have everything set up it just seems more time efficient. I towel dry everything, blow out the holders, then set on top of my floor registers. It's warm dry air and dries them out in a hurry.
3. I did run into a small problem with the HP5. My water temp called for a developing time that was under 5 minutes and the chart gave a warning that might be too short. There was only a 15 second difference so I just ran it that much longer. I think I need to find a different process or dilution for HP5 when the HC-110 dilution B won't work. I might try the dilution H maybe.
Kent in SD