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The MG 500 is a special beast with special lighting head, dual light controller, and a finicky power supply - any other type of lamp in its sockets tends to pop and die. (I learned the hard way) . ...

There may have been other contaminates in the tray I was not aware of. I doubt that the Benzotriazole supposedly in LPD made a difference as LPD does not produce blueish tones. Or could be that...

I even documented some of my early tests with Liquidol https://www.searing.photography/liquidol-paper-developer/ and Ilford Multigrade...

Sometimes a call to PF will determine if they can mix some up or not. They may be scaling back on things that dont sell well so they don't expire on the shelf.

Not a double blind sample but a tested preference - I tested the same prints in LPD, Ilford Multigrade , PF Liquidol, and PF130 side by side on 3 different papers over a period of several weeks. ...

where does one buy PMT (PhenylMercaptoTetrazole) ? I once got a blue tone with contaminated LPD + Selenium (or possibly Thiourea) in a second bath tray, but I never tried to replicate it. I have...

I never got the "cool" blueish tones out of ICt the way Agfa Brovira and Oriental Segul papers did in the 1980's. It turns really purple in Selenium for me, though I remember reading somewhere that...

Selenium also responds to MGFB WT prints that have been bleached slightly with or without being redeveloped and dark tones become a bit warmer. To get colder tones I use the Bergger glossy papers...

Wolfgang Moersh has been posting some interesting works with gold toning of Kalitypes and some other alt processes on FB - He gets all kinds of color out of it.

I like Nelsons gold toner except that it is used at a high temperature and takes a while so you cant use a temperature drift approach. But it imparts a lovely brown color shift. Expensive and can...

I use a somewhat vigorous figure 8 motion swapping hands inverting the tank top to bottom. But it also likely depends on the scene , developer, and agitation scheme you use with normal tanks. There...

There used to be a rapid fixer that came in a box with a bag inside that held the fixer and a nozzle for extracting (sprint maybe? mine had no labels from a dentist office). As you used up the fixer...

google is your friend - Independent Core Units. OR Internal Core Units. They do the same thing as your plywood fabrication. Examples https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=shimoda%20ICU&sts=ma

If you find it too stiff or uncomfortable to walk with there are padded ICUs that would likely fit and allow more flexibility over time. Shimoda makes some really nice ones but I have found unknown...

both - but I always test it with a piece of film before I start.

I have a batch of TF5 stock that is now about 4 years old. It still works. I tend to mix 1:9 for working and discard after 3 months, it turns gray, or it takes more than 45seconds to clear a test...

That does seem to be an oversight by all the camera backpack manufacturers. You can use that front pocket and a strap up top if there is nothing there. Or balance the load with Side pockets. There...

Or you could just use the metal tanks with a rubber band on the negative to form a taco shape. I use a 5 reel tank for 5x12 and can put in one negative or sometimes two negatives . for 4x5 I have...

if heat from your enlarger is a problem you will want a different head. for 4x5 I also prefer the beseler glassed carriers to keep the negatives flat. Most of my 11x14 exposures on warmtone papers...

My experimentation with EMA does work very well in separating similar tones. But for the majority of what I shoot I don't need it. I like it especially when I need to expand contrast and edge...

You can also bleach and redevelop a negative in Pyrocat HD and increase contrast. Plus you get the effects of the tanning and increased accutance. Not sure it would work once you use the selenium...

Ah - something in your tap water acting as a mild bleach or oxygenator. things like chlorine and fluoride can vary from month to month in city water. Use distilled water for developers always and...

4x5 FP4 shows a distinct brown/tan color. If your batch of Pyrocat HD is from a Formulary kit, ask them when it was assembled (code on the box) . Also depends how many near clear tones you have on...

In my need to constantly experiment I tried the same image with 3 different papers that I had on hand. It was an old log cabin in the woods so lots of middle tones, some blacks and dark tones, and...

I'm not a fan of HP5 in Pyrocat. But someone here told me about diluting Ansco 130 (Formulary 130) at 1:10 and develop for 10 minutes @ 68deg - it produces very nice negatives similar in contrast...

xkaes - I got my enlarger second hand and never had that "adjustment stick". My current head is the Ilford Multigrade 500 VC head. But I have always used with color heads or cold heads which...

Borrowing from the Ilford 500 VC head - use two light sources with Green & Blue filters that mix the light in a light box - each with its own timer or toggle for split grade printing. ...

All those oversized photography books we own come in handy for keeping prints flat under matboards. I also have used a spiral bound watercolor paper book to sandwich 11x14 and smaller prints or a...

If the sheet film comes in boxes of 25 you can load 13 holders with the film and not have to worry about the packaging. Label and date the holders. I find having film ready to go also gets me out...

Wolfgang Moersch just posted some images where he bleached a Kalitype then redeveloped using his MT blue formula and another color. I am amazed how flexible Kalitypes are.

Thanks - that gives the detail I was looking for. IN addition to the corner clipping advice above.

Interesting - my Ilford head comes with different diffusion boxes for different formats so I have never needed to adjust the light source bellows. Good to know about the corner clipping aspect, that...

On the 45MX there are two bellows - one between the negative stage and the light source (head), the other is below the negative stage for focus. Is there a purpose to raise or lower the distance...

Filter holder for split grade printing - after lens or at light source?

So the title of this thread should be Tripod Heads and quality so that you get recommendations for better locking heads. You also likely will want something with Quick Release that allows you to...

Then you will be on the hunt for old film. There are endless rabbit holes for us to chase.

Most people think about enlargers as vertical objects requiring a support post - think horizontally instead then you can mount any camera to an adjustable box on rails and/or movable easel for the...

Is your problem the tripod legs not staying locked or your head not supporting the weight? There are a variety of heavy duty 3 way heads that will support heavy cameras.

Bryan, I've got the bleach, ART, and Foma classic paper if you want to have an experimental printing session. You bring the Lith.

If you can find them BTZS tubes came in 8x10 and you load one sheet per tube but process them together. I could never do more than 4 4x5 tubes at a time and keep track of development time even with...