Unless I can figure out a way to ask multiple questions on this Forum, I might resort to setting up a PERL/HTML/CGI questionnaire on my website -- so that I can put together a useful questionnaire and get some meaningful results. I know that there are some free survey websites that will make it easier.
I think this is important stuff for all of us.
I generally presoak for 2 minutes with filtered water at developer temperature.
The exception is when using Diafine (a 2-part developer). Its instructions specifically state that you should not presoak because the developer needs to soak into the dry emulsion. That's important for it to work properly.
- Leigh
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
I never used to do it when hand processing using single solution developer and roll film. When I acquired a Jobo, I used their recommendations for a pre-rinse when using single solution developer.
Now I use a two-bath developer a lot, and do not pre-rinse with that.
Perhaps, but as I believe you've noted before, ask 10 photographers...Originally Posted by xkaes
Anyhow, I presoak if I'm tray shuffling sheets (obviously). ~2 minutes in tap water, same temp as the rest of the process (dev/stop/fix/wash).
When I do roll film in tanks (manual inversion) I don't presoak, but my development times are fairly long. If they were short I'd probably presoak, and in either case a presoak shouldn't do any harm. On the other hand Ilford generally advises against it, at least with Ilford films.
Never presoaking, I made side by side tests and I found the same result with developers I use.
Perhaps ancient films did require that, but last labs in general were not using it, nor minilabs.
Also Ilford datasheets do recommend not using pre-rinse for tanks, as it removes surfactants from emulsion than were added to ensure an even development.
Anyway I feel it has little impact doing it or not...
I am an always presoak in filtered tap water at the developer temp.
Ron McElroy
Memphis
Follow the directions sent to you by Oren Grad!
Always presoak 4x5 for tray processing (4 minutes) and 120 for tank processing (2 minutes), plain water at developer temperature. My developers for those are PMK and Pyrocat, and there was a long thread on APUG suggesting that the longer presoak intensified the staining effect (which is why I am trying 4 minutes for my sheet film, up from the 2 minutes I was using). I do not presoak 35mm for tank processing in d-76.
Strictly amateur so YMMV:
Unless a film specifically says no-soak, I will do the following (note that I'm using pyrocat-HD in rotary lately)
Distilled water (my urban locale has water that varies in quality)
Usually 75deg just like most of my development, as long as times are 5-6 minutes or longer I have no streaking problems
5 minutes soak on the rollers has never caused me any problems, but I'm not doing fine art quality and so might not notice
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