Any real advantage to pre-soaking HP5 to remove the anti-halation layer

[neil poulsen]

Once upon a time (years ago), I was told by an Ilford Tech that the film has wetting agents making pre-soaking unnecessary. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't.

[Paul Hoyt]

Before I moved to sheet film, I had problems with uneven development in continuous tone areas of 120 film. I read an article that recommended a presoak to solve that problem; and it did. When I moved up to LF format and sheet film, I read Ansel Adams discussion on how he developed sheet film and he used a presoak with sheet film. I have never developed my sheet film without using a presoak , TRI-X and FP4+ in HC-110, and my continuous tone areas have always been even.

Regarding the slight purple cast that can remain after processing, hang dry negative in an open window and the UV light will fade away the purple cast.

[Ian Gordon Bilson]

Well,I think it depends on the film,and also on the developer.
It is true that Ilford say p/s is un-needed,and that many developers have a surfactant component. So,no pre-soak for me,Unless...Foma,and other European films,if requested for Rodinal stand technique,really benefit from p/s.
This makes sense to me,because,over the course of an hour or two,diffusion into,and out of the emulsion,reaches a stabilised state.

[Brian Ellis]

I don't pre-soak HP5+ because Ilford says not to. I figure they know their film better than I do. With TMax 100 and 400 I've done it both ways, never seen a difference, so I stopped pre-soaking. Developer in all cases was D76 1-1. When I was using PMK I pre-soaked because that's what Gordon Hutchings said to do. But after a while I tried not pre-soaking it and saw no difference so I stopped pre-soaking even with PMK.

[Vaughn]

Using an Expert drum 3005 for 8x10's (usually FP4+) it just seems to make sense to me to pre-soak -- which I do for about 5 minutes. If I could see into the drum while it is turning to see how the liquids get moving over the sheets I would know for sure.

[Drew Wiley]

The time of the presoak can itself make a minor difference to development, so I always try to keep it
consistent too.

[Lachlan 717]

I do it for two reasons:

First, it is an inert "trigger" event. It focuses me on the processing I'm about to undertake without the danger of "diving in the deep end" of going straight to the Developer. That few minutes of presoaking is used to double check the chemicals, times, temp etc.

Second, I just dig the colour of the liquid that comes out of the tank!!

[premortho]

Before I moved to sheet film, I had problems with uneven development in continuous tone areas of 120 film. I read an article that recommended a presoak to solve that problem; and it did. When I moved up to LF format and sheet film, I read Ansel Adams discussion on how he developed sheet film and he used a presoak with sheet film. I have never developed my sheet film without using a presoak , TRI-X and FP4+ in HC-110, and my continuous tone areas have always been even.

I felt that the UV light idea had some potential benefit, so went to hang some developed film in the window. But when I opened the window, and felt that first jolt of sub-zero(fahrenheit) air, I decided to live withe the purple cast until summer! Regarding the slight purple cast that can remain after processing, hang dry negative in an open window and the UV light will fade away the purple cast.

[premortho]

I don't know what I did wrong to get my comment mixed in with Paul Hoyts' but I did it somehow.

[Michael_4514]

The original poster asked about HP-5 and Rodinal. Maybe he's given up on getting a straight answer on that subject. I've used that combination quite a bit and never presoaked. Works just fine for me.

I can't imagine what presoaking would do for this combination. Rodinal is best highly diluted with relatively long development times, so getting faster or smoother delivery of the developer to the film is hardly an issue. Rodinal is typically a one shot developer, so getting the antihalation layer runoff in the developer stock is not an issue. Rodinal is usually used at 20 degrees (centigrade), ie., room temperature, so "warming up" the film and tank is not a consideration.