Developer ratio & type problems - help?

[CTurner]

I'm a first year college student and have worked in a darkroom for a few years at my highschool, but I've never been the one to mix - or buy - the chemicals myself.

I shoot Kodak TMAX 400, use ilford RC VC satin and pearl paper - as well as ilford VC fiber paper - and have purchased Kodak powdered D-76 developer.

I mixed the powder and have 1 gallon of developer. It says to use 1:1 to develop film. So I now mix equal parts developer and water, correct?

So that developer is only for film. I've heard I can mix 1:3 for "working solution".

Is this the developer I use for paper?

I've heard there is supposed to be different developers to do film and paper. If you could link me to the best developers for this set-up, it would be great.

I'm not one to "experiment" with different darkroom / photo processing techniques and just want to find a developer / film / paper combo I can rely on and don't need to change.

Cheers,
Cole

 

[Helen B]

D-76 is only intended for film. It can be used at full strength, 1+1 or even 1+3 (parts developer + parts water). When you dilute it you only use it once, when you use it full strength it can be re-used, usually by lengthening the time but you can also 'replenish' it. Don't store it diluted - dilute immediately before use (you are diluting the preservative as well as the reducing agent). Using it 1+1 is probably the most convenient, and it gives a sharp-looking neg.

There aren't many developers available nowadays that work well with both film and paper - the paper developers tend to be much too active for film. Ilford PQ Universal is a decent paper developer and a fair, but not great, film developer. Kodak Dektol is a good paper developer, and it can be used for film if you like contrasty images with heavy grain.

Best,
Helen

 

[compur]

I mixed the powder and have 1 gallon of developer. It says to use 1:1 to develop film. So I now mix equal parts developer and water, correct?

Correct.

 

[addicted2glass]

I am a hard core digital camera user. I have recently discovered film. I have collected most of the darkroom equipment for b&w film. I was thinking the first run of my darkroom would be to find some negatives and practice making prints with the enlarger. The darkroom book I own "Into Your Darkroom Step By Step" 1991.
I am not sure how much has changed since then.
It would be nice to have another person especially more experience than I to work with. Any input would be appreciated. I hope to document my progress setting up my darkroom (and perhaps later my attempts to repair a camera.)

Any input would be appreciated

 

[ann]

The process for developing and printing has not changed. What has changed may be the types of developer , paper types and films that are available these days.


Check out Ilford's website for some good pdf's available .

 

[compur]

Reading that book is an excellent first step -- so many newcomers try to do it without any study which makes it much more difficult. That book will give you the basics. And, as Ann said, film processing is the same today as it's been for a long time. Only some specific materials (film & chemistry & paper brands, etc) have changed since that book was written, though some are still the same and still manufactured such as a number of Kodak film & chemistry products.

And, lots of schools still offer beginning photo/darkroom classes at little or no charge -- there may be one in your area.

 

[addicted2glass]

I am planning on blogging my progress on learning film. This forum seems like a cool place.

(Of course the easiest thing to do is everything else instead of reading the instruction book. I did manage to read one chapter on getting the exposed film out of the can and turned into negatives.)

I have a mamiya/sekor DLT 500 with a 1:2 50mm (Got my second roll of color FILM prints back from the drugstore)

thanks!