First time developing, results.

[Garbz]

Well if you missed http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119939 I just started developing. I am using a Kodak D-76 developer and an Ilford Rapid Fixer, no stop bath, no drying aid.

To say the first time was a disaster is an understatement. I dropped the film while winding the reel, and just as I wound the reel the sensor light outside came on and I could visibly see a small amount of light leaking into where I was working. Anyway I quickly dumped the reel into the tank and put on the lid.

I couldn't get the temperatures down to 20degrees. (I live in Australia) I even tried filling the sink water with ice, but in the end I settled for adjusting all the times to 22 degrees.

After the first inversion I realised the o-ring in the development tank was still laying on the floor of my cupboard since I knocked it out in my haste to get the film in. Developer went everywhere. I think I over developed slightly my images seem to be very contrasty, but then again I shot on a Holga so it really is hard to tell.

I also need to refine my drying. I got two wet spots on my negative that I have found so far and I noticed what I dried with left some lint on the film which came up bright white on the scan. I will go back into the original thread and start taking some of the varied advice from there for my next roll.

Well my favourite photo:

I am looking forward to doing another roll next week but this time from my Nikon FE so I will be more clued in to if my photos are correctly exposed or not.

 

[KevinDks]

Thanks for the update Garbz, I was wondering how it went. Sounds like you had plenty of excitement - on my first attempt it took about 20 attempts to get the film on the reel because the sweat from my hands kept sticking it together, then the temperature shot up after I put the developer in the tank, but I didn't check it until a minute before the end. These are things you have to learn for yourself...

But anyway, you have negatives! That shot looks great, I think I would be very proud if I'd got that from my first try. Actually, I'd be quite proud of it now!

Kevin

 

[Helen B]

It sounds like you had fun, and the results look good. Well done.

Don't bother trying to get down to 20 degrees. When I lived in Singapore 24 degrees was my normal temperature. It's still important - maybe more important - to keep the temperature consistent between solutions.

If you aren't using a wetting agent (like Photo-Flo) I'd recommend a final rinse in distilled or deionised water, then shake off the water with the film still on the reel.

Best,
Helen

 

[K_Pugh]

Sounds like a nightmare of a time you had lol. I recently just developed my first film as well but i had a little more luck.. got the film on the reel first time, i thought "surely not" so i took it off and done it again lol.

Nice result though, nice pic.. a keeper..

any more examples?

next time will be easier for sure!

 

[Judge Sharpe]

Next time use some white vinegar for a stop bath- just dilute it out a little- I have known photographers to use a body fluid easily available after several beers for a stop bath- anything acitic works and makes developing and fixing more precise. It also saves your fixer if you re-use.
Start out with your chemicals cooled off- put them in a bath about an hour before you are ready to start and pre-cool your tank. Hot solutions tend to make negatives more contrasty and the emulsion softer- IMHO.
It takes a couple of times before you get it down, and then you will have a brain f-rt and screw something up, like turning the light on at the wrong time.
If life weren't a challange it would not be fun.
judge sharpe

 

[christopher walrath]

Congrats, man. Crisis more or less averted so it seems. Keep us posted and relate your refined procedure. I love seeing how others do it. (No, that's not dirty!)

 

[Garbz]

Thanks all.

Helen I was looking at the table of values in the Kodak D-76 datasheet and although it had a number for a 24 degree developer it also said developing for less than 5 minutes is not recommended, which is why I tried to hard to get the developer temperature. I have some distilled water here, but I think I will try some Photoflo next time. Need to go to teds tomorrow anyway so I'll have a look at how much the bottle costs.

Judge any more technical details on that method? Do I need to drink a lot of beer or will a slightly discoloured and cabbage smelling liquid work too. :lmao:

Anyone else have any experience with white vinegar? Given that my mother is one of those natural types we use it for cleaning and have a large abundance of it in the house.

Here are two more taken from the flickr meet:

Also if anyone is interested in my technique for holgaring this one is quite the laugh: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dadegroot/2462824069/

 

[KevinDks]

Helen I was looking at the table of values in the Kodak D-76 datasheet and although it had a number for a 24 degree developer it also said developing for less than 5 minutes is not recommended, which is why I tried to hard to get the developer temperature.

In that case I'd guess you were using the D76 at full strength (i.e. 'stock' solution). The data sheet should also have the information for a 1+1 dilution (1 part stock solution and 1 part water) which will give you longer times. I use Ilford ID11 (essentially the same as D76) at 1+1 and it gives good results.

Kevin

 

[Garbz]

Yes true that would have been a solution, but I had a storage problem. I ran out of plastic bottles and I didn't want to waste the solution by being unable to store it so I couldn't dilute. Admittedly with the power of 20/20 hindsight the developer is by far the cheapest thing and I should have just used it and thrown it.

Btw speaking of datasheets. Do all fixers have the same crap shelf life? I was looking at the side of the ilford rapid fixer and it says a diluted (working strength) 1:4 solution has a shelf life of 7 days. That would mean I get to use the bottle like twice if I don't develop much film, and it's not cheap either. Any practical solutions? (that don't involve peeing in my devlopment tank Judge Sharpie )

 

[KevinDks]

Btw speaking of datasheets. Do all fixers have the same crap shelf life? I was looking at the side of the ilford rapid fixer and it says a diluted (working strength) 1:4 solution has a shelf life of 7 days. That would mean I get to use the bottle like twice if I don't develop much film, and it's not cheap either. Any practical solutions? (that don't involve peeing in my devlopment tank Judge Sharpie )

I'm using Ilford Rapid fix that has been mixed for at least 3 or 4 months. The trick is to use a glass bottle with a tight fitting lid and to top it right up so there is only the smallest of air gaps. I test with a bit of scrap film before I use it, and as long as it clears the film in 2 minutes or less then it's fine.

Kevin

 

[Helen B]

Yes true that would have been a solution, but I had a storage problem. I ran out of plastic bottles and I didn't want to waste the solution by being unable to store it so I couldn't dilute. Admittedly with the power of 20/20 hindsight the developer is by far the cheapest thing and I should have just used it and thrown it.

If you use D-76 1+1 then you do throw it after using it once. You can only re-use full strength D-76.

Btw speaking of datasheets. Do all fixers have the same crap shelf life? I was looking at the side of the ilford rapid fixer and it says a diluted (working strength) 1:4 solution has a shelf life of 7 days. That would mean I get to use the bottle like twice if I don't develop much film, and it's not cheap either.

That's 7 days in an open tray. Ilford suggest 6 months in a closed bottle. Plastic is fine. You should discard fixer when the clearing time of the used fixer is twice that of fresh fixer. Here's Ilford's method:

"In order to avoid the risk of insufficient fixing film should remain in the fixer for twice the time it takes the emulsion to clear. Fixer should be discarded when the clearing time in used fixer exceeds twice the clearing time in fresh fixer. The clearing time of a film and fixer combination can be found by the following method. It can be carried out in normal lighting.

Take a piece of scrap unprocessed film and place a drop of the working strength fixer on to a small part of the emulsion side. Leave it until the emulsion under the drop is a clear spot, this should take around 30 to 60 seconds. Immerse the piece of film in the fixer bath and using a stop clock time how long it takes for the rest of the film to clear. Clearing can be judged by comparing the surrounding film area with the clear central spot. The time taken for the rest of the film to clear is the clearing time.The fixing time needed is double the clearing time."

I have some distilled water here, but I think I will try some Photoflo next time. Need to go to teds tomorrow anyway so I'll have a look at how much the bottle costs.

Photo-Flo is very cheap to use - you use it very dilute. There are two strengths, 200 and 600 (there used to be stronger versions, but I haven't seen them recently).The recommended dilution is 1+200 and 1+600 respectively (!). 200 is available in small sizes. You can use it at 1+400 or thereabouts if you want - many people do.

Stop bath is also cheap to use. There are a few flavours - mostly based on smell and colour. I've used the common acetic acid and the less smelly citric acid ones. I stopped using acid stop many years ago, and didn't detect any difference in development or fixer capacity (I used acid fixer back then). It's much more important to have a consistent development agitation and timing method. Whatever you use, you usually need to adjust your times from those given in tables. Many things affect exact developing time.

If you want to use plain citric acid, use two heaped teaspoons per litre of water. Ilfostop is a citric acid stop.

Best,
Helen

 

[christopher walrath]

3 month old working solution Kodafix. No worries yet. Just mixed gallon number two yesterday. That oughtta last until July or so.

 

[Garbz]

Excellent thanks for the tips.

Next week I'll fire off my trix-400 in my Nikon FE which actually has an exposure meter unlike the holga, so I will know if I am doing it correctly then