Ilfosol S and thin negs?

kslagerman · Oct 5, 2006

Hello, I am just starting out with the 4x5 and developing at home because the lab at school is really crowded.

I have a decent working knowledge of the zone system and am almost positive I am exposing correctly but I am getting consistantly thin negs. I am using Ilfosol S (68-69F @ 7mins) with HP5+ 400. I am thinking there are two possibilities.. (not including the fact that I might be underexposing)

1. I have been reading that Ilfosol is sort of a lame developer when it comes to faster films like HP5+. We use HC-110 at school and I have had MUCH better results there. Could this developer be causing the thin negs?

or

2. The lens on my 4x5 is rather old (has the old shutter speeds like 400, 200, 100, 50 etc etc) and I am not 100% sure that the shutter's timer is accurate. I definatley know that is bad at anything over a 1/2 sec. Maybe it is underexposing? I would tend to think that if the shutter's timer was sticking or going bad, it would slow down and over expose, rather than speed up and under expose.

I attatched a pic to show what Im talking about. (pls ignore the fact that its fogged and wasnt loaded into the camera properly, its the only one i have on hand right now

)

Any thoughs?

Thanks!

Torus34 · Oct 5, 2006

If HC 110 provides good results, why mess around with something else?

terri · Oct 5, 2006

I would agree. Switching developers will be a lot cheaper than thinking you need to upgrade lenses. If you have gotten good results with HC-110 with your setup, go back to that. If you still have a problem, then you'll need to try something else.

Welcome to TPF! I'd love to see some of your 4x5 prints.

ladyphotog · Oct 5, 2006

Looks like a developer problem, if you still have some of the Ilfosol S developer left you could increase your temp and time. You would need to test to get the right mix. Once you use it up I would go back to the HC-110 that are are having better results with.

Christie Photo · Oct 5, 2006

hmmm.... I suppose you're shooting (metering) the same as you did when you processed your film at school. And, I suppose you're used to seeing denser negs. Could it be that this one is softer (less contrast) than you're used to seeing?

Pete

kslagerman · Oct 5, 2006

good advice. When i was buying supplies for home use, I just thought i would go with the "general purpose" ilford developer for ilford film, not knowing that it would make such a difference. Im going to get a bottle of hc-110 today and see what happens. hopefully it will produce better results

thanks to all of you.

kslagerman · Oct 5, 2006

terri said:
I'd love to see some of your 4x5 prints.

Printed this today... Ilford HP5+ w/ the HC-110. Much better.

http://www.keithslagerman.com/images/main.php/v/portfolio/photo/Manzanitas.html

JC1220 · Oct 9, 2006

If you are still monitoring your question...

Concerning your first photograph: how far away were you from the subject, what focal length is your lens and how far was your bellows extended?

Christie Photo · Oct 9, 2006

JC1220 said:
Concerning your first photograph: how far away were you from the subject, what focal length is your lens and how far was your bellows extended?

I don't think it's a concern. It looks to me like a normal focal legnth lens and not so close that he has more than a 6" draw. Good thought though. Nice to know some of us still understand this.

Pete

kslagerman · Oct 9, 2006

a good thought. no significant need for reciprocity or bellows adjustment with that one. thanks again though. i think im just going to stay away from the ilfosol

JC1220 · Oct 9, 2006

lol, yes, some of us do know about these things, all LF here. Would be curious to see the same scene under the same lighting conditions with the HC-110 for comparison. It just looks very flat over thin now that I looked at it again.