Question about developing B&W.

[Canuk]

I have been doing my own B&W developing at home for a little while.

My question is how many films can you safely develop in one batch of developer. I mix my developer fresh from concentrate each time (Ilfosol 3 1+9). I reuse my stop bath and fixer a few times before replacing them.

I have developed a roll of 120 and then a roll of 35mm with the same developer and the results seemed fine, but is this not recommended? Will changing between film types have an adverse effect on the developing?

I will be posting some pics here soon, as I just got my scanner and I am learning that process as well.

Thanks,

Brent

 

[amolitor]

ILFOSOL S and ILFOSOL 3 are both indicated as one-shot developers by the Ilford web site. They specifically do not recommend using it more than once.

This may have more to do with shelf life of the mixed solution, than actual capacity, though. Unfortunately, since they don't recommend more than one use, they don't seem to provide any capacity information beyond they recommend about 300ml to develop one roll of 35mm/36 exposure film which is in about the same area as a roll of 120.

My guess is that you developed a roll of 120 in 500ml or more of solution, so there was adequate capacity left over to do the 35mm roll. The results probably varied a bit, but apparently not a huge amount. I wouldn't push it much further, and I wouldn't keep the mixed stuff around for more than a day or two.

The manufacturer's web sites on these things usually have excellent data sheets packed with useful, albeit technical, information.

 

[Canuk]

I always dispose of the mixed developer once I have finished w/ the developing process.
So I guess if I am developing more that a couple films at once I will need to mix more developer. I guess not much point in pushing it to save a few pennies, thanks for the reply.

 

[Derrel]

If you must be a cheapskate, errr I mean a miser, errr, I mean a thrifty fellow, perhaps extend the developing times 15 to 20 percent on the second use? Maybe? I dunno...I think the 1-shot developers are always best as...1-shot developers. FIlm and photos are such precious commodities that it seems a shame to not give each roll its proper due, and to achieve reliable and CONSISTENT degree of development from roll to roll, so that printing and or scanning is most efficient.

 

[Canuk]

I do agree w/ film being precious. The reuse of the developer on the second roll of film was almost accidental, I had never had more than one to do at the same time, lol.

I promise to use "one-shot" developer as "one-shot" developer and give each film its own full strength soup!!

 

[gsgary]

your stop bath and fixer can be used until it turns purple if it is Ilford which is more than 20 rolls

 

[gsgary]

Ive been given 20 rolls of XP2 (c41 development) from Ilford that i am going to develope in Rodinal seen some good results

 

[bhop]

I mix fresh chemicals each time. I used to re-use my b&w chemicals, but there doesn't really seem to be a point since the shelf life of the opened bottles are limited. If I re-used, then my chemicals would be old and weak before I finished the bottles..

 

[Canuk]

Since I first posted this, I have only been using the Developer as one shot and disposing of after developement.

I do reuse the stop bath and the fixer a few times. I usually will use the same stop and fixer for both developing film and then for prints. Is there a problem with doing this?
The Ilfostop and Ilford Rapid fixer are both used for film and paper, but now I am wondering if using the same batch for both could cause problems?

 

[snark]

I am a newbie or sorts, because I have not set foot in a darkroom for 30 years but am now getting back to it. I recall being told to mix D-76 3:1 and use it as a one-shot developer, and I tried it with what I thought at the time was good results. Can't remember how much he said to increase the developing time. Anyone know? And what might be the up-side/down-side? Will grain or contrast be different from stock solution?

 

[Helen B]

I've used D-76 1+3 (I assume that you mean 1+3 rather than 3+1) for contrast control with high contrast films, and when pushing with very long development times. Though not everyone sticks to the minimum volume of stock recommendation (150 mL per film), I usually do. That means using large tanks (600 mL per film). The resulting high dilution of the water conditioners in the D-76 does make it more susceptible to water quality problems than lower dilutions. Generally the graininess and acutance will be higher with diluted D-76 than with stock. I use 1+1 D-76 much more often than 1+3. Kodak publish good, carefully determined, times but they only apply to the exact method used during Kodak's testing (this applies to all recommended times, of course).

 

[Compaq]

I will be so honest that I re-shelf my chemicals for film development after usage. They might stand there for a month. For printing, I use the same batch the entire session, then dump. I don't leave that standing. I have been thinking that I probably should not re-use my film developer so much, but I don't feel like paying that much for new bottles very often. Right now I need to buy new paper, in two sizes, and that costs quite a bit for a student.

But I guess it depends on your motives how far you're willing to push the developer's life.

 

[ann]

you can use hc110 as a one shot developer and the concentrate will last a long time, think over a year or better.

 

[Compaq]

A full bottle of Ilfotec DD-X has a shelf life of 24 months, I think. Or was that the Multigrade developer? DD-X not shorter than 12 months, though, if I remember correctly.

 

[GlassSlinger]

I teach a film photography class. I don't reuse the d-76 after its mixed 1:1. I DO reuse the stop bath (indicator type) until it starts to show signs of exhaustion, and I reuse the fixer to exhaustion too. I have some drops I use to tell me if the fixer is exhausted. I got it from FreeStyle photo. From my experience fixer will still "fix" past where the drops tell me I should through it out. So I make it a point to check the fixer every other day to make sure I don't get to the point it is entirely dead, which I have done when I haven't been diligent.