Search found 34 matches

by perfesserkev
Sat May 09, 2020 3:16 pm
Forum: Film Developing Cookbook Discussion
Topic: Congrats Bill and Steve
Replies: 0
Views: 9107

Congrats Bill and Steve

Hello gentlemen,

After a crazy semester I finally got my copy of the second edition. The new detail and contextual information is fabulous. The update is much deeper than I was expecting.

Well done!
by perfesserkev
Thu May 07, 2020 7:39 am
Forum: Open Discussion
Topic: A simplified zone system table for field use
Replies: 1
Views: 11825

A simplified zone system table for field use

I'm sharing here a simple zone system table I developed after working to learn the zone system a dozen years ago. Please feel free to use it or share it with attribution. I find it quite a lot simpler and faster than any formulas or logging techniques. It is a PNG set up to print as a 3X5 card or to...
by perfesserkev
Wed Apr 29, 2020 4:39 am
Forum: FX Developers
Topic: FX developers and Arista/Fomapan films
Replies: 1
Views: 14345

FX developers and Arista/Fomapan films

A few years ago when there was a lot of flux in the film industry — well, there still is — I went on an experimentation bender to find good box-speed developers for the Fomapan 100 and 400 films (aka Arista from Freestyle). These films are described by many as 2/3- to 1-stop slower than box speed in...
by perfesserkev
Thu May 04, 2017 3:57 pm
Forum: Color Film Processing
Topic: Pushing Ektar 100 (Help Needed)
Replies: 3
Views: 6716

Re: Pushing Ektar 100 (Help Needed)

Hi Jeremy, Generally color neg films only push well by a stop. At two stops the quality suffers hugely. At four stops I doubt there would be much usable about it. However, you may have a happy weird surprise! So the choice is "what the heck" and a four-stop push (if so, post them here). Or...
by perfesserkev
Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:40 am
Forum: Fixers
Topic: An alkaline hardener for neutral/alkaline fixer?
Replies: 0
Views: 4014

An alkaline hardener for neutral/alkaline fixer?

I have a stash of still-reasonably-good Portriga Rapid bought by my pops as early as the 1980s. (No, you can't have my address and away schedule). The lower grades are useably fog-free, the higher grades need plenty of KBr and some bleaching to get there. There is nothing else like that crazy cadmiu...
by perfesserkev
Wed Mar 29, 2017 6:59 am
Forum: Black & White Printing (formerly Enlarging & Printing)
Topic: Similarities in MQ developers
Replies: 12
Views: 13136

Re: Similarities in MQ developers

Super cool Tim! I am interested in playing with it. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
by perfesserkev
Wed Mar 29, 2017 6:51 am
Forum: Black & White Printing (formerly Enlarging & Printing)
Topic: Dry-down dramas
Replies: 8
Views: 9242

Re: Dry-down dramas

This isn't specific to the paper, but recently I finally picked up a very cheap ($49) microwave at Wal-Mart just for the purpose of dry-down tests (I still can't believe Adams used his then-very-expensive kitchen micro for this, probably right before nuking his leftovers). It works great and I don't...
by perfesserkev
Sun Feb 26, 2017 3:15 pm
Forum: Toning
Topic: Alkaline fixers and selenium toning
Replies: 3
Views: 5922

Re: Alkaline fixers and selenium toning

Just a post of HT-2 test results. When using alkaline fixer, washing for 20 minutes, toning in KRST then go straight to wash I get clean HT-2 results in about 20 minutes. A clearing agent cuts that time in half on both ends to about 10 minutes, though I still wash on each side of the KRST for 20 min...
by perfesserkev
Sat Jan 28, 2017 3:51 pm
Forum: Toning
Topic: Alkaline fixers and selenium toning
Replies: 3
Views: 5922

Alkaline fixers and selenium toning

I see that KRST has a pH of 9 -- slightly alkaline. I would think that the hypo content would wash out more effectively as it is said to do with an alkaline or neutral fixer, not requiring HCA. Haven't had a chance to do some HT-2 testing. Curious if anyone has. Bill Troop?
by perfesserkev
Sat Jan 28, 2017 8:41 am
Forum: Black & White Film Development
Topic: Acufine / Tri-x - 1 stop push dev time?
Replies: 3
Views: 6044

Acufine / Tri-x - 1 stop push dev time?

Hi Neal, I just dug up my old notes and have a time of 6min for ISO 1000 @ 70°F with intermittent agitation. I haven't run Tri-X in Acufine in a couple decades -- used it to hit 1600 or 3200 when necessary. You might try that time at 800 for a better neg. My task was to get highest speed possible, s...
by perfesserkev
Wed Jan 25, 2017 7:21 am
Forum: Toning
Topic: Alkaline fixers and selenium toning
Replies: 3
Views: 5922

Alkaline fixers and selenium toning

A couple years ago I switched entirely over to alkaline fixers. Now I skip an HCA bath between fixer and first wash. But when I make a fine fiber print and tone it with Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner I still use an HCA bath after the selenium and before the second wash because of the thiosulfate content...
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 15, 2016 3:48 pm
Forum: Black & White Film Development
Topic: Re: TriX 400 Pushed 3200 & Hc-110
Replies: 15
Views: 18844

Re: TriX 400 Pushed 3200 & Hc-110

Hi Neal: You'll want to use an "unsharp mask" type of sharpening filter. The greatest errors in sharpening digital files, whether a scan or a camera capture, comes from to big of a "radius" there. That's the number of pixels on either side of the edge being sharpened that are aff...
by perfesserkev
Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:43 am
Forum: Darkroom Equipment for Shipping Costs
Topic: 8x10" OC Safelight Filter
Replies: 1
Views: 10236

8x10" OC Safelight Filter

I'd be interested in this filter Steve. PM me with postage cost!
by perfesserkev
Sat Dec 03, 2016 1:27 pm
Forum: Black and White Transparency Processing
Topic: Tri-X
Replies: 5
Views: 8411

Tri-X

Here you have it (I knew there was some diff): When processed as a reversal film, the resulting positive can be used for projection or for duplication. If processed as a negative material by conventional methods, the film will yield satisfactory results, although there will be some loss in speed and...
by perfesserkev
Sat Dec 03, 2016 1:24 pm
Forum: Black and White Transparency Processing
Topic: Tri-X
Replies: 5
Views: 8411

Tri-X

No, it's not. I will sniff around after empirical diffs, but this I know from my modest 16mm film shooting: You can't process Tri-X reversal as a negative with good quality. It's got a different contrast range. How do you plan on processing? Lomo tank? Wad-in-a-bucket? Rewind tank? I use a rewind ta...
by perfesserkev
Sat Dec 03, 2016 12:01 pm
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: How I became a Pyro man.
Replies: 25
Views: 26046

How I became a Pyro man.

I became a pyro man thanks to Steve Anchell and Bill Troop. After about 20 years of only working professionally in color, the last eight of those in only digital, I realized in about 2007 that I missed the darkroom. I also deeply missed the change of view that different film cameras offer when compa...
by perfesserkev
Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:47 am
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro
Replies: 8
Views: 10157

SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro

Here's my 6-4X5 sheet film rack from Photographer's Formulary. It sits in an 11X14 tray and needs at least 2 liters of working solution to cover film -- 3 liters if you want to sink it deep enough in pyro like above to avoid oxidization streaks.

Attached files
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:08 pm
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro
Replies: 8
Views: 10157

SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro

Next time I'm at my darkroom I'll snap a pic of mine and post it here. It's red and beautiful.
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:05 pm
Forum: Color Film Processing
Topic: Pushing Color Transparency Film ?
Replies: 10
Views: 12340

Pushing Color Transparency Film ?

Heh. Flashback. In college I ran E-6 in an Arkay sink line. I'd roll up to 30 reels of chrome film in the dark, drop 'em in a rack and have to hold dark until into the color developer. On busy days it was nearly an hour of total blackness. I hallucinated often. At that much time your eyes want to in...
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 11:54 am
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro
Replies: 8
Views: 10157

SD-1c — a concentrate of Kodak SD-1 Pyro

Ah... I hadn't thought of that: That it is the film contact with air and not just the developer. Would one of those cool Formulary divided sheet trays work well here in enough chemical depth to keep the film sunk during a slight tray rock? For those who don't know what that tray is: I don't think th...
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 11:14 am
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: How I became a Pyro man.
Replies: 25
Views: 26046

How I became a Pyro man.

Here it is. I also fixed the permissions on the link above so that it is public. No account required.

Attached files
Beutler_Pyro_01.jpg
Beutler_Pyro_01.jpg (84.55 KiB) Viewed 20669 times
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 10:09 am
Forum: Using Pyro
Topic: How I became a Pyro man.
Replies: 25
Views: 26046

How I became a Pyro man.

I posted a note of satisfaction about Harald's Beutler Pyro formula above. Here's a sample: Arista/Foma 100, 2X3 sheet in a handheld Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic, shot at 100 and developed in Beutler Pyro for 10 min. 1:1:100 at 70F, small tank, 3 inversions per 60-sec. Nikon LS-8000 scan. https://www....
by perfesserkev
Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:40 am
Forum: Color Film Processing
Topic: Pushing Color Transparency Film ?
Replies: 10
Views: 12340

Pushing Color Transparency Film ?

I pushed Fujichrome 400 to 800, only when it was a matter of getting an image or not getting an image. The results generally are grainy with loss of black density. You can't get a slide film faster than ISO 200 now, though. In negative films you can get up to 1600 still, and if you need the speed I ...