Arista EDU Ultra 400 and Ilfotec DDX?

Jhausler

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I just bought a few rolls of Arista EDU Ultra 400, but can't find any suggestions for developing it with Ilfotec DDX... not even on the massive dev chart.

Anyone have experience with this?

Also, it says 5:30 for Rodinal 1+25, which is fine.. but the instructions on the package seem a bit too heavy on the agitation.

Agitate for the first 30 seconds then for 5 seconds every 30 seconds thereafter? Seems a bit much.

I usually give it 10 seconds initially, then a slight turn every minute. Would that change the time, or can i feel ok to do that with the 5:30?

Thanks,
Jesse
 
more research says it's the same as foma 400 and the dev chart has an entry for that.

DDX 1+9 for 12 min at 20c.

Anyone tried this?
 
I have zero knowledge of Ilfotec DDX, maybe if a few people put their times agitation and temp, you can extrapolate a time for your process.

Arista EDU ultra 400 shot at 250 in 1+50 Rodinal 11 minutes with 30 seconds initial agitation, then 3 inversions every 3 minutes at 68 degrees F.

And same film shot at 200 in HC-110h 12 minutes with 30 seconds initial agitation, the 3 inversions every 4 minutes at 68 degrees F.

I found for what I like with B&W film that I had to shot at 1/2 speed and maybe even lower, also if you look at the color spectral chart on the website for this film you will see that it is very blue sensitive. Therefore, I will always use an Orange filter if blue sky is present. This increases contrast as shadows are blue lite. So either your paper or the use of digital curves will be needed for adjustment. Don't let this discourage you; once you get the process down you will enjoy this film. When I first used it I said, 'never again,' but I still had a few rolls so I worked what works for me.
 
So what did you finally come up with John?

I have used D-76 almost exclusively with this film so have little experience with other options.

The orange filter idea is also interesting. I will give that a try as D-76 typically gives a very flat, low contrast, negative that requires a bit of curves adjustment in PP.
 
^ This is generalizing , but Ilford typically uses 1 minute agitation intervals and Kodak's
recommendation is to agitate every half minute . You'll probably get a satisfactory image with either method. Peter
 
Arista EDU ultra 400 shot at 250 in 1+50 Rodinal 11 minutes with 30 seconds initial agitation, then 3 inversions every 3 minutes at 68 degrees F.

Thanks for the tips all, i'll probably give this a try. If you've dont this method and found that it works, then good enough for me..
 
I like that film, it reminds me of 1970s Tri X

I also rate it at 250 and develop it in Rodinal and it seems to do better with the Helios 103 lens than it does with the Sonnar based Jupiters 50 mils lenses for some strange reason .
 
So what did you finally come up with John?

I have used D-76 almost exclusively with this film so have little experience with other options.

The orange filter idea is also interesting. I will give that a try as D-76 typically gives a very flat, low contrast, negative that requires a bit of curves adjustment in PP.

Now I'm using 200 with the Orange filter when there is blue sky. That puts me down to 100 E.I., I'm developing with HC-110h. And I haven't extended my time. My negatives are a little low contrast. D-76, which I used for years, might be better??? I also use a minimal agitation schedule, which I tried after reading posts from D.F. Cardwell on Apug (I might have his name wrong but that is close). I liked his agitation ideas and they worked for me. One of his jewels was 'development time places your shadows, exposure places your midtones, agitation controls highlight density'
 
That's a recommendation if ever I heard one.

Scans and prints (condensor) well?

Chris

It prints just fine with my Omega B66 with condenser head and scans OK on my DiMage scan Dual IV, although the film curls more than any Ilford film and needs to be dust spotted more carefully than Tri X or HP 5+.
 
It prints just fine with my Omega B66 with condenser head and scans OK on my DiMage scan Dual IV, although the film curls more than any Ilford film and needs to be dust spotted more carefully than Tri X or HP 5+.

I can agree with this dust issue; I'm not sure why this happens though.
 
I am reading this while scanning a roll of AEU400 and it is flat as a pancake. Not sure why that is but it does seem to flatten back out.

Developed it in d76 1:1 and it did have some curl when I hung it to dry. Two days later; flat as can be.

As for dust, in the outback of Nevada every film needs spotting. :D
 
Finally developed my first roll of Arista EDU 400.

I've been printing recently so i've been overexposing 2/3 of a stop and under developing by 10%.

I used Rodinal 1+50. My massive dev chart app listed 12:00 for agitations every minute, so i cut it back to 10:48.

It's drying now, but it's definitely thin and it looks like there's light leaks. Maybe from the roll not being tight enough? There's big foggy areas at the bottom of the roll on the right, and some black stuff on to the top left. More light leaks?

Curious to hear people's thoughts.

29711318425_b14af52884_z.jpg


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Also, the beginning end of it is mighty short. I just about cut into it, taking off the corners with the scissors. I'd blame it on the camera, but i've sent plenty of Ilford PanF+ through this without similar problems.
 
Those dark areas along the edges are definitely caused by the roll not being tight enough and leaking light when you removed it from the camera. That is almost a occupational hazard with 120 roll film.
 
Those dark areas along the edges are definitely caused by the roll not being tight enough and leaking light when you removed it from the camera. That is almost a occupational hazard with 120 roll film.

Right, they tell you to load your film in the camera in subdued light, Personally I think: maybe both loading and unloading. If I had to one or the other I would be more careful unloading. I have two black 35mm plastic film 'canisters' that I use to protect my 120 rolls. I tape them end to end between unloading and processing.
 
Yep. If the roll feels soft when you take it out of the camera then you know it isn't rolled tight enough. Also if you look at the roll from the end and it looks like it was rolled onto the spool off centered then it will also leak light along the edges. When this happens I roll it up in black plastic and tape it up until I can get it developed.

If the original film wrapper is still usable you can use that as well. I'm not very soft and gentle so mine are usually trashed.
 
We have to talk, did you ever try my plastic sheet method for 4x5 scanning on the V-500 (Microsoft ICE). I know this isn't the place for this but; well: did you?
 
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