Developing process

[dfoo]

I have a 5L jug of XTOL, and a 2L jug of replenisher in 40L container full of water. In the water is an aquarium thermometer that I bought at the pet center for $5. This keeps the water and developer bang on 20 degrees.

After I load up my film, and drop it into the container I can then pour in 1.5 liters (for 5 rolls) of XTOL. I then develop the film. While its developing I pour in 70-80ml per roll of fresh XTOL into the 5L stock. After the developing is done, I pour the used dev back into the 5L bottle right to the top. The remainder gets thrown out.

After stop and fix, I put the film in my homemade dryer and leave it there for a few hours. This ensures dust free negatives, which is cool 🙂

How do you do guys do it?

 

[Al Kaplan]

I mostly use D-76. I adjust the time to go with the temperature. I use D-76 diluted 1:1, develop my film, and toss the developer.

 

[Doug]

dfoo, kudos for the ambition for the replenishment method of maintaining repeatability and continuity with the developer. I went that way for a time long ago with D-76 but reverted to a 1-shot approach as being somewhat simpler. Since then I've gone simpler yet...

Currently I have a 1-gal jug of Diaphine Part A and a 1-gal jug of Diaphine Part B [oops, let's call it Diafine!], kept in an interior darkroom along with the fixer etc. I check its temperature and set the rinse/wash flow the same to maintain all fluids about the same temp. Using Kindermann tanks and reels.

I leave the film immersed in Part A with frequent gentle agitation for about 5 min. I pour out thoroughly trying to leave as little of the Part A in the tank as possible, time not being critical. After pouring in Part B, the film gets no further agitation for the approx 5 min until pour-out. Excess agitation in Part B will result in *less* development action.

Water stop/rinse. Rapid Fixer. Wash. Hypo clearing mix with a bit of Selenium toner. I hang the film from stainless clamps on hooks on a home-made cross-bar in the shower.

I do gently use a squeegee on the film after a brief rinse in a wetting agent solution. The shower is first sprayed down to eliminate any dust or lint.

I like the no-fuss of Diaphine, its very compensating nature, that it lasts "forever", and accept that the only real user control is setting the exposure.

 

[venchka]

Hopefully Doug meant Diafine. I have a friend who worships with the Clan of Diafine. It does sound tempting. Maybe when I use up all the various developers I have accumulated in the last few years.

For the sake of non-conformity, I may try Barry Thornton's 2 bath developer instead of Diafine. Who knows, they may be similar to identical.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I think Doug was just using the "fancy spelling" of Diafine.

 

[Doug]

I think Doug was just using the "fancy spelling" of Diafine.

Thanks, Al! Yes, the fancy spelling indeed... 😱

 

[telemetre]

I use XTOL 1+1, discard the developer after use. If the solution is colder than 68 F, I try to warm it (out of laziness), otherwise just adjust the time.

 

[dfoo]

Yes, I meant heater! 🙂 My developing is all done in the basement, and I live in a northern place, so its always colder than 20 degrees down there most of the year.

The nice thing about XTOL is that the developer and replenisher are the same thing. I used to use XTOL 1+1, but have been trying replenishment for the past 50 rolls, and haven't had any consistency issues. I got most of the information on replenished XTOL from a very long APUG thread.

 

[venchka]

You are lucky to have ambient temperatures below 20C. Here on the Gulf Coast, tap water is rarely below 24C. I use Xtol 1:3 to keep my time long enough for comfort.

 

[degruyl]

I mostly use D-76. I adjust the time to go with the temperature. I use D-76 diluted 1:1, develop my film, and toss the developer.

Same. Sometimes I use microdol-x 1:3 or Rodinal 1:100. (I used to use TMax Dev, but have moved away from that).

 

[degruyl]

Water stop/rinse. Rapid Fixer. Wash. Hypo clearing mix with a bit of Selenium toner.

Hmm... toning negatives? Is this for permanence or is there some other purpose?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Replenishment inevitably builds hydrobromic acid, reducing the ability of the developer to give full film speed at ISO contrast. A fully seasoned (steady-state, stable replenished) developer may give as much as a 1 stop loss of film speed. That's why I prefer one-shot.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Keith]

Hmmm ... I spend eight months of the year getting my developer temp down to 20deg in the fridge! 😛

I supect Al has the same issue being in Miami?

Mid summer is good for doing colour C41 though ... pretty easy to keep the blix and developer up around 39 deg! 😀

 

[Freakscene]

Replenishment inevitably builds hydrobromic acid, reducing the ability of the developer to give full film speed at ISO contrast. A fully seasoned (steady-state, stable replenished) developer may give as much as a 1 stop loss of film speed. That's why I prefer one-shot.

Absolutely. From my experience of running a 15L deep-tank replenished Xtol system, a minimum 1 stop loss occurred - this was mainly due to a lowering of alkalinity - but the speed loss varied depending on the films. Many films also looked really mushy with all the bromide in the developer. Agfa APX films, for some reason, looked much better in really seasoned Xtol than most other films.

At home I develop one-shot with Xtol 1+3. It was 37.3C here today and the tap water is at 28C.

Marty

 

[dfoo]

Replenishment inevitably builds hydrobromic acid, reducing the ability of the developer to give full film speed at ISO contrast. A fully seasoned (steady-state, stable replenished) developer may give as much as a 1 stop loss of film speed. That's why I prefer one-shot.

Cheers,

R.

Interesting. According to the APUG thread the opposite occurred. Once I get to 50 rolls, I'll do a test and find out!

Edit: I just re-read the APUG thread (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/26832-replenishing-xtol-developer.html) and I was incorrect. What the thread says is that the film gets a little slower, but has increased contrast, sharpness, better tonal separation and finer grain.

I've run 25 rolls through the 5L of stock so far. If I feel industrious I'll try a test today and see if I can detect a difference between fresh XTOL and the replenished stock.

 

[degruyl]

Hmmm ... I spend eight months of the year getting my developer temp down to 20deg in the fridge! 😛

I supect Al has the same issue being in Miami?

Mid summer is good for doing colour C41 though ... pretty easy to keep the blix and developer up around 39 deg! 😀

I suspect Al has central air conditioning... and it is probably set at 72 F.

Water would probably have to be bottled / allowed to equilibrate.

I have this problem in summer. I use refrigerated water to mix with developer. I then have to wait for a temperature rise.

 

[Doug]

Hmm... toning negatives? Is this for permanence or is there some other purpose?

Yes, for permanence and also to add a bit of density and contrast. Minor effect though, at the 1:16 dilution of the toner in the hypo clear. I have used a 1:4 Selenium mix with thin negs as an after-treatment, though I think Chromium Intensifier has a stronger effect (haven't used that stuff for decades).

 

[venchka]

I use refrigerated water. Start at 20C (68F). Alas the temp. rises during development. I need a Jobo machine.

 

[MartinP]

The Jobo won't cool down the developing-tank. You could just "aim off" for the temperature gain - meaning start low and end high, but average out at the right temperature (whatever that needs to be). That would only be effective for a range of a few degrees though.

Alternatively, put the tank and chemicals in a washing-up bowl at the right temperature because the larger water-mass will change temperature much more slowly than the tank and chemicals individually. Usually that would be done to keep the tank warm (where I live), but would be fine for keeping everything cool too.

 

[dfoo]

I shot 4 rolls of test film today. f5.6 125/250/500 each of the same image. I'll develop them tomorrow in XTOL. One for 6 minutes in replenished XTOL, 1 for 7 minutes. And then other two for 6 minutes and 7 minutes in fresh XTOL. That'll allow me to judge if there is any difference.