HC110 as a one-shot developer

[J J Kapsberger]

Anyone here use HC110 as a one-shot developer? How do you measure the thick stuff accurately? I tried using a medicine bottle and and oral syringe, but drawing the syrup is difficult due to the vacuum created. And sticking the syringe into the HC110 bottle causes extra syrup to get all over the outside of the syringe, which screws up accurate measuring. And of course, air bubbles refuse to leave the syrop it's so thick.

Your secrets please.

 

[mikeseb]

I use a medicinal syringe from Walgreens--the kind that comes with its own stopper which you can cap and leave in the bottle. Make sure the syringe is dry, so you can draw up the syrup and then slowly "inject" the air bubbles back into the bottle. Takes a few tries, works fine, keeps stuff on the outside of the syringe to a minimum.

I'll ask you a question--I'm still trying to figure out what films love HC-110 the best. So far I think it's the best I've seen for, of all things, 100TMX, and likely for Delta100 also. I am still deciding whether I like Tri-X in it (I know it's a classic, but that popcorn grain...!), although HP5 looks nice.

 

[J J Kapsberger]

I'm a film newbie too. I think HP5 @ 800 looks nice in HC110.

Thanks for the syringe technique. I'll try it. Patience seems the key.

When you mention medicinal syringe, do you refer to syringe and needle, or is that what you call an oral syringe (i.e., simply the plastic cylinder and plunger)?

 

[mr_phillip]

I've been using HC-110 this way for years. What I tend to do is decant the solution into four smaller 250ml glass bottles, and use an oral syringe with a stopper to measure out the solution (like in this website). I find it works well with most films, with the exception of FP4+ and Delta 400, although my faves are HP5+ and Tri-X.

 

[visiondr]

Darren,

A 10cc syringe works well. An accurate medical syringe is only accurate if you press the plunger to the end with no bubbles. You can dislodge most by tapping the syringe in the vertical position (just like they do on TV). Do not rinse the syringe out to recover the remaining contents at the tip. You may, however, rinse off the outside to clean the clinging HC-110 syrup (but NOT rinsed into the vessel into which you'll add water to bring up total volume).

 

[drewbarb]

I use HC110 regularly. I mix dilutions B and H regularly, and occasionally use other dilutions. I know of the syringe method, and I've used it with a variety of developers, but for HC110, I just pour the syrup into a very small graduated cylinder. I have two small volume graduated cylinders, the smallest of which measures from one to forty five milli-liters. This is fine for measuring amounts small enough to fill a small (two 35mm or one 120 roll) tank with dilution H. I pour the syrup into the small grad to measure it, then add water and dump it into a larger beaker to mix my full dilution. I dump water again and again into the small grad and then into the mixing beaker until all the syrup is removed from the small grad, then just fill the mixing beaker to the right level, giving me a properly mixed amount of the dilution I want. I stir with a stem thermometer, to check the temperature and to make sure I don't leave syrup stuck to the bottom of the mixing beaker. This works fine for me, and is more of a pain to write out or read the procedure than to do it. I find this easier than trying to use a syringe on the thick syrup.

As for use, I only use dilution H as a one-shot, but I will re-use dilution B a couple of times within a few hours of mixing if I'm running a significant amount of film. After plenty of testing, my experience is that one half-gallon of dilution B will process a dozen rolls of 120 or 35mm film, or about 45 sheets of 4x5 without exhausting the developer or showing other ill effects on the film. This is generally processing 4 rolls (of either size) at a time, or running 10-11 sheets of 4x5 at a time in a small open tank. I always use a pre-wash to remove the anti-halation dye, which seems to help, and I don't keep it mixed for more than 24 hours. I always keep diluted HC110 away from oxygen- either in full bottles or with floating lids- when not in use, which extends the life of the solution. Frugality is the name of the game here, both for finances and for environmental impact- but I always keep the results on film as the number one priority with how I use the stuff. Keep good notes, and when in doubt, throw it out and mix fresh.

For what it's worth, I like HP5 in HC110 a lot, especially in 120 or 4x5. I get great results with speeds from 200 to 1000, and sometimes higher; it all depends upon the light.

 

[oscroft]

I use HC-110, usually dil-H, always one-shot. The first time I used HC-110 I used the European version, which is a lot less concentrated than the thick syrup. Now I'm using the syrup, and what I do is make up half a litre of the same strength of the European version at a time, and then dilute this to working strength when I use it. That way most of it stays as syrup for longevity, and my "working concentrate" is easier to work with because it isn't thick and syrupy.

 

[tripod]

I use HC-110 @ 1:100 dilution and use a syringe without the metal needle to suck it up and shoot it into the premeasured water. Once, I tried pouring the correct amount of developer into a graduated cylinder, then attempted to dilute it with part of the water portion. I'm guessing almost half of the thick syrup stayed in the grad. cylinder, resulting in almost a 1:200 ratio. I noticed this and added a few more minutes onto the developing time, and the film still came out okay.

 

[charjohncarter]

I use it one shot. I have only use dilution H, and once I used Ansel Adams highly dilute method. You can look it up in the last addition of 'The Negative.' Ansel claimed it to be a compensating developer at his dilution. Basically, 1:120 which is 4.2 ml of US concentrate bringing with H2O to 500 ml. Then 30 second pre-soak, 22-24 minutes with 30 seconds agitation to start then 4 inversions every 3-4 minutes, 68 degrees F. This is with TriX.

 

[visiondr]

I use it one shot. I have only use dilution H, and once I used Ansel Adams highly dilute method. You can look it up in the last addition of 'The Negative.' Ansel claimed it to be a compensating developer at his dilution. Basically, 1:120 which is 4.2 ml of US concentrate bringing with H2O to 500 ml. Then 30 second pre-soak, 22-24 minutes with 30 seconds agitation to start then 4 inversions every 3-4 minutes, 68 degrees F. This is with TriX.

I've been using HC-110 in the standard Dilution B. I'll have to try higher dilutions.

BTW, do higher dilutions also give greater acutance in addition to compensation?

 

[bean_counter]

I'm going to try HP5+ this weekend in HC-110; anybody know good times/temps for dilutution H @ 400 and 200?

 

[aad]

Dilution H, one shot, no syringe. I use a 5ml measuring spoon twice, rinsing in the solution each time.

 

[sepiareverb]

HP5+ @ 800 in HC-110 dil B is magnificent, especially for a rainy day. I always mix up the syrup into the 'stock solution' and dilute from there. Seems to last long enough, but I shoot a lot of film, and tend to use it most when I'm shooting 810, which in my hands calls for lots of developer to prevent scratches.🙄

 

[charjohncarter]

visiondr, I don't know about acutance, I'm not sure what it is. I've heard the definition but I couldn't recognize it. But the Ansel Adams compensating method that I mentioned along with compensation does have a soft look to it. Which is nice for some portraits and landscapes.

 

[f/stopblues]

If you're having trouble using the syringe, you can pull the plunger out of the end, stick your finger over the tip and shazam! You have a graduated cylinder 🙂

Otherwise, when I used HC-110 I would pour it into a shallow bowl and draw out of that. You have a lot more control when it's easy to see the surface you're drawing from.

 

[John Bragg]

I decant the syrup into smaller bottles and leave to settle well. I then use a syringe with a plastic tube attached to reach below the surface of the concentrate, thus avoiding drawing any bubbles up whilst keeping the syriinge pointing downwards at all times during the procedure.
The air in the tube at the start then remains above the syrup and no bubbles are formed.

Regards, John.

 

[visiondr]

The tube is a clever idea John. I'll have to try that. I'm not so sure about decanting the syrup, though. That's likely to introduce bubbles.

 

[tritiated]

For accurate pipetting of viscous liquids, usually the easiest thing is to pipette the desired amount to coat the inside of the vessel (in this case usually syringe minus the needle) - then expel the liquid - and then re-pipette carefully to the desired volume. A complete pain in the ass, and usually easier if you aliquot approximately just more than the required volume into a more convenient vessel first.