"Increasing Film Speed", book from 1978 I found

[feenej]

Anybody use these speed increasing developers that I never heard of? Perfection Super Speed, Edwal FG7, Crone C, Ethol Blue, Besseler FD 7, H&W Maximal.

Also talked about in the book are developers that are still common today like Acufine, Diafine and Microphen. He talks about using a 600mm lens on a Minolta SRT for nighttime law enforcement surveillance photography using his methods to push film to an exposure index of 8000. He also covers using chromium intensifier, but warns that the chemical can cause burns etc. (our Mr. Hicks mentions using those in his book very briefly)

 

[oftheherd]

I have heard of Ethol Blue, Perfection Super Speed, and Edwal FG7 (in fact I have the Edwal currently). I don't consider the Edwal specifically for speed, but I think it does have times for speed increase in the MDC. Acufine and Diafine I experimented with some thirty years ago. They worked but didn't impress me that much. I only used each once so if I had kept at it, I might be able to say more favorably. Also, I seldom went above 3200.

I seem to remember the Ethol Blue was usually mentioned for surveillance work, but I am not sure. There was also a developer called Factor 8 (CRS, so I could be wrong on that name). I did use it some for surveillance and it worked well. I don't know why it didn't last longer. It went to 8000 or 16000 as I recall.

 

[feenej]

Oh, neat you did surveillance? What lens? I know a lot of people are not real fond of Diafine. I like it a lot 'cause it lasts forever, plus I like the look.

 

[Murray Kelly]

I remember a lot of these developers. I still use Diafine, and H&W (AKA Bluefire developer) for microfilms.
When Tri-X was new one of the photomags ran an article abt. pushing it to 12000 ASA. So I tried it.
I took my Retina 1A (very quiet shutter) to the opera 'The Barber of Seville' and to the varsity annual show. They were taking off 'Guys and Dolls'. I was in the orchestral pits for that one and got some shots during rehearsals.
Never did it again - I forgot the details, so don't ask me 54 years later! 🙂
They were at the slowest hand held speed I could manage and wide open at 2.8.
Murray

 

[Keith]

Love that second shot Murray! 🙂

 

[David Goldfarb]

I use Acufine, which produces an honest 1 stop boost with many films and normal contrast.

I've tried experimenting with XP-1 (which I think was also called "Perfection" when it was originally produced) and could get a two stop boost with some films, but the contrast was low, making it a good choice for night photography, but that wasn't what I was doing. There is an article about it on unblinkingeye.com

I find I can get 1 or 2 stops at normal contrast with RAF pyro-metol, which was designed for aerial surveillance photography. The results are grainy, but it's fine for large format negs that are to be contact printed. I've posted the formula and some results on apug.org.

 

[charjohncarter]

Try to remember Murray, those look good.

 

[feenej]

Yeah, neat pics. Wow, you don't hear the words, "when TriX was new" very often 🙂

 

[Murray Kelly]

Keith, at the time I was unimpressed. They looked all 'soot and whitewash' to my taste. Now they seem quite normal, if that is the word.
That second one was at the Crap Game scene in the sewers of New York. Students have lively imaginations. 🙂
Someone got a pirate copy of the words and score - no worries abt. copyright in those days! Mind you the words were changed here and there (and there and there). I still remember the words of the 'Fugue for Tin Horn' which was used straight.
I apoligise for some of the scanning and saving flaws - After I got to 1963 I wasn't about to go back and do them all properly.

Love that second shot Murray! 🙂

 

[Murray Kelly]

Not a chance. Gone, gone with the wind.

Try to remember Murray, those look good.

 

[Spider67]

Great Murray!

 

[jbh]

I've used most of those developers back in the days of that fad. T-Speed killed the fun. <g>

The truth is that they increase real speed (based on shadow density) by 1/3 stop and substantially boost contrast, hence the soot'n'whitewash results.

Hydrogen peroxide fuming, otoh, worked.

I miss my darkroom! Sniff sniff! <g>

 

[Holmz]

Anybody use these speed increasing developers that I never heard of? Perfection Super Speed, Edwal FG7, Crone C, Ethol Blue, Besseler FD 7, H&W Maximal.

Also talked about in the book are developers that are still common today like Acufine, Diafine and Microphen. He talks about using a 600mm lens on a Minolta SRT for nighttime law enforcement surveillance photography using his methods to push film to an exposure index of 8000. He also covers using chromium intensifier, but warns that the chemical can cause burns etc. (our Mr. Hicks mentions using those in his book very briefly)

I think I used perfection, but I thought it was peterson perfection, or something like that... It was from sun valley, or somewhere in the valley of SoCal... I was blue colored and it was good, especially with 2415 tech pan.
The pushed Tri-X never seemed to go as high as they claimed though, but used at 400-1600 did do much better for extended tonal range (like at night) than the other developers.