bmattock
Veteran
Some good news for a change...
A few weeks ago, I decided to use some of my long-neglected Ethol T.E.C. developer, but I could not find dev data on the Massive Dev Chart for Kodak Tri-X 400 at EI 400, nor could I find it at BKA's website (they are the makers of Ethol products). So I emailed them and asked.
http://www.bkaphoto.com/
I didn't hear back from them right away, so I figured that was that, and went on and used Rodinal, which was fine. But today, I got a phone call from Mark Thompson, in charge of market development at BKA. We had a long and interesting chat - he's a huge camera junkie, currently restoring several 8x10, 5x7, and 4x6 field cameras, he loves rangefinders, and he loves B&W film and experimenting with different developers, lenses, and so on. In others words, a kindred spirit.
But I got a lot of interesting information from him, and I wanted to pass some of it on.
1) BKA has recently done a lot of soul-searching, and they have made a commitment that they are going to continue doing chemistry and film "until the bitter end," as Mark put it. They were recently awarded the contract to distribute all of Kodak's films to dealers all over the country, as Kodak has decided not to distribute film "dealer direct" anymore. As a result, they are kicking up their marketing team and they are going to do their best to put the word out that they are open for business and will be staying that way for as long as they possibly can.
2) BKA is involved in some long-term trials of various developers and film with schools such as Brooks, NYC School of Photography, Columbia, and others. They are beating the drum for film and chemical processing and they're trying to get that information to students as they learn the art of photography.
3) BKA is not just a jobber, but the actual manufacturer of a large number of the products they sell, including SP Lighting Systems, Edwal, Heico, Ethol, Diafine, Acufine, and other brands. They are a "big company" according to Mark, and are in no danger financially - if their chemistry and film divisions go away in time, the company will continue. But they are making the conscious decision to remain involved in film and chemistry as long as they possibly can.
4) They are fully stocked up with 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 B&W films, and are just hoping to get them out into the hands of the public as quickly as possible. I asked him about European sizes like 9x12 and he said unfortunately, no. Dang.
They are strictly a wholesaler, not a retailer, but they believe they have done a poor job of advertising the various developers and film-based products they sell to camera stores and other retailers, and they want to remedy that. They believe the time is now to push as hard as they can to get the word out.
Anyway, it was very encouraging, and not something you hear much these days - a total committment to film. Cool.
Oh, and he's sending me a trial bottle of Edwal FG-7 to evaluate. He says it is a fantastic developer and he wants my opinion. FUN!
PS - I asked him about the possibility of resurrecting any of the Paterson formulas, which a bunch of people have bemoaned losing, but he said not a chance. Too bad.
A few weeks ago, I decided to use some of my long-neglected Ethol T.E.C. developer, but I could not find dev data on the Massive Dev Chart for Kodak Tri-X 400 at EI 400, nor could I find it at BKA's website (they are the makers of Ethol products). So I emailed them and asked.
http://www.bkaphoto.com/
I didn't hear back from them right away, so I figured that was that, and went on and used Rodinal, which was fine. But today, I got a phone call from Mark Thompson, in charge of market development at BKA. We had a long and interesting chat - he's a huge camera junkie, currently restoring several 8x10, 5x7, and 4x6 field cameras, he loves rangefinders, and he loves B&W film and experimenting with different developers, lenses, and so on. In others words, a kindred spirit.
But I got a lot of interesting information from him, and I wanted to pass some of it on.
1) BKA has recently done a lot of soul-searching, and they have made a commitment that they are going to continue doing chemistry and film "until the bitter end," as Mark put it. They were recently awarded the contract to distribute all of Kodak's films to dealers all over the country, as Kodak has decided not to distribute film "dealer direct" anymore. As a result, they are kicking up their marketing team and they are going to do their best to put the word out that they are open for business and will be staying that way for as long as they possibly can.
2) BKA is involved in some long-term trials of various developers and film with schools such as Brooks, NYC School of Photography, Columbia, and others. They are beating the drum for film and chemical processing and they're trying to get that information to students as they learn the art of photography.
3) BKA is not just a jobber, but the actual manufacturer of a large number of the products they sell, including SP Lighting Systems, Edwal, Heico, Ethol, Diafine, Acufine, and other brands. They are a "big company" according to Mark, and are in no danger financially - if their chemistry and film divisions go away in time, the company will continue. But they are making the conscious decision to remain involved in film and chemistry as long as they possibly can.
4) They are fully stocked up with 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 B&W films, and are just hoping to get them out into the hands of the public as quickly as possible. I asked him about European sizes like 9x12 and he said unfortunately, no. Dang.
They are strictly a wholesaler, not a retailer, but they believe they have done a poor job of advertising the various developers and film-based products they sell to camera stores and other retailers, and they want to remedy that. They believe the time is now to push as hard as they can to get the word out.
Anyway, it was very encouraging, and not something you hear much these days - a total committment to film. Cool.
Oh, and he's sending me a trial bottle of Edwal FG-7 to evaluate. He says it is a fantastic developer and he wants my opinion. FUN!
PS - I asked him about the possibility of resurrecting any of the Paterson formulas, which a bunch of people have bemoaned losing, but he said not a chance. Too bad.
sooner
Well-known
Interesting, thanks for sharing, Bill. I hope you will also tell us how the FG-7 works out. --John/Sooner
kbg32
neo-romanticist
It's been years, but FG-7 is a really good film developer. A compensating one if I remember correctly. I think you will really like it Bill.
john_s
Well-known
For years I used Acufine for giving Tri-X a bit of a push and I thought it was fantastic. I'll try to scan something and post it.
bmattock
Veteran
john_s said:
I'm a big fan of Diafine, but since it gives nearly everything a speed increase, I can't use it for everything. I have a tin of Acufine, but have never mixed it up.
visiondr
cyclic iconoclast
I need some more Diafine myself (silly bugger, accidentally poured part B into the part A bottle). Thanks Bill for posting the gist of your conversation. Look, I realize film won't be around forever. But I do want to know which companies to support. In other words, I'll put my money where my mouth is. If a company supports film, I'll support them.
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Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
visiondr said:
Yeah, that kills it in a royal hurry.
I use Diafine quite often and find it gives pleasing negatives for scanning. I can't wait to see how printing works out for me.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
BKA has excellnet darkroom gear and it was quite cheap.
I bought a 2-reel plastic dev tank and it is as good or better than patterson, the reels have the big lip and are a joy to load 120 film.
Re. Ethol TEC developer, it was very interesting for pushing films which is its main purpose.
I got a bottle of it with the darkroom equipment lot and used it with APX100 (my everyday film back then) at 200. The dev time was something like 15 minutes; shadow detail was good, sharpenss was nice, grain was normal and tnality was also good.
There is lots of info about in the MDC, surpised you did not find it
http://www.digitaltruth.com/chart/search_text.php?Developer=Ethol
and also here
http://www.foto-riegler.at/pdf/datasheets_ethol_UFG_ethol_T.E.C._ethol_LPD.pdf
Hoever for TriX at 400 D76 or Sprint developer does a good job.
Re: patterson developers, Clayton chem was working on resurecting the paterson developers.
About 1 yr ago they were trying to become the manufacturer for patterson, but I guess patterson lost interest.
I bought a 2-reel plastic dev tank and it is as good or better than patterson, the reels have the big lip and are a joy to load 120 film.
Re. Ethol TEC developer, it was very interesting for pushing films which is its main purpose.
I got a bottle of it with the darkroom equipment lot and used it with APX100 (my everyday film back then) at 200. The dev time was something like 15 minutes; shadow detail was good, sharpenss was nice, grain was normal and tnality was also good.
There is lots of info about in the MDC, surpised you did not find it
http://www.digitaltruth.com/chart/search_text.php?Developer=Ethol
and also here
http://www.foto-riegler.at/pdf/datasheets_ethol_UFG_ethol_T.E.C._ethol_LPD.pdf
Hoever for TriX at 400 D76 or Sprint developer does a good job.
Re: patterson developers, Clayton chem was working on resurecting the paterson developers.
About 1 yr ago they were trying to become the manufacturer for patterson, but I guess patterson lost interest.
bmattock said:
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That's very encouraging news, Bill; thanks! I rather liked Edwal FG-7 when I was using it years ago, partly because it was a liquid concentrate that keeps well in a partial bottle, but not mixed at such high dilutions as to make it hard to measure-out consistently. For the little traditional B&W souping I do these days, Diafine is all I use. Even with Ilford Pan F for example at box speed.
bmattock
Veteran
titrisol said:
I did have that info - however, I wanted to dev Tri-X at EI 400, which it did not list, except for the 'pro' 320 film deved at 400.
Of course D76 is fine, as are many others. I just wanted to use the TEC at rated film speed and not for the push.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
I see, I would guess that 8.5-9 (30% less than for 800) minutes would do ...
what did they say?
FG7 was a good developer, have not used it in ages though.
People liked to add craploads of sulfite to it to make the gain smaller, but I never really liked that
what did they say?
FG7 was a good developer, have not used it in ages though.
People liked to add craploads of sulfite to it to make the gain smaller, but I never really liked that
bmattock said:
bmattock
Veteran
titrisol said:
Let's just say I think the number I was given probably won't work well.
14.5 minutes @ 70 degrees, 1+15 dilution, for Tri-X rated at EI 400.
I'm thinking not. But I was pleased that they called me - loved it that the guy was as much a gearhead and chemistry junkie as I am - and wanted to pass on their comments about their total commitment to film.
I'm really looking forward to trying it.
I also have a devious plan to mix one of my own developers, a copy of a formulae I found called Lumiere SuperMicros, supposedly very fine grain developer from long ago. Took me awhile to track down the main developing agent (Orthophenylenediamine). I've been told my everybody including Qualls and Mowry not to do it - so of course I am going to. I finally found a chemical manufacturing plant in the US that has it in stock and will sell it to me low quantity. Art Chemicals and Photographers Forumulary, et al, refused.
What I never understood is that even experimenters refuse to try something new just because it sounds like fun. I kept getting comments like "PPD would work better," or "D76 is fine stuff." Yes, I know, that isn't the point, is it? I want to try something no one has done in a hundred years or so. Might be crap, might be interesting - but it will be fun.
oftheherd
Veteran
Thanks for the info Bill. Interesting for sure. I have been wanting to crank up my 4x5. Guess I need to contact them.
titrisol
Bottom Feeder
ortophenylendiamine developers? old school dude!!!!
Why should it be different than Para-phenylene-diamine? you can buy PPD quite easily... maybe worth mixing 2 batches and compare. IIRC p-PD was used before hydroquinone in Edwal20 and other formulas
Googlebooks has them in the FilmDev Cookbook chapter 7
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...ig=sY68Pb2Z3oIsBX1nERt_b2sb8AE&hl=en#PPT79,M1
unfortunately there is a school of thought that Metol-Hydroquinone can do anything.... NOT TRUE!
Try it and report the results.
Now be careful, phenylenediamine y quite toxic... but then again you have no kids in the house.
some formulas I found once
view photos
Why should it be different than Para-phenylene-diamine? you can buy PPD quite easily... maybe worth mixing 2 batches and compare. IIRC p-PD was used before hydroquinone in Edwal20 and other formulas
Googlebooks has them in the FilmDev Cookbook chapter 7
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...ig=sY68Pb2Z3oIsBX1nERt_b2sb8AE&hl=en#PPT79,M1
unfortunately there is a school of thought that Metol-Hydroquinone can do anything.... NOT TRUE!
Try it and report the results.
Now be careful, phenylenediamine y quite toxic... but then again you have no kids in the house.
some formulas I found once
view photos
Fotohuis (Robert) said:
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