Just got my first big shipment from Freestyle

[bmattock]

OK, that is what i did. Somewhat by accident. I was planning on using it a bit to see how long it would last, but dumped it instinctively during development.


Will thinner dilutions and longer developing times produce more or less contrast? I always found that shorter paper printing times made for more contrast. . .I want to use the Arista premium developer at 1+19 or something higher than 1+9. Might also save some money . . I don't know.

I don't know about contrast. If a developer has a solvent action, then I am told that longer developing times at lower concentrations can increase accutance (D-76). I do not know what effect it has on contrast.

Developers are not all alike, so they react differently to higher dilutions, longer or shorter dev times, and different temperatures. I have about eleventy books on the subject of photographic chemistry, and I still only know what's on the bottle most of the time. I have been experimenting lately, but you know - push comes to shove, it's D-76 1+1 at 68 degrees and 8 minutes for me. For everything. And it works.

You seem really fixated on cost. If cost is a major factor, I understand, but would suggest Diafine - it gets reused more or less forever, or until Solution B finally runs out.

If you're really keen to learn the chemistry behind it all, might I suggest a couple of books on the subject? Anchell & Troop have about the most definitive book out there - The Film Developing Cookbook. Or search eBoy for "Photography" and "Chemistry" - loads of old books out there, the chemistry has not changed that much over the years. Another resource is Donald Qualls, who hangs out on APUG - he has forgotten more about developing than I'll ever know.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[sf]

Thanks, I'll drop by a bookstore - probably half price books down the street - and look for something on the darkroom. Sad that I didn't consider that - I guess having RFF at my fingertips is so nice that the thought of buying books or doing manual research just seems behind the times.