Need DDX advice

captainslack

captainslack

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Last night I developed two rolls in DDX. One was Delta 400 & the other was FR4. Both required 8 min., so I did them in the same tank. 30 sec. initial agitation, then 10 sec. every 60 sec. thereafter. Negs were DENSE. Almost opaque. I think I might be able to get something usable from them, but it's going to require a lot of PS work.

So, what did I do wrong? Too much initial agitation? Are the bottle's times wrong? I've heard DDX refered to as a "speed increasing developer". Should I pull my ASA rating when I shoot if I'm planning on using this dev?
 
I'd do no more than 10 seconds initial agitation, DDX seems quite active. You may want to rate your films a little higher if you're getting those sort of results, try D400 at EI500 for 8 minutes, this used to get me ideal results for a condenser enlarger so should be about right for scanning. I can't comment on FP4 as I usually use other developers for that.

Mark
 
A speed increasing developer means you go the other way - you push your EI with that developer. But even the 1/3-2/3 speed increase you can get with DDX shouldn't account for what you are seeing.

It's either massive overexposure or massive overdevelopment. You did dilute the DDX, right? 1+4? Agitation sounds fine. How accurate is the meter your'e using?

allan
 
Some possible causes for this:
- The DD-X is old/dead. How old is it?
- The working strength solution was old/dead. How old was it?
- The working strength solution was not mixed to working strength.
- Temperature control issues.
- Hardware failure. Have you checked your cameras/batteries/meters? If both came from the same camera, run another roll, and try again.
- User failure. (I once mis-read a handheld meter for two whole rolls of 120, and then after realising it, forgot to adjust the development. You could barely see through the negs.)
- Bad luck and/or voodoo.

I'm no expert with a lifetime of experience, but I've never had DD-X go bad on me. Even old, yellowed DD-X had worked pretty good in the past.
 
The DDX is from a brand new bottle: I opened it 4-19. I mixed it 1+4 like the bottle says. It was mixed right before I developed the film (one-shot), so no chances it being too old. Could have been a meter problem, but I doubt it. I was using a new meter, but I have it on reliable testimony that it was accurate. Also, I developed one other roll previously (Delta 100) and saw the same problem on some of the frames.

Right now I'm thinking over agitation. I've got to shoot a test roll in my Zorki 6 sometime soon. I'll soup that and only do a 10 sec initial agitation. We'll see!
 
Don't forget the possibility (as BJ Bignell stated) of temperature problems.

I've had a cheap digital thermometer for a long time - it is a 'film processing' thermometer that I bought in a camera shop in Albuquerque. A couple of weeks ago, just for giggles, I tried my wife's fancy-schmancy digital food thermometer - much newer and supposedly very accurate. I had a spare 'probe' for it, so no worries on the food getting contaminated!!!

Anyway, it showed a clean consistant 5 degree difference. I had been developing 5 degrees warmer than I was supposed to for a long, long, time. I confirmed it with yet another thermeter - the old mercury bulb style.

Doesn't make a difference with Diafine, but it sure does with D-76. 5 degrees warmer shortens dev time considerably - so it would be overcooking my negs to use them with the faulty thermometer.

Just a thought - I don't know DD-X, unfortunately.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
Ilford times are usually dead-on.... what was your temp of the solution?
I've found that this time of the year tap water comes out at 74-76F

Did you presoak?
How often did you agitate?
 
You say that you saw the same problem on some of the frames on another roll. Were these at the end of the roll? Perhaps your shutter has failed?

allan
 
Bill: Could be the themometer. Didn't seem to be a problem when I used Rodinal, but that might have more "give" to it.

Kaiyen: No problems with the shutter. Rolls were taken with different cameras. The reason I only saw the problem at the beginning of the first roll, was because I accidently developed the 2nd half at a different speed. Oops. :D

Titrisol: Fixer was brand new. Just opened the bottle that day. Ilford Rapid Fixer at 1:4. Temp was 68 degrees F. No, I didn't presoak. Agitation was 30 sec. initial and 10 sec. every minute thereafter for 8 minutes.
 
Seems like everything should've been fine. Be more strict with temperature, and see what happens.

allan
 
Temperaure can be a problem with the combo of very active developer and short dev times, 2 or 3 degs may require 2 less minutes which may lead to bullet proof highlights.

The way around it is to use DDX 1+9 and double the times.

PS Delta 400 in DDX can be rated as 500 and works perfectly. But I preferred to shoot it as 400 and have a little estra density in the shadows.
 
I use DDX too, at 24C (easier to warm the water than to cool it !) and had no problems like that. I ruinned a few frames by "forgetting" to agitate for the first two minutes (I had a kitchen emergency :D) and I could see streaks in the developed frames, but mount frames were saved...
FYI I tend to also agitate about 30 secondes the first time too, I don't think it makes a massive difference.

Since you seems to have everything under control, and that the camera can't be the problem, the only remaining possibility is a light leak in your changing bag ?
 
captainslack said:
Last night I developed two rolls in DDX. One was Delta 400 & the other was FR4. Both required 8 min., so I did them in the same tank. 30 sec. initial agitation, then 10 sec. every 60 sec. thereafter. Negs were DENSE. Almost opaque. I think I might be able to get something usable from them, but it's going to require a lot of PS work.

So, what did I do wrong? Too much initial agitation? Are the bottle's times wrong? I've heard DDX refered to as a "speed increasing developer". Should I pull my ASA rating when I shoot if I'm planning on using this dev?
Click to expand...

According to Ilford's data sheet you put a bit much agitation up front - they call for initial ten seconds, not thirty seconds:

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/20061301939551456.pdf

I follow their info and it works great every time.
 
Buze said:
Since you seems to have everything under control, and that the camera can't be the problem, the only remaining possibility is a light leak in your changing bag ?
Click to expand...

No changing bag. I load up in my bedroom closet, which is shut off from any window. If that was the problem, it would have shown up on the film I've developed in Rodinal.
 
I figured out part of the problem: my thermometer is off by 4 degree!

Stuck it and the probe from my digital kitchen timer in a glass of tap water and it read four degree lower. So, my 68F DDX was actually 64F. :bang:
 
I use DDX when I shoot Delta 3200. I normally shoot EI 1600 and develop 1:15 @ 68 Degrees for 14 min with 2 inversions each minute. Negs usually print well with a 2.5 filter. Other folks may prefer denser negs, but this works well for me.
 
captainslack said:
I figured out part of the problem: my thermometer is off by 4 degree!

Stuck it and the probe from my digital kitchen timer in a glass of tap water and it read four degree lower. So, my 68F DDX was actually 64F. :bang:
Click to expand...

That would cause underdevelopment not negs you can barely see through. I think there's something else going on here.

Mark
 
As I said, the thermometer was part of the problem. Obviously I seriously overagitated to cause that much overdevelopment in cold developer. :bang:
 
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