Neopan 1600

[P C Headland]

As others have mentioned, if you're worried about lacking consistancy etc., grab some Diafine.

You just have to mix the two solutions, and store one in bottle A and the other in bottle B. Providing you don't add any B to A, it'll last for years. The temperature just has to be somewhere between 18 and 25C . Leave the film in each solution for at least 3 minutes & you'll get pretty good results.

FotohuisRovo in Holland carries Diafine, as do several UK sellers (like Retrophotographic).

Go on, give it a try!

 

[irq506]

So far, the consensus seems to be that I have to develop the film myself, as the labs are too inconsistent...

Trouble is, I've not that much confidence in my own consistency. 🙄

I can't even prepare rice twice the same, notwithstanding the completely straightforward instructions on the pack and a digital timekeeping device.. 😕

That, and I'm hesitant about mucking around with chemicals.. Maybe I should try something that's more forgiving, like 100 ISO colour print film or so 🙁

But first, there's a couple more rolls lying around, and I'm sure I can factor in some of the overdevelopment.. 😎

Hey slap me if im repeating myself... but XTOL is Hypoalergenic (sp?). Ive lost sensitivity at the tips of all my fingers, and have dermatitis from putting my hands into trays of chemicals. I am now very cautious, though I dont wear gloves, there are other options out there like barrier hand cream.

 

[summaron]

There's not a complete free lunch with Diafine. Some consistency in temperature and time should be maintained. And agitation in solution B can make some difference in the contrast and perhaps the density of negatives. At least that's the consensus of this good photo.net discussion.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008d0p

 

[rich815]

There's not a complete free lunch with Diafine. Some consistency in temperature and time should be maintained. And agitation in solution B can make some difference in the contrast and perhaps the density of negatives. At least that's the consensus of this good photo.net discussion.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008d0p

Summaron brings up some good points. In terms of temp and agitation I use it around 20C or so, and gently agitiate myself, as recommended on the Diafine box. But I use Diafine strictly for when I want more contrast control, like dark urban outdoor night shots with street lights and such in the photo. Otherwise under typical situations and subjects I find Diafine can give results that are a bit flat and lack needed "bite" IMO.

Works great for stuff like this though:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rich8155/222903028/

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=222902958&size=o

 

[Pherdinand]

Ive lost sensitivity at the tips of all my fingers, and have dermatitis from putting my hands into trays of chemicals. I am now very cautious, though I dont wear gloves, there are other options out there like barrier hand cream.

If you have these problems and you don't wear gloves, excuse me but you are everything but cautious.
Come on, nitrile gloves are not that expensive! ANd they are washable, you can re-use them!

 

[Pherdinand]

Works great for stuff like this though:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rich8155/222903028/

rich - what happened there? acros 100 in this magnification and looks like huge grain size! Scanning problem, or is it really this grainy?

 

[irq506]

If you have these problems and you don't wear gloves, excuse me but you are everything but cautious.
Come on, nitrile gloves are not that expensive! ANd they are washable, you can re-use them!

Hey, when I worked darkrooms, I worked in a very busy newspaper, I think I wore gloves for about 20 minutes on the first day and soon realised that this aint gonna work! When you are printing 400-600 images a day, gloves just get in the way.

 

[Pherdinand]

Well, you might be right, I never printed 400-600 images, and it also might be personal, but I sometimes do have tow ear latex gloves at work (cleanroom) next to stupid paper costumes and sometimes even protecting plastic goggles
i hate the gloves, always sweat under them, but i prefer that instead of messing with methyl-ethyl-butyl-keton or PRS3000 with bare hands. (And it's also not allowed.)
If you really have the allergy and you really can't do it with gloves, then you should switch to friendlier chemicals or get into digital...

 

[titrisol]

DDX did the trick for me, very creamy negatives with enough punch.

 

[irq506]

Well, you might be right, I never printed 400-600 images, and it also might be personal, but I sometimes do have tow ear latex gloves at work (cleanroom) next to stupid paper costumes and sometimes even protecting plastic goggles
i hate the gloves, always sweat under them, but i prefer that instead of messing with methyl-ethyl-butyl-keton or PRS3000 with bare hands. (And it's also not allowed.)
If you really have the allergy and you really can't do it with gloves, then you should switch to friendlier chemicals or get into digital...

Well Keton is particularly obnoxious. What I was saying was that I developed dermatitis from my days in darkrooms. I didnt have it before. If I was darkrooming now, Id would be considerably different in my aproach to working....

Happy xmas