Perceptol

6x9cm Ilford FP4+ developed in Freestyle Legacy Mic-X. I mix replenisher and the stock solution lasts forever. Mine is almost four years old and still going strong. Plaubel Makina III with 100mm F4.2 Anticomar (rare SHARP Plaubel lens). This is about exactly the same as Perceptol. My favorite developer that I use for everything.

Scan-161104-0001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Makina III 100mm F2.9 lens wide open

Makjina3 #11 by Nokton48, on Flickr
 
Nokton: Came out pretty nice. How do you monitor your batch and adjust development as the soup ages? Guess I'm wondering how you assure yourself of some degree of consistency... or whether "good enough" is literally the way it is and you reserve replenishment for either 1) important stuff, or 2) when the soup "needs it". Number 1 seems easy to let your more recent experience and experience suggest itself logically, while # 2 could be a tad more subjective. Just curious.
 
Roscoestuff: I mix replenisher according to the Kodak Microdol-X replenishment instructions, available on the internet. Basically you use 3/4 gals of water with a one gallon packet, and add Sodium Carbonate. Result is Mic-X replenisher. I substitute Freestyle Legacy Mic-X for the Kodak stuff, and it works just fine. The proof is in the pudding.

Add 30 ml per roll (80 sq inches). I always replenish right after using the developer.
Since it lasts for many many years, the cost of development per roll is VERY low.
And the results are excellent.


Automatic Makiflex 150 Xenotar by Nokton48, on Flickr

Minolta SRT-101 #16 LS2000 by Nokton48, on Flickr
 
Pioneer said:
In my notebook I have the following recipe for Perceptol

500ml distilled water @ 120F
5g = Metol
100g = Sodium Sulfite
30g = Sodium Chloride (not table salt)
500ml cold water

Not sure where this came from and I have never actually mixed it up and tried it.
Click to expand...

this is the formula I use when i mix it up. I only use it on 400 speed film and only 1+3. I use and EI of 320 for tri-x, tmax 400 and hp5+, for times around 20 min or so. I use kosher salt for the sodium chloride. table salt cannot be used.
 
Y'know... when I went back and re-read Barry Thornton (BT), he sort of equivocates between "Perceptol" and "my version of Perceptol" which can either mean a formula like the one above, or simply his preferred dilution of 1:2 instead of either the 1:1 or 1:3.

I decided not to develop some of my "pending development" rolls in Perceptol given some of the unknowns and instead just go out and shoot some new film at half box speed (HP5 'cause FP4 won't have any ISO left after 1/2 cut for Perceptol followed by a 2/3 stop Orange filter). My bet is that this may over-do the pull, but not sure. Forget exactly what the Zonies suggest will happen when I over-expose and under-develop, but my guess is that this is what BT perfers anyway since he says we generally over develop most of the time. So anyway... the film backlog looks to get more backed up again, so I can't promise anything before next week some time. Will post whatever... 'cause heck, I'm going out to shoot whatever moves and whatever doesn't. I mean it's like a test, right?
 
Nokton48: VERY nice! Is that native contrast, or cranked in LR/PS?
J enea: That's a popular formula I think I'm seeing as the "roll your own Perceptol/Microdol"... at least in terms of ingredient list.

I'm attaching a couple of files from a new camera with a minor amount of tweaking. Tried to refrain from cranking the contrast, but there is plenty in the image... if it were wanted. New-to-me camera, new-to-me developer and process. Small jpeg files. Here's a link where the jpegs are a bit bigger (Flickr): https://www.flickr.com/photos/38232735@N07/ - that is... if it works! LOL. I've tried a cajillion of these photosites and liked about zero of them. At least Flickr has the right price. Please understand these were burn the film type test shots... fairly familiar places... but test shots nonetheless. Oh... and 6X6 scanning is STILL something of a W-I-P I haven't figured out yet. So these are in effect excerpts. Apologies.
 
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Erik van Straten said:
Leica M3, Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.5, 400-2TMY, Perceptol.

Erik.

35644113073_f7526b2848_c.jpg
Click to expand...

Great picture and tones. I've recently tried HP5 in Perceptol 1:2 and been delighted with the results on the whole. Fine grain, great tones but of course losing a whole stop of speed. I'm going to try Atomal 49 and see how that looks with HP5 at 400.

Until now with HP5 rated at box speed I've preferred Ilfosol 3 (1:9) over XTOL, DDX, Tetenal Ultrafin and Adox Rodinal.
 
roscoetuff said:
Nokton48: VERY nice! Is that native contrast, or cranked in LR/PS?
Click to expand...

These are straight scans for the most part. I like beefy negs, my development times tend to be long, twenty five minutes in a Jobo rotary spinning on a Uniroller. I expose to get good shadow detail.

That's about it
 
BTW, I can't figure out how to insert photos here. Mine came through as thumbnails. Links don't seem to work either nor images for me, either. Can't find how this gets done as more than a thumbnail. Oh well.
 
Erik van Straten said:
When you've put your image on Flickr you can choose "download" (click on the symbol) and make a copy of the image with a right mouseclick. This copy you can paste directly into your message on RFf.Erik.
Click to expand...

Erik: Thanks for that! I'll give it a try.

I'm using a Sony A7RII digital for DSLR scanning at the moment as the quality seems high and the speed tops most options by a long shot. I use PhaseOne's CaptureOne software for edits. Nevertheless, I am curious what scanner you're using?

Thanks! Loved the sharpness and the range of tones of your last image.
 
Hi Erik,

Its a Summilux-R from 1970. I haven't had it that long and am just getting used to it. Currently it's away for cleaning and service and then I shall start photographing with it again. I do like it though!

I have been admiring the shots from your 50/2.5 Color Skopar, I should like to find one of these one day soon!

I'm also very much enjoying Kodak TMY-2 400 in Perceptol, its a great combination.

Kind regards,

Simon
 
Okay... so here's an image paste test. Clearly this isn't working. I can upload a thumbnail (via "manage attachments" in "advanced", but nothing else works. Isn't there some place this is documented clearly? No matter what I do, the image doesn't size within the parameters, but to thumbnail. "Paste in" isn't an option. Shoot . This isn't worth it!!:bang: Must be something about my settings. "Paste in" doesn't work. "Manage attachments" creates a thumbnail and nothing more (30kb image - see attached). May I ask whether you are uploading the images somewhere else on this site in order to have them appear here? And finally the worst question: What browser are you using? I'm using Chrome and it can't get it done. Maybe it is a firewall issue? The whole is odd and not working. Oh well.
 

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Alright that's it.

I've figured out Erik's m.o. and recipe a long time ago (I'm a big fan) and have all the stuff ready to go, camera, lens, film and developer.

Today is the day.

Those images you guys put up sure did wet my appetite so I'm out the door.
CU later.

:)
 
Post attempt

Post attempt

See if this works...
36627643231_e7830c6388_b.jpg


36627643701_e5ae39d29d_b.jpg


PS: Test shots with new-to-me Bronica, Extension Tubes, 120, HP5+ in Perceptol 1:2 for 14:30, etc. and still working out a lot of kinks! Sometimes things are as difficult as uploading photos to this site - at least initially.
Okay... that was amazingly hard. But hey... it worked, and having figured it out with some assistance elsewhere on the site... but dated in a way that isn't completely the way the sites work today.
I'm posting the steps that were involved in Chrome and with current site software:

In FLICKR:
a) Open image in a view all by itself
b) Click DOWNLOAD arrow
c) Click "View all sizes"
d) Right click photo - select "Open image in new tab"
e) Go to new tab, right click the photo
f) Select "Copy Image address"

Go to RFF:
a) open / edit message or post
b) click on "sunrise icon"
c) past image address into DIALOG Box
d) click SAVE
 
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