selfdeveloper could use some help with process and films

[Marc G.]

Okay so I've started developing my own film and yet I'm quite unsecure about the whole process because it seems to be very individual and the information provided on the web varies heavily.

My chemicals right now are:

Kodak D76
Ilford Ilfostop
Ilford Rapid Fixer
Ilford Ilfosol Wetting Agent (got it today, because had chalk stains on the film)

the first film I developed was a Agfa APX 100 just to see how it works. I used some random time I found which was pre-rinse 1 minute, 13.5 minutes in 1:1 dilution of D76, 1 minute stopbath, 5 minutes fixing, 2 minute final rinse. got pretty much everything I need for the whole process. Yet I had some questions when I developed the whole film.

As it was a test I just shot crap with the film so a fail wouldnt ruin my day completely and I also shot some pictures with varying exposures, ranging from 5 stops under- to 5 stops overexposed. The results look the same. At least from an exposure point of view, of course I didnt have a tripod and wasnt using test conditions. I knew B&W film wasnt that sensitive to exposure failures but what can I do if I intentionally want to under- or overexpose?

I asked a few experienced guys in RFF and another forum about self developing before jumping in who told me that certain films require their own developers. Of course something like adox silvermax does and some like BW400CN are C41 processed films but I asked myself if I can develop all of my films in D76 as it seems like a very general and good B&W developer.

My film selection includes: (I know its a lot but I wanted to see pretty much all of the available films before I settled and most of these choices are just 1 film each)

Ekfe 25
Rollei Retro 80S
Ilford Delta 100
Ilford Delta 400
Kentmere 400
Ilford Delta 3200

having things settled already for ilford products already I'm just using Ilford pan-f, fp4, hp5 and for some grain effects the delta 3200 exclusively in the future.

what about these films? is D76 fine with all of them? or better switch the developer to ilford too?

I'll add pictures of the testfilm later, gotta find the disc first...

Thanks in advance

Marc

 

[Roger Hicks]

Desr Marc,

D76 should work with EVERYTHING. It would be a rash or foolish manufacturer who released any general-application film that wouldn't.

Having said that, DD-X will give you more speed with Delta 3200.

How do you over- or under-expose? Um... Give more or less exposure. Or am I misunderstanding the question?

Finally, you are very wise to try a wide range of films. Choose the one/s you like best and stick with it/them -- but DON'T just choose a film at random and 'get to know it', as some advocate.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Roger beat me to it. Since you are using other Ilford chemicals, why not just use DD-X? I've gotten good results with it. D76 is fine and I've used a ton of it. Just find DD-X more convenient with good results.

 

[Marc G.]

sorry, should have gone more into detail on that

I tried to see what the pics would look like if I under or overexpose (I am very very curious about the whole film thing and LOVE it) but instead of the negatives coming out at different exposures the pictures came out of the tank looking the same. so how many stops do I have to over or underexpose to get a visible effect? hope that will make things clear. the combination I used swallowed +5 or -5 stops... the question is just so I can use the effect on some pictures while the rest of the film is developed correctly

thanks, some told me to stick with tri-x only or just 1 other film... I thought it would be good to get to know the whole area first.

the films I didnt mention are Tmax 100, Tri-X, XP2, BW400CN and color/slide films since I dont develop C41 or slide myself. but since I'm only 24 and want to have some fun on the long run with B&W films I chose ilford due to the (hopeful) long availability of their products... better than picking a good film thats going to be discontinued some time after that

thanks for the D76 advice roger!

 

[Marc G.]

Roger beat me to it. Since you are using other Ilford chemicals, why not just use DD-X? I've gotten good results with it. D76 is fine and I've used a ton of it. Just find DD-X more convenient with good results.

since I'm quite new I got suggestions to just use D76... picked up stuff for a gallon for 6€... quite affordable

 

[Vics]

I still don't know what you did specifically to over- and under- expose the film. Did you write down your exposures for each frame? Remember that this is chemistry lab. You mist be methodical and record EVERTHING.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I'd develop Delta 3200 in DD-X or Kodak's Tmax Developer for best results. D-76 is good for everything else, except the C-41 process films.

 

[Marc G.]

I still don't know what you did specifically to over- and under- expose the film. Did you write down your exposures for each frame? Remember that this is chemistry lab. You mist be methodical and record EVERTHING.

I did choose a crap motive in my room, made 1 correct exposure and then switched continuously 1 stop down, got back to correct exposure and got 1 stop up continuously... it was night and only light available by the electricity so the situation was the same throughout the exposures. I did go up and down using either shutter speed dial or aperture ring

I've heard of films covering such a large span for failure, do I have to calculate 5 in and use -6 or +6 then for 1 stop under/overexpose?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Try 2 down (under) and 3 up (over). A single stop under may or may not make much difference. A single stop over will rarely matter at all.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Marc G.]

I'm having the same light at the moment. the perfect exposure with sekonic lightmeter and in-camera lightmeter is f/2.8 and 1/60. I did the following

1/60 2.8

1/125 2.8
1/250 2.8
1/500 2.8
1/1000 2.8
1/1000 4.0

1/30 2.8
1/15 2.8
1/15 2.0
1/15 1.4
1/8 1.4

wasnt interested in camera shake or anything but the pictures are identical in exposure... would be sick to use +6 or -6 just for 1 stop

 

[Vics]

I did choose a crap motive in my room, made 1 correct exposure and then switched continuously 1 stop down, got back to correct exposure and got 1 stop up continuously... it was night and only light available by the electricity so the situation was the same throughout the exposures. I did go up and down using either shutter speed dial or aperture ring

I've heard of films covering such a large span for failure, do I have to calculate 5 in and use -6 or +6 then for 1 stop under/overexpose?

Did you look at the negs or did you have the film scanned and put on a disc?

 

[Marc G.]

looked at the negs and scanned on a disc... currently trying to find it

edit: found it

can only attach 3 but its just the same boring picture... I've picked the ends and the correct exposure.

first one is 5 stops overexposed
second one is correct exposure
third one is 5 stops underexposed

 

[Nomad Z]

Look at the negs themselves. Scanners often have auto-exposure and will compensate for varying neg density.

EDIT: Just realised that you looked at the negs as well. Sounds a bit odd - 5 stops should show a clear difference. Try scanning the -5, 0 and +5 with the scanner's auto-exposure switched off.

 

[Spicy]

Not to be the jerk to ask the obvious question, but... Is your camera shutter working accurately/lens changing aperture correctly?


Film is forgiving, but not really "any exposure will give a perfect neg" flexible...

 

[Marc G.]

the negs are the same as well... thats why I thought that the process somehow swallowed the whole test😕

my M6ttl and the summilux 50 asph are working perfectly. the lens is brand new and the camera was in solms this summer right before I bought it of a official leica store... condition couldnt be better. slide film was exposed correctly with the same camera and those tend to be a bit bitchy when it comes to over/underexposure

 

[Nomad Z]

the negs are the same as well... thats why I thought that the process somehow swallowed the whole test😕

I would have thought that rather unlikely. Have a look at this set of scanned contacts...

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89809&d=1330198010

Tri-X exposed +/- 4 stops in half stop increments. If all of your images have the same density, then it's hard to explain other than by saying they had the same exposure.

 

[charjohncarter]

Desr Marc,

D76 should work with EVERYTHING. It would be a rash or foolish manufacturer who released any general-application film that wouldn't.

Having said that, DD-X will give you more speed with Delta 3200.

How do you over- or under-expose? Um... Give more or less exposure. Or am I misunderstanding the question?

Finally, you are very wise to try a wide range of films. Choose the one/s you like best and stick with it/them -- but DON'T just choose a film at random and 'get to know it', as some advocate.

Cheers,

R.

Agree, any developer will give good result, if you work at it. What Roger says about speed is correct. Some developers do increase (or decrease speed) but read about them if you want to take 400 to 3200.

 

[Marc G.]

I would have thought that rather unlikely. Have a look at this set of scanned contacts...

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89809&d=1330198010

Tri-X exposed +/- 4 stops in half stop increments. If all of your images have the same density, then it's hard to explain other than by saying they had the same exposure.

thats what I expected the negs would look like actually.

but they didnt and I really wanna know why ...

and they really didnt have the same exposure. gonna do it again with agfa APX as soon as I got one in my M6 and see if its the film/developer thing. if so I'm gonna use it to just trigger happy, maybe with voigtlander 15mm where I dont need to focus... what a nice idea, point and shoot leica. just frame and bang, no focus, no aperture, no shutter speed 😀

 

[Photo_Smith]

Very strange results. I know you didn't do this but I once asked a student of mine to bracket because he suspected his meter was out–he gave me a strip of identical exposures.
When we checked his written down exposures he'd gone 1/250 @ ƒ5,6, 1/125 @ ƒ8 1/60@ ƒ11 etc.

I think there may be more than one problem in your case. Firstly check your shutter and lens work ok.
Next to check them I would put a textured white fluffy towel meter, set the shutter speed and just change the aperture shoot ±2 stops from normal meter reading.
The test should be done in normal daylight, part of the problem with your test could be you shot an incandescent light, that would make it hard to judge exposure and its possible you have a +4 +3 +2 stop and all the negs would look similar with the bulb always being over exposed.
just a thought...

 

[Marc G.]

going to shoot some today, finishing the provia F100 I've got in the beauty and then starting some bracketing on some architecture. gonna develop those afterwards and probably post the results on friday/saturday.. hope it works with other films although I might try agfa apx again to test it out