Re: HC110 Developing LONG again

[gregm@world.std.com (Greg Mironchuk)]

At 10:43 AM 1/12/97, C.M. Fortunko wrote:

>
>In your message you did not mention the processing temperatures. For
>HC110, I would expect to use 20
>Centigrade (68F) and somewhat longer developement times than for TriX.
>
>Would you comment on this?
>


Thank you, for your kind words (and those of The Artiste Formerly Known As
Ben, as well...).

I didn't include specific information on MY Times 'n Temps for several reasons.

First, I knew that it would be a very long post. I try to write to the
medium... a posting ought to be a bit shorter... it's what we're used to.

Second, what I do in my darkroom could bear absolutely *NO* relation to
what you wind up doing in your darkroom. I fact... I do quite a number of
fairly esoteric things, that would give me a different T 'n T than most
everyone else (I'll chronicle some of them, later). I would strongly
recommend that the suggestions of the manufacturor of the film might be a
better starting point for your Journey toward control of B&W processing.

Third, whenever I start to write or speak about B&W processing... either on
any of the lists to which I subscribe, or in print, or amongst other
photographers... there is ALWAYS some alleged/purported "expert" on B&W
processing (who usually does NOT develop any B&W film, him/herself,
although they might have, some years ago) who feels an uncontrollable
compulsion to pi** on my parade... and figuratively pound their chests, in
an effort to prove that they are The Biggest Experts on All Matters
Photographic.

I have learned to break this discussion up into smaller chunks, so that the
Chest Pounders can get it all out of their systems, before poisoning the
information that I freely disseminate... not because I feel that I'm an
expert... but simply because I have been blessed with the tools neccessary
to explain these sorts of things.

All that being said... I use a different dilution of HC-110, other than "A"
(1/15), or "B"(1/31). I use a dilution of 1/63... or HALF the strength of
Dilution "B".

Why? I used to use Rodinal and FG-7... both wonderful developers... but
they are UNSTABLE. Once you open them (particularly Rodinal), they start to
decompose in air at an alarmingly fast rate. Also, at the time, the
distribution of these products was spotty... it was difficult to GET these
products, even in a well-stocked store.

I wanted an extremely dilute developer, so that I would get the
"compensating effect" of longer developing times, with little or no
agitation. Dilute developers "poop out", locally, next to the film. Since
the highlight areas of the film suck up more developer than the shadows,
the developer in proximity to them "poops out" faster than the developer
around the shadows. This, combined with longer times, and not much
agitation, gives me the extra contrast in the shadows, and lower contrast
in the highlights that I am looking for.

I tried T-Max Developer, Sprint Developer, and Ilford's liquid ID-11
developers, as well as HC-110.

Sprint and Ilford are essentially D-76... and also decompose fairly
rapidly, when opened (although not as quickly as Rodinal). T-Max Developer
is, essentially, liquid Acufine... a developer that I like very much. The
biggest problem with T-Max Developer is cost. It is VERY EXPENSIVE to use
as a one-shot. It is really designed for darkrooms that are in constant
use, daily... like a processing lab, or a (still found, but largely
extinct) newspaper/wire service B&W darkroom.

HC-110 is VERY CHEAP to use, lasts almost literally forever as a
concentrated syrup, and is available Darned Near Everywhere... so I set
about do figure out what I needed to do to get it to work the way I wanted
it to.

I started at twice the manufacturor's time for dilution "B"... at 75
degrees, which is the most easily obtained and maintained temperature from
the faucet/water heater/water supply that I was using... and the negatives
stunk.

I then started "backing off" that time, using shorter and shorter times,
until I determined that I had found the one that gave ME the best
negatives... the ones that printed easily, and looked great.

To make a long story short... I generally use the following times and temps;

        Tri-X;
        @ ASA 200............... 7 1/2 minutes
              400............... 9 1/2 min.
              800............... 12 1/2 min.
             1600............... 19 min.

        T-MAX 400; Ilford HP-5, Agfapan 400
        @ ASA 200............... 8 min.
              400............... 10 min.
              800............... 13 1/2 min.
             1600............... 20 min.

        T-MAX 100;
       @ ASA   50............... 8 min.
              100............... 10 min.
              200............... 13 1/2 min.

        P-3200;
        @ ASA 800............... 9 1/2 min.
       @ ASA 1600............... 14 min.
             3200............... 18 min.
             6400............... 23 min.

These times and temps work for ME and ME ALONE! You have to experiment to
fine tune YOUR OWN times and temps. It's OK to get radically different
results.


More to come...

                                                Greg.





                                                      Greg Mironchuk
                                              409 Central St, Saugus, MA 01906
                                              617-941-8030 * 617-362-7417 page
                                                    gregm@world.std.com