Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/16

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Subject: [Leica] Increasing film speed
From: "Johnny Deadman" <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 07:52:56 +0100

> In the black and white realm an increase in real (shadow) film speed by the
use
> of water baths, borax baths, higher dilutions of developer or just better
> developer more suited to bringing out film speed (like T Max developer) is a
> real solution to people wanting more film speed than the number on the box.
This
> is called "compensation" in stead of "push," more diplomatic language.

Yes, exactly. I just returned from Canada, where among many other things I
shot a family wedding (thank God none of the formal stuff). I knew
afterwards that the best shots were outside the church, but I also knew that
I had underexposed by 1-2 stops (don't ask). I wanted to 'push' the film,
but in standard pushing all you do is increase the contrast, but here it was
the shadows I was interested in.

Solution... a variant of the old two-bath development process. I developed
the film in D76 stock for (what for me is) the standard time of 6m
(@320ASA), THEN transferred without washing to a Kodalk bath for 4m, which I
knew would bring up whatever shadow detail there was available.

I held my breath as I hung up the film, but... bingo. There it was. Fully
developed highlights, and enough shadows to print... but without the
chalk-and-soot tonality and clumpy grain of pushed film.

And I was right. They were the best rolls.

- --
Johnny Deadman

"The happiest time in any man's life is when he is in red-hot pursuit of a
dollar with a reasonable prospect of overtaking it" - Josh Billings