Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/28

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Agitation - especially for Mark Rabiner and Stephen Holloway!
From: Stephen Holloway <stephen.holloway@balcab.ch>
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 22:25:11 +0100

John Brownlow wrote:
> 
> I address this to Mark, cause he's a guru, and Stephen, cause his pix have a
> beautifully even tonality. But I would like to hear from others.
> 
> Agitation. 35mm. In tanks. Whaddya do?
> 
> Ever since I bought a film scanner I have become aware of unevenness in my
> negs. They are more dense at the edges. It has to be to do with my
> agitation, which is usually two (slowish) twist and rotate inversions per
> 30secs (these take around 8 seconds) after 30s continuous at the start.
> 
> I get the density problem whatever the length of time of development, from 3
> mins to 11 mins. A total pain in the arse.
> 
> OT, maybe, but all the pix are shot with a leica, and I respect the opinions
> of folks on this list.
> 
> I could post negs if anyone was interested, but the problem is pretty
> simple.
> 
> Too much agitation? Too little? Or the wrong kind? It has to be one of them.
> 

I use Ilfotech LC29 liquid developer at 1+19 for 6.5 minutes (400 ISO).
I agitate for 30s at the start and 10s each minute. Each inversion cycle
lasts 1s and includes a twist. So I agitate much faster than you do. The
developer's pretty frothy when I tip it out at the end. 

Interestingly I'm trying Xtol (pictures of the day 27 Feb and 28 Feb) at
the moment and don't quite like its tonality as much. But I need to
study it more.

- -- 
Stephen Holloway
http://www.deepturtle.ch/steve/photos