Also for the shaking part: I do 1lt stock. I bought a plastic measuring container and a electric blender/shaker. it only takes 5 minutes to prepare the whole mix. It is really coffee and sugar. nothing complicated. however, everything I do was based on this video. it is really helpful for someone who is starting now. all credits to the uploader. great channel!
Thank You very much Mr. Hancock for this great video! I was mixing my own developer for 3 plus years and wondering why I could not get rid of the crystals, which were staining my negatives and leaving white spots on my prints. Your method using filtered water and properly heating the water and then filtering the mix is what I was mixing! Many Thanks, a fellow photographer!
I got the jugs off Craig's List, but I've seen brown glass chemical jugs at antique stores, too. Many antique stores will carry oddball glass jars on occasion and any glass jar that won't ever be used for food ever again has the potential to work. Milk jars are typically a half gallon and have wide mouths designed for pouring. Four of those would neatly store a gallon each of developer and fixer.
That's a really good approach. I mixed some today, actually, and did something similar to get basically no dust. It just took about six minutes to pour it all in.
Yes to both questions. In fact, they make accordion-type plastic bottles for chemical use that can collapse as the fluid is used to reduce head space. As for the nitrogen gas, that would prevent the oxidation and, insofar as I know, because the nitrogen is inert it should have no negative effects on the developer solution.
Some other options for oxygen control include a heavy-duty balloon inside the bottle. Also, you could get a stopper top with a hole and run a glass tube into the head space. The glass tube would connect to another jar, smaller, with an oxygen-absorbing compound. A variation on the latter places the bottle on its side and uses a second glass tube with a ball valve to simplify portion control. That's a pretty complex setup, though. Also, collapsing plastic (accordion) jugs work well.
So the concentrate is the bag of developer powder. Concentrate can also be a liquid concentrate. Basically, it's considered concentrate until the first time water is added. Stock solution is concentrate mixed per the package directions. 1:1 is stock solution diluted with additional water.
The other consideration with stock and 1:1 is finished result. Some people find that 1:1 returns more evenly-toned results with less grain and greater shadow detail (less contrast over the fream.) That could be true, but advanced developing techniques (such as intermittent water baths) can have a similar effect. 1:1 should be dumped after use. stock can be reused a few times, more if you use stock solution replenisher.
Depends on how much you use and your budget. So using 1:1 cuts developer cost in half, which can be a lot if you buy new developer at $10USD per gallon (last I checked at my local store a month ago.) At shelf prices, that's about $1.51 per 324-exposure roll of STOCK solution. If your time is more important, stock is a good idea. I like stock because the idea of standing over my sink for longer than the stock developer times is a non-starter with me.
This video is for mixing stock solution. To make dilutions, the stock solution with water. For 1:1,mix equal parts stock developer and water (e.g., 250ml stock developer and 250ml water.) For 1:3, it's one part water to three parts water (e.g., 250ml stock developer and 750ml water.) To calculate the volumes, take your needed volume and divide it by (1+#) where # is the dilution. So for 1+50, divide the needed volume by 51. When calculation dilutions you need to account for both parts.
Also, Google search Ilford ID-11 and the third link should be Ilford's page on the developer. Under that page, click on Fact Sheets (red text) and then Powder Film Developers. That opens a nine-page PDF that has a lot of good info about using ID-11 to develop as a stock, 1:1 and 1:3 solution. It also provides two pages of time charts that show how long to develop a bunch of films with the various solution mixes.
People complain about how it takes them up to 10 minutes to dissolve D76. I stir in a big plastic bucket (wearing gloves, a mask, and face shield) and everything is dissolved in 2 1/2 minutes.I start at 127.5° F, add the powder to the distilled water (3,000 ml)and when I'm done stirring the temp. is 122°F. Then I add the the remaining 800 ml. The stock solution goes into three "accordion" bottles, with no air in them after squeezed.How long does it take you with this method?
I have not, but I know people who have used it extensively. Most of them use it 1:1. So, you mix the 1L pouch with 1L water. Then, if you're developing 1 roll of film in a 250ml tank, use 125ml of the solution you previously mixed and 125ml of water to make the 250ml. So that's basically like cutting the 1L pouch four times (the 1L pouch will make 4L 1:1 solution.) I'm told this can be cut to 1:10 (1L pouch = 40L solution), but the developing time is like 65 minutes.
How long it will last depends on use. A stock gallon is good for 66 rolls, I think. Keeping air out means I can shelf it for maybe three months or so. The packages should have shelf life recommendations for mixed chemicals. D-76R (replenisher) is good for 6 months once mixed, and that seemed like a long time to me. To my eyes, rolls used is more important than time.
No problem. Let me know if you have any questions. I develop (average) around 20 rolls of film per month. I also have a video up that shows the entire process from start to finish.
Something like a wine saver? You could, but my fear about creating a vacuum would be the strain it places on a jar not designed for vacuum pressure. I've found the marbles make pouring hard toward the end and the jar VERY heavy after it's half empty. Also, if the marble has a glaze on it, my fixer dissolved that. The fixer was fine, but in quantity the marbles could alter the fixer's chemical makeup.
After mixing as shown you have stock solution. 1:1 means taking 1 part of this and adding 1 more part water. For instance, I have a 1,000 ml stainless steel tank for four 35mm rolls or two 120 rolls. Stock would mean using 1,000 ml of this solution as mixed above. 1:1 would mean using 500 ml of this and 500 ml of water. Some developers (NOT D-76) allow more dilution than 1:1. I know people diluting 1:10 and even 1:64.
1:1 does mean 1 part D-76 and 1 part water. So your math is correct. That WILL affect developing time, though. I forget how to calculate that off the top of my head. I tend to use D-76 stock because it yields greater shadow detail and less grain (though also less acutance) than 1:1. D-76 should only ever be used stock or !:1. Other developers can be used 1:9 or up to 1:100. Diluted D-76 should not be returned to the container. I do re-use stock D-76. TO push film, D-76 should not be diluted.
I like the look of Tir-X in D-76 but i found, that Tri-X in Kodakt XTOL looks just the same and not only does the film get a bit faster (Shoot Tri-X 400 at box speed 400 instead of 200 or 250 in D-76), mixing it is much easier and it is not toxic, but consists mostly of vitamin C, I still would not drink it, but it is certainly much less dangerous than D-76. It also does not stink and you can use your water at room temperature. It is a two component stuff so you dissolve the first powder in 4l of water, stirr till its completely dissolved, then add the second powder and add another liter of water, finish. The first component sometimes takes a bit to completely dissolve sometimes, if you do not stirr long enough, it clumps together to a white stuff looking like wax. So I bought myself a kitchen stirring machine with a 5.5l bowl for 50$. That works perfectly. I do not have to heat anything, I do not have to wear masks or gloves, I just fill in 4l of clean water (I use demineralized) into my little, cheap stirring machine, fill in the first powder and switch the machine on on lowest speed for 45min or so, go back, add the second powder, let it run for another 30min and have my 5 liters of very fine developer. D-76, though looking great, is just not worth it in my opinion. Of cause XTOL needs different development times than D-76 but will give you the same results with a lot less problems.
+T Latz XTOL is a curious developer to me. I've had some good results with it but also some awful results. And the shelf life seems very short. But I agree, the chemical compounds in it appear to be less hazardous than those in D-76.
+David Hancock Fill it in small glas bottles and it will last for 6 months easily. After that.... well .... through it away, its cheap. Resultwise I cannot complain. Many people who started with D-76 complain about their terribly thin negatives. I assume that those guys read that XTOL is the Kodak's replacement for D-76 and treated it the same, but XTOL is a different soup so the D-76 times are not accurate; XTOL needs a bit longer. Accordung to massive dev chart you need approx 6.5min for TRI-X at 400 in D-76 1+1. XTOL 1+1 needs 9min according to MDc but I think that 9.5min to 10min is better. Through your film in the developer for only 6.5min as you did with D-76 and they look terrible
That depends on the tank. Fill the tank, for sure. As for how much do you NEED? Only a few teaspoons of developer are actually used during development. There's a pretty amazing developing tank called an orbital tank for sheet film. It can develop 80 square inches of sheet film in, I think, 50ml of developer fluid. Maybe 100 ml. Anyway, very little. So most of the developer in the tank is used to fill space, not develop the film.
1 bag mixed into 1 gallon is stock solution. Stock concentrate isn't a term I'm familiar with. I assume it means using the stock solution as a source for diluted developer. The 1:1 (500ml of what you mixed plus 500ml of water) is different from stock. Basically: Powder bag = concentrate Powder bag mixed to 3.8L = stock Stock further diluted with an equal volume of water = 1:1
+rodjav360 It means how much developer and water are used to make the working solutions. So when you mix up D-76 that creates the stock solution. When you take one part (say 250ml) of stock solution and one part (again, say 250ml) of water, you create 1+1. That mix cannot be re-used after developing the film. The same is true of 1+3, which could be, for instance, 125ml of developers and 375ml of water. Dilutions have different effects. I find that diluted developers produce images with less grain and less contrast. Contrast can always be added, but it can't be taken away. Diluted developers are also cheaper since you're using less of the stock solution at a time.
Thank you! I would also say experiment with diluted developers as well. You might find that dilution opens up different elements of your photography that you hadn't noticed before.
+rodjav360 No definitly not! I have not used Kodak D-76, but I use Kodak XTOL, which is also a powder developer. I can tell you from own experience that XTOL will give you much better sharpness at 1+1 and that it will continue to get a little better on 1+2 and 1+3. The stock is just a bit too strong, the higher you dillute, the longer the development process will take, if you need e.g. 6min with stock, you might need 8min for 1+1 or 11min for 1+2 and this will increase your sharpness. The only thing you have to watch out for is that you do use enough stock per film (with XTOL you need at least 100ml for each film so if you want to put 2 films into one 500ml tank you need to put at least 200ml stock into the tank so 1+1 (250ml stock + 250ml water) is ok but 1+2 would be impossible for this would require 167ml stock plus 333ml water. Although I never used D-76 I know from a lot of photo boards that all this stuff, the increased sharpness and the minimal stock solution needed is an issue there, too. Most people use D-76 at 1+1 to get better looking results.
T Latz thanks man, i will definitly try dilution, i had good results with stock but a little too grainy, so im gonna keep experimenting on this. thanks again. cheers!
thank you, I find this helpful as I prepare myself to start developing my own black and white. I'll do the 1:1 solution and get a 1L bag of stock to begin. Question: how long with the diluted chemistry stay good in the bottle?
Thank you! Diluted solution, in general, is good for some hours after you cut the stock with water. The stock solution is what you'll want to keep for storage and then only cut it before you use the chemistry to develop film.
David Hancock thank you for replying! Also, what is the best way to store the stock solution after you open the original packaging? And how long will the properly stored stock solution stay useable?
@@willf.5403 How long it will let depends on the developer. Rodinal, for instance, can last months or years. D-76 tends to last about 90-180 days or so, reliably. XTOL a few months. You can prolong all of it but keeping it in containers with minimal head space for air. Air is the event of developers.
Use distilled water, it's cheap and consistent. Tap water content can change since it's often taken from multiple sources. And as remarked, it's stirred not shaken as a James Bond Martini. Don't know how I missed this before but the d76 should be dissolved in the hot water--that's the point of heating the water since solids dissolve better in hotter water. After that you add water to make the full volume.
Distilled water is great and I use that (unless I'm out then I have a backup Brita.) I also use distilled water for the last two rinses after washing. That's eliminated what problems I had with chemical crescents on occasion.
after mixing the powder in 1 gallon 3.6lts like the bag says the result is a 1:1 or is it stock? I dont understand why people say concentrated vs 1:1 thanks
Thanks David, so what does concentrate or stock means? I now know that when mixed like the bag says with 3.8 lt or 1 gallon same thing I will end up with a 1:1 So what does stock or concentrate means?
Are these standard mixing instructions considered mixing stock solution? I'm new and am not sure how the 1:1, 1:3 ratios work and what they do to the negative.
Have you ever tried Ilford ID-11? I can't understand how to mix it properly. I have the 1l powder box and the guy from photo store told me to mix it with 1l of water to get stock solution and after that mix stock solution with even more water to get working solution right before developing film (but just the amount that I'll need to develop 1 or 2 films). But as I've read in the manual and on the internet there's no actual numbers of how to dilute it. Some people mix it straight with 5l of water
wildbill9919 Not with powder, no. Powdered developer is not a uniform, homogenous compound throughout. It's comprised of metol, salts, and other stuff. Each item is a crystal of different size. So like a bag of chips, the small crystals settle to the bottom of the developer powder bag. If you use only part of the developer, you won't obtain a proper chemical mix and your images will either be over- or under-developed. Or nothing will come out at all.
Thank you again David!!! know I fully understand! what do you recomend in terms of quality 1:1 or stock? and how to know when the d76 is no longer usable besides the 6 months estimate
I damn im confused I diluted the bag d76 powder all of it in 3lts of water at 53c temp mixed it very well and then added water until 3.8lt or 1 gallon. Is this 1:1 ? or this is stock concentrate?
And you won't. Laws for chemical disposal vary by country, state, and sometimes city or county. So what applies to me will be different, for instance, in Illinois. Whereas when I was in photo class fixer could legally be poured down the drain, in California it can't be. There is someone online who buys spent fixer to reclaim the silver. I forget where I saw that, though. Developer is less toxic than fixer.
Question: Once D-76 is mixed up like this, how long does it keep for in a sealed brown bottle? Also, is it possible to mix up a portion or half the bag of D-76 powder and keep it for later?
Once the D-76 is mixed, it can be kept for around three months or 60 rolls (assuming you use it stock and re-integrate the developer after use.) The developer will start to lose efficacy after time and after about two months or around 40 rolls you'll notice increased grain and reduced contrast. I'd suggest cutting it at 1+3 (parts water) for use and disposing of the expended developer for the best results. As for partial bag mixing: don't. The particles that comprise the mix may not be evenly mixed, especially if different constituents are different crystal sizes (think of a cereal box or chip bag where all the tiny pieces settle to the bottom.) Using only part of a bag will almost certainly result in a chemical makeup which yields faulty image results, inconsistent development times, and so forth. If you use a liquid concentrate (such as Rodinal or Ilfosol 3) then you only need to use as much of that as is required on the day you develop film.
Nope. The chemicals aren't homogenized throughout the bag so each batch would work differently and dinner night not even work at all if the quantities of each compound are different.
Hey great video. Do you know how long doest the solution remain fresh, i don't develop much and maybe it's better if i disolve just a part of the powder. And one more thing, do you know how many uses does a dosification of the solution resist? Thank you!
Solutions stay fresh for different periods based on what chemistry it is. Some have great shelf life, others do not. Don't mix partial bags. The compounds in the bags are different crystal sizes and settle unevenly. Mixing a partial bag will mean the wrong chemistry is mixed. And uses per dilution is always one use per diluted stock solution.
Not a dumb question at all. It's not advised to split bags, unfortunately. The chemical powders don't homogonize well. So think of it like a box of cereal or chips where all the broken bits settle to the bottom. The smaller crystals in developer will settle to the bottom, too. So the chemical make-up if you only use half a container won't get the correct chemical mix. The makers do sell half-gallon and quart bags, though. So smaller mixes are doable but are more costly on a per-ounce basis.
Ask all the questions you need. I'm glad to help. Powdered fix has the same use requirement as powdered developer, so it can't be cut. Now, for liquid fix, I'm not 100% certain whether that can be cut or not. Liquid developer concentrate like Rodinal or Ilfosol is designed to be, but I think liquid fix might be designed to be used all at once to create a stock solution (I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong on that.) Fix, fortunately, has a much longer shelf life after mixing than developer does.
I think you can. I would mix the other half in a separate container with the appropriate water quantity and then add them together. If the chemistry is mixed in the wrong order you can get a heat-inducing chemical reaction. That happened to me once and it melted a hole in the side of my vessel.
great video. I just mixed my first bag of D-76 this afternoon, and now I regret not seeing this video first. Questions: After adding marbles, how long do you think that that mixture will last? Also, if I have a single reel stainless steel tank that can hold 290ml, does 1:1 dilution mean add 145ml of stock D-76, and 145ml of water? Thanks
While searching online I came across a company called SKS-Bottles, they sell amber jugs that look identical to yours. I tried to link to it but youtube doesn't like links in the comments... :(
When I tried the recording with the mask on, it sounded like this :"mmrf frumpfl mummfy mo." So instead I pulled my shirt over my nose, which is better than nothing but not perfect.
Now I see lots of videos talking about how to use these chemicals, but I don't really see anything on how to dispose of em when you're done. Can't really find a straight answer to that anywhere. >.>
nikonpic Sure can. I use store-bought distilled water in gallon jugs for making most chemicals. I use glass bottles for storing developer (which is more sensitive to oxygen than fixer, and plastic allows gas infiltration) and use the water jugs for fixer. The plastic jugs are actually really easy to pour from.
Great Video! But I'm still a bit afraid of D76 because the Safety Datasheet says that it may causes cancer. Do You think it is that dangerous to use it?
+ei_in_the_sky I wouldn't eat it. The important note on an MSDS for cancer risk isn't that something is a carcinogen. Lots of things are carcinogens -- sunlight, age, coffee, and so forth. Look at the carcinogenic classification. To my knowledge, hydroquinone, the carcinogenic compound in developer, is demonstrated to be carcinogenic in animals but is not classified as a known carcinogen in humans.
They'll appear during their time in the developing chemistry but if you expose the film to light before fixing it you'll erase all the photos. I have a video that goes through the whole process from start to finished results. I don't have a link handy but that might help, too. At minimum you'll need developer and fixer. Those are the two mandatory chemicals.
Definitely not. Your film has to be in the dark when you remove it from the cassette to put into the spiral and tank and then it has to be in the dark during the chemistry. Once the fix is complete you can take it out of the tank or pour the fix back into your container (because fix is reusable and also super toxic if it goes down a drain) and then take the tank lid off and rinse and dump the water. The fix removes all of the remaining light-active compounds from the emulsion leaving only the ones that have already been affected by light, so no additional exposure and development will occur if the fix step was performed correctly.
Basically you'd need to figure out which dilution you plan to use. Instead of 1,000ml, as in my previous example, replace that with 290ml (I'd use 300 as it's always a good idea to have a few extra mililiters in case some spills) and then simply divide using 300 instead of 1,000 as your total volume.
@Deliah Shellhouse no problem. Let me see if I can explain it differently. Stock is what you get from the mixing directions on the package. Assuming you have a one-gallon (3.8 liter) package you'd mix up the powder with enough water to make 3.8 liters of stock. The 1:1 is then a mixture of stock and additional water. So 1:1 is, in your case, 150ml stock and 150 more ml of water. Stock is what you mix up ahead of time to use later after cutting it with water. Let me know if that helps clarify things.
Good question and no. Mixing the powder with the water creates stock solution. Cutting that solution with an equal amount of water (which should only be done immediately before use) makes 1:1. Don't re-mix 1:1 solution into the stock. After dilution and use, the developer is spent. You can use 1:3 (one part developer to three parts of water) to make the developer stretch. The 1:3 times are longer than 1:1.
I don't think someone needs to be Ansel Adams to take pride in their work and strive for the highest-quality craftsmanship. Will tap water work? Yes. Does it contain chlorine, fluoride, and other constituents which can adversely impair developer performance and image quality? Also yes. Water from a softened system contains excess salt levels which can have deleterious effects.
Good question. For the collapsible containers, they're plastic. Plastic is porous and will absorb chemicals, meaning that once a container is dedicated to one chemical it really needs to stay in use for that chemical only or the plastic will degrade more rapidly. Also, plastic absorbs smells. Also, the accordion-type collapsing containers have wear and stress points built in so they can develop pinholes or other leaks with use. And the accordions also do not drain chemicals as effectively as the smooth glass, meaning it's harder to fully remove chemicals between fills. Glass is non-porous and can be used in various chemical service with a good cleaning in between. It also won't absorb smells. Collapsible containers do require less space, however. And plastic containers won't shatter if dropped. For coffee filters, they are cheaper but also are much finer than a filter funnel. They strain slowly and risk filtering out chemical compounds if used to strain mixed chemicals. That can impair mix quality if some of the chemicals have not fully entered solution. A large kettle is fine and actually better than my approach. I simply chose what I could get at a garage sale for $1.
No, you can't. Powdered developer is made of different constituent chemicals and they have a different crystal size. So like a bag of potato chips where all the small bits settle at the bottom, the smaller crystals in developer bags also settle. If you were to grab just 25% of it at a time, the mix would almost certainly be incorrect and your developer would likely either be way too strong or way too weak. I believe that these are sold in quart-size packages. Also, liquid developers like Rodinal may be a better solution since you only dole out what you need for an individual tank or two at a time.
Definitely yes. I do now, exclusively. I find them easier to pour from. I buy distilled water in gallon jugs then use that distilled water to mix the chemistry. The excess distiller water goes into my water filer for use in mixing other chemistry and final film rinses. Then the plastic jugs are recycled when I finish with the chemistry.
Truth be told, I store my fix in plastic gallon jugs now. It's easier to pour from. I mix it with distilled water and put it back in the distilled water's container.
+David Hancock Nice! Okay, great to know. One more question: It looks like you heated up some of the water in the pan and put some of the non-heated room-temperature water in the jug first. Is that correct? So you basically had normal room temp water waiting in the jug and then added the heated water?
Lara Stephenson Correct. That allowed the water, during the mix, to be the proper temperature. It's best to just heat all the water up to the proper temperature, but if that's not feasible, an alternative is to mix hot and cool water. Putting the cool water in first allows the hot to cool down and prevents the chemistry from overheating, which is more likely to damage it than mixing it with room temperature water first.
Not true! I've been mixing my chemistry that way for the past 40 years and had no issues with the life of the chemistry. Keep on doing it the way you've been doing it, David Hancock!
This seems too complicated. I use just hot water from the tap (well, I live in an area with clean water with minimal traces of minerals in it) and mix it with glass stick in separate plastic measuring cup (no problem with dust there, just hold the bag close to water level), stir until everything is dissolved) and after that seal with gas from lighter in smaller bottles. I used different developers and none of them smelled bad.
David Hancock No, you just hold a lighter (of course, the cheapest one with separate gas release and spark maker) over the bottle for few seconds, propane-butane is heavier, than air, acts like an invisible liquid (think of it as of an ghost of oil), it will make a layer on the solution level and do not allow almost any oxygen to react with it. I used marbles just for stock rodinal.
Yeah, that does sound a lot easier. I stopped using marbles a while ago. I got some that had a coating which interacted negatively with the developer and caused it to be ruined after about 24 hours in the bottle.
David Hancock Works only if you have fresh mountain water, it did not work with water on the continent and would not work in most of England. You can use reverse osmotic pump to clean normal water, it is OK, and it is clean source of water for drinking in places with not so great water.
Well, for a lot of good reasons. Firstly, I disagree that it's more wasteful. Modern mining and manufacturing processes create tons of toxic waste. Digital cameras use a lot of rare earth materials that are mined using wasteful and polluting methods (though mostly in third-world countries so it's off a lot of peoples' radar.) Old film cameras -- they were manufactured so long ago that their environmental footprint not is practically nil. Secondly, taking a black and white film photo requires a much greater skill level than taking a digital photo and slapping some sliders around until it looks good. Black and white film photography teaches image discipline, selectiveness, and improves a photographer's understanding of what cameras do and how they function. Lastly, it's a challenge. Sure I can obtain basically any black and white result I want from a digital image. I do it fairly often, too. However, I have a much greater satisfaction seeing a negative turn out well after I calculated the exposure, planned the shot, and managed to develop it properly. Extending that to printing in the darkroom and it's a fantastic sense of accomplishment that makes digital photography feel comparatively hollow.
Adding aeration (oxygen) to Developer will shorten the lifespan of the chemistry. I'm a retired Navy Photographer w/ 15 years experience, believe me I know, I spent many days mixing Photo chemistry.
He didn't follow his own advise wear a mask, coughing. My 2 cent is dissolve it with hot or warm water in low volume mix it with a stir stick then pour that content into larger volume jug dilute remaining water volume that's all dontover complicate the process.
Correct, but of there are clumps when it cools they will not dissolve. So fillets and shaking the mix prevent that. Clumps that don't dissolve affect chemistry effectiveness and performance because they change the mix ratios.
Also for the shaking part: I do 1lt stock. I bought a plastic measuring container and a electric blender/shaker.
it only takes 5 minutes to prepare the whole mix.
It is really coffee and sugar. nothing complicated.
however, everything I do was based on this video.
it is really helpful for someone who is starting now. all credits to the uploader. great channel!
Thank you!
Thank You very much Mr. Hancock for this great video! I was mixing my own developer for 3 plus years and wondering why I could not get rid of the crystals, which were staining my negatives and leaving white spots on my prints. Your method using filtered water and properly heating the water and then filtering the mix is what I was mixing! Many Thanks, a fellow photographer!
You're very welcome! I'm glad to help improve your images.
I got the jugs off Craig's List, but I've seen brown glass chemical jugs at antique stores, too. Many antique stores will carry oddball glass jars on occasion and any glass jar that won't ever be used for food ever again has the potential to work. Milk jars are typically a half gallon and have wide mouths designed for pouring. Four of those would neatly store a gallon each of developer and fixer.
That's a really good approach. I mixed some today, actually, and did something similar to get basically no dust. It just took about six minutes to pour it all in.
Yes to both questions. In fact, they make accordion-type plastic bottles for chemical use that can collapse as the fluid is used to reduce head space. As for the nitrogen gas, that would prevent the oxidation and, insofar as I know, because the nitrogen is inert it should have no negative effects on the developer solution.
Some other options for oxygen control include a heavy-duty balloon inside the bottle.
Also, you could get a stopper top with a hole and run a glass tube into the head space. The glass tube would connect to another jar, smaller, with an oxygen-absorbing compound.
A variation on the latter places the bottle on its side and uses a second glass tube with a ball valve to simplify portion control. That's a pretty complex setup, though.
Also, collapsing plastic (accordion) jugs work well.
Bellows bottles work great.
So the concentrate is the bag of developer powder. Concentrate can also be a liquid concentrate. Basically, it's considered concentrate until the first time water is added.
Stock solution is concentrate mixed per the package directions.
1:1 is stock solution diluted with additional water.
The other consideration with stock and 1:1 is finished result. Some people find that 1:1 returns more evenly-toned results with less grain and greater shadow detail (less contrast over the fream.) That could be true, but advanced developing techniques (such as intermittent water baths) can have a similar effect.
1:1 should be dumped after use. stock can be reused a few times, more if you use stock solution replenisher.
Depends on how much you use and your budget.
So using 1:1 cuts developer cost in half, which can be a lot if you buy new developer at $10USD per gallon (last I checked at my local store a month ago.) At shelf prices, that's about $1.51 per 324-exposure roll of STOCK solution.
If your time is more important, stock is a good idea. I like stock because the idea of standing over my sink for longer than the stock developer times is a non-starter with me.
This video is for mixing stock solution. To make dilutions, the stock solution with water. For 1:1,mix equal parts stock developer and water (e.g., 250ml stock developer and 250ml water.) For 1:3, it's one part water to three parts water (e.g., 250ml stock developer and 750ml water.)
To calculate the volumes, take your needed volume and divide it by (1+#) where # is the dilution. So for 1+50, divide the needed volume by 51. When calculation dilutions you need to account for both parts.
Also, Google search Ilford ID-11 and the third link should be Ilford's page on the developer. Under that page, click on Fact Sheets (red text) and then Powder Film Developers.
That opens a nine-page PDF that has a lot of good info about using ID-11 to develop as a stock, 1:1 and 1:3 solution. It also provides two pages of time charts that show how long to develop a bunch of films with the various solution mixes.
People complain about how it takes them up to 10 minutes to dissolve D76. I stir in a big plastic bucket (wearing gloves, a mask, and face shield) and everything is dissolved in 2 1/2 minutes.I start at 127.5° F, add the powder to the distilled water (3,000 ml)and when I'm done stirring the temp. is 122°F. Then I add the the remaining 800 ml. The stock solution goes into three "accordion" bottles, with no air in them after squeezed.How long does it take you with this method?
Hmm, not ten minutes. I'd say about three or four after the water's heated and then I let it sit overnight to clarify and cool to room temperature.
I have not, but I know people who have used it extensively. Most of them use it 1:1. So, you mix the 1L pouch with 1L water. Then, if you're developing 1 roll of film in a 250ml tank, use 125ml of the solution you previously mixed and 125ml of water to make the 250ml.
So that's basically like cutting the 1L pouch four times (the 1L pouch will make 4L 1:1 solution.) I'm told this can be cut to 1:10 (1L pouch = 40L solution), but the developing time is like 65 minutes.
How long it will last depends on use. A stock gallon is good for 66 rolls, I think. Keeping air out means I can shelf it for maybe three months or so. The packages should have shelf life recommendations for mixed chemicals. D-76R (replenisher) is good for 6 months once mixed, and that seemed like a long time to me. To my eyes, rolls used is more important than time.
Thanks for the video. My lab recently stopped deving black and white film so I now need to learn how to do it myself.
No problem. Let me know if you have any questions. I develop (average) around 20 rolls of film per month. I also have a video up that shows the entire process from start to finish.
Something like a wine saver? You could, but my fear about creating a vacuum would be the strain it places on a jar not designed for vacuum pressure. I've found the marbles make pouring hard toward the end and the jar VERY heavy after it's half empty. Also, if the marble has a glaze on it, my fixer dissolved that. The fixer was fine, but in quantity the marbles could alter the fixer's chemical makeup.
After mixing as shown you have stock solution. 1:1 means taking 1 part of this and adding 1 more part water.
For instance, I have a 1,000 ml stainless steel tank for four 35mm rolls or two 120 rolls. Stock would mean using 1,000 ml of this solution as mixed above. 1:1 would mean using 500 ml of this and 500 ml of water. Some developers (NOT D-76) allow more dilution than 1:1. I know people diluting 1:10 and even 1:64.
1:1 does mean 1 part D-76 and 1 part water. So your math is correct. That WILL affect developing time, though. I forget how to calculate that off the top of my head. I tend to use D-76 stock because it yields greater shadow detail and less grain (though also less acutance) than 1:1. D-76 should only ever be used stock or !:1. Other developers can be used 1:9 or up to 1:100. Diluted D-76 should not be returned to the container. I do re-use stock D-76. TO push film, D-76 should not be diluted.
I like the look of Tir-X in D-76 but i found, that Tri-X in Kodakt XTOL looks just the same and not only does the film get a bit faster (Shoot Tri-X 400 at box speed 400 instead of 200 or 250 in D-76), mixing it is much easier and it is not toxic, but consists mostly of vitamin C, I still would not drink it, but it is certainly much less dangerous than D-76. It also does not stink and you can use your water at room temperature.
It is a two component stuff so you dissolve the first powder in 4l of water, stirr till its completely dissolved, then add the second powder and add another liter of water, finish. The first component sometimes takes a bit to completely dissolve sometimes, if you do not stirr long enough, it clumps together to a white stuff looking like wax. So I bought myself a kitchen stirring machine with a 5.5l bowl for 50$. That works perfectly.
I do not have to heat anything, I do not have to wear masks or gloves, I just fill in 4l of clean water (I use demineralized) into my little, cheap stirring machine, fill in the first powder and switch the machine on on lowest speed for 45min or so, go back, add the second powder, let it run for another 30min and have my 5 liters of very fine developer.
D-76, though looking great, is just not worth it in my opinion. Of cause XTOL needs different development times than D-76 but will give you the same results with a lot less problems.
+T Latz XTOL is a curious developer to me. I've had some good results with it but also some awful results. And the shelf life seems very short. But I agree, the chemical compounds in it appear to be less hazardous than those in D-76.
+David Hancock Fill it in small glas bottles and it will last for 6 months easily. After that.... well .... through it away, its cheap.
Resultwise I cannot complain.
Many people who started with D-76 complain about their terribly thin negatives. I assume that those guys read that XTOL is the Kodak's replacement for D-76 and treated it the same, but XTOL is a different soup so the D-76 times are not accurate; XTOL needs a bit longer. Accordung to massive dev chart you need approx 6.5min for TRI-X at 400 in D-76 1+1. XTOL 1+1 needs 9min according to MDc but I think that 9.5min to 10min is better. Through your film in the developer for only 6.5min as you did with D-76 and they look terrible
That depends on the tank. Fill the tank, for sure. As for how much do you NEED? Only a few teaspoons of developer are actually used during development. There's a pretty amazing developing tank called an orbital tank for sheet film. It can develop 80 square inches of sheet film in, I think, 50ml of developer fluid. Maybe 100 ml. Anyway, very little. So most of the developer in the tank is used to fill space, not develop the film.
1 bag mixed into 1 gallon is stock solution.
Stock concentrate isn't a term I'm familiar with. I assume it means using the stock solution as a source for diluted developer. The 1:1 (500ml of what you mixed plus 500ml of water) is different from stock.
Basically:
Powder bag = concentrate
Powder bag mixed to 3.8L = stock
Stock further diluted with an equal volume of water = 1:1
great video! will be mixing mine tonight!
what means when u use it "stock" or "1+1" or "1+3"?? and which one is better
+rodjav360 It means how much developer and water are used to make the working solutions. So when you mix up D-76 that creates the stock solution. When you take one part (say 250ml) of stock solution and one part (again, say 250ml) of water, you create 1+1. That mix cannot be re-used after developing the film. The same is true of 1+3, which could be, for instance, 125ml of developers and 375ml of water.
Dilutions have different effects. I find that diluted developers produce images with less grain and less contrast. Contrast can always be added, but it can't be taken away. Diluted developers are also cheaper since you're using less of the stock solution at a time.
thx buddy, i guess full power is better!, your vids are awesomeeeee!
Thank you!
I would also say experiment with diluted developers as well. You might find that dilution opens up different elements of your photography that you hadn't noticed before.
+rodjav360
No definitly not! I have not used Kodak D-76, but I use Kodak XTOL, which is also a powder developer. I can tell you from own experience that XTOL will give you much better sharpness at 1+1 and that it will continue to get a little better on 1+2 and 1+3.
The stock is just a bit too strong, the higher you dillute, the longer the development process will take, if you need e.g. 6min with stock, you might need 8min for 1+1 or 11min for 1+2 and this will increase your sharpness. The only thing you have to watch out for is that you do use enough stock per film (with XTOL you need at least 100ml for each film so if you want to put 2 films into one 500ml tank you need to put at least 200ml stock into the tank so 1+1 (250ml stock + 250ml water) is ok but 1+2 would be impossible for this would require 167ml stock plus 333ml water.
Although I never used D-76 I know from a lot of photo boards that all this stuff, the increased sharpness and the minimal stock solution needed is an issue there, too.
Most people use D-76 at 1+1 to get better looking results.
T Latz thanks man, i will definitly try dilution, i had good results with stock but a little too grainy, so im gonna keep experimenting on this. thanks again. cheers!
Cleanest pour yet ::cough cough:: lol
LOL
thank you, I find this helpful as I prepare myself to start developing my own black and white. I'll do the 1:1 solution and get a 1L bag of stock to begin. Question: how long with the diluted chemistry stay good in the bottle?
Thank you!
Diluted solution, in general, is good for some hours after you cut the stock with water. The stock solution is what you'll want to keep for storage and then only cut it before you use the chemistry to develop film.
David Hancock thank you for replying! Also, what is the best way to store the stock solution after you open the original packaging? And how long will the properly stored stock solution stay useable?
@@willf.5403 How long it will let depends on the developer. Rodinal, for instance, can last months or years. D-76 tends to last about 90-180 days or so, reliably. XTOL a few months. You can prolong all of it but keeping it in containers with minimal head space for air. Air is the event of developers.
Great tip on the marbles, I was wondering if they sold bottle caps that allowed you to vacuum the oxygen out. Where did you get the glass jug from?
Use distilled water, it's cheap and consistent. Tap water content can change since it's often taken from multiple sources. And as remarked, it's stirred not shaken as a James Bond Martini.
Don't know how I missed this before but the d76 should be dissolved in the hot water--that's the point of heating the water since solids dissolve better in hotter water. After that you add water to make the full volume.
Distilled water is great and I use that (unless I'm out then I have a backup Brita.) I also use distilled water for the last two rinses after washing. That's eliminated what problems I had with chemical crescents on occasion.
For my final rinse I also used distilled water with a little Photo Flo and squeegee the film to hasten drying.
Actually a Bond martini is shaken not stirred (which is a criminal). A martini should be stirred gingerly.
after mixing the powder in 1 gallon 3.6lts like the bag says the result is a 1:1 or is it stock? I dont understand why people say concentrated vs 1:1 thanks
Can you fill the head space with nitrogen gas like they sell for wine to keep it from absorbing oxygen? and can you use plastic bottles as storage?
I bought a pump and caps for wine bottles and keep my stock developer, my stopper and my fixer in glass bottles with the air pumped out
That's a really good solution.
this is quite nice! thank you
zijun wang You're welcome!
Thanks David, so what does concentrate or stock means? I now know that when mixed like the bag says with 3.8 lt or 1 gallon same thing I will end up with a 1:1
So what does stock or concentrate means?
Are these standard mixing instructions considered mixing stock solution? I'm new and am not sure how the 1:1, 1:3 ratios work and what they do to the negative.
Have you ever tried Ilford ID-11? I can't understand how to mix it properly. I have the 1l powder box and the guy from photo store told me to mix it with 1l of water to get stock solution and after that mix stock solution with even more water to get working solution right before developing film (but just the amount that I'll need to develop 1 or 2 films). But as I've read in the manual and on the internet there's no actual numbers of how to dilute it. Some people mix it straight with 5l of water
Can you just mix up what you need instead of mixing the whole powder amount? So far I've only used Ilford DD-X and have never used powder developers.
wildbill9919 Not with powder, no. Powdered developer is not a uniform, homogenous compound throughout. It's comprised of metol, salts, and other stuff. Each item is a crystal of different size. So like a bag of chips, the small crystals settle to the bottom of the developer powder bag. If you use only part of the developer, you won't obtain a proper chemical mix and your images will either be over- or under-developed. Or nothing will come out at all.
David Hancock OK thanks.
Thank you again David!!! know I fully understand! what do you recomend in terms of quality 1:1 or stock? and how to know when the d76 is no longer usable besides the 6 months estimate
Can you do a video of developing with these chemicals
ruclips.net/video/8Y586-3KdOA/видео.html
for some places they say mix a and b and both are neutralized.(doesn't sound quite right, but hey what do zi know) But check in your jurisdiction
That should depend on the specific chemistry.
@@DavidHancock yes, and being vague for the same reason you didn't want to answer questions about it
I damn im confused I diluted the bag d76 powder all of it in 3lts of water at 53c temp mixed it very well and then added water until 3.8lt or 1 gallon. Is this 1:1 ? or this is stock concentrate?
Does it have it have to be a glass jar, or can I use a bellow bottle?
And you won't. Laws for chemical disposal vary by country, state, and sometimes city or county. So what applies to me will be different, for instance, in Illinois. Whereas when I was in photo class fixer could legally be poured down the drain, in California it can't be. There is someone online who buys spent fixer to reclaim the silver. I forget where I saw that, though.
Developer is less toxic than fixer.
Thank you, and I think I was just coughing, but I could be wrong.
Question: Once D-76 is mixed up like this, how long does it keep for in a sealed brown bottle? Also, is it possible to mix up a portion or half the bag of D-76 powder and keep it for later?
Once the D-76 is mixed, it can be kept for around three months or 60 rolls (assuming you use it stock and re-integrate the developer after use.) The developer will start to lose efficacy after time and after about two months or around 40 rolls you'll notice increased grain and reduced contrast. I'd suggest cutting it at 1+3 (parts water) for use and disposing of the expended developer for the best results.
As for partial bag mixing: don't. The particles that comprise the mix may not be evenly mixed, especially if different constituents are different crystal sizes (think of a cereal box or chip bag where all the tiny pieces settle to the bottom.) Using only part of a bag will almost certainly result in a chemical makeup which yields faulty image results, inconsistent development times, and so forth. If you use a liquid concentrate (such as Rodinal or Ilfosol 3) then you only need to use as much of that as is required on the day you develop film.
Is there a way of making little fixes and not using the whole bag??
Nope. The chemicals aren't homogenized throughout the bag so each batch would work differently and dinner night not even work at all if the quantities of each compound are different.
How much water are you supposed to use. do you need to use?
Is it possible to make a smaller amount, like half a gallon or even less, as long as I keep the concentration of the solution the same?
You can buy D76 for 1L!
Hey great video. Do you know how long doest the solution remain fresh, i don't develop much and maybe it's better if i disolve just a part of the powder. And one more thing, do you know how many uses does a dosification of the solution resist? Thank you!
Solutions stay fresh for different periods based on what chemistry it is. Some have great shelf life, others do not. Don't mix partial bags. The compounds in the bags are different crystal sizes and settle unevenly. Mixing a partial bag will mean the wrong chemistry is mixed. And uses per dilution is always one use per diluted stock solution.
Thank you very much!
this may be a dumb question, but can i mix it and be fine if i only mix half the powder into a half gallon?
Not a dumb question at all. It's not advised to split bags, unfortunately. The chemical powders don't homogonize well. So think of it like a box of cereal or chips where all the broken bits settle to the bottom. The smaller crystals in developer will settle to the bottom, too. So the chemical make-up if you only use half a container won't get the correct chemical mix.
The makers do sell half-gallon and quart bags, though. So smaller mixes are doable but are more costly on a per-ounce basis.
one more question and thanks for the help. what about splitting the the fixer to make smaller batches ?
sorry this is all new to me.
Ask all the questions you need. I'm glad to help.
Powdered fix has the same use requirement as powdered developer, so it can't be cut. Now, for liquid fix, I'm not 100% certain whether that can be cut or not. Liquid developer concentrate like Rodinal or Ilfosol is designed to be, but I think liquid fix might be designed to be used all at once to create a stock solution (I'm open to the possibility that I'm wrong on that.) Fix, fortunately, has a much longer shelf life after mixing than developer does.
If I already cut it in half can I mix the other half and then add both half's together after a couple days ?
I think you can. I would mix the other half in a separate container with the appropriate water quantity and then add them together. If the chemistry is mixed in the wrong order you can get a heat-inducing chemical reaction. That happened to me once and it melted a hole in the side of my vessel.
Thanks
great video. I just mixed my first bag of D-76 this afternoon, and now I regret not seeing this video first. Questions: After adding marbles, how long do you think that that mixture will last? Also, if I have a single reel stainless steel tank that can hold 290ml, does 1:1 dilution mean add 145ml of stock D-76, and 145ml of water? Thanks
Probably around 20 rolls, I can get 5 reels on single tanks with a 1 qt jug, and 4 qt = 1gal
While searching online I came across a company called SKS-Bottles, they sell amber jugs that look identical to yours. I tried to link to it but youtube doesn't like links in the comments... :(
When I tried the recording with the mask on, it sounded like this :"mmrf frumpfl mummfy mo." So instead I pulled my shirt over my nose, which is better than nothing but not perfect.
I was gonna suggest that but is more a last resort filter
How is 1:1 dilution made from this?
One part stock solution and one part water.
Now I see lots of videos talking about how to use these chemicals, but I don't really see anything on how to dispose of em when you're done. Can't really find a straight answer to that anywhere. >.>
one question can we use plastic gallon for keeping and mixing the chemicals
nikonpic Sure can. I use store-bought distilled water in gallon jugs for making most chemicals. I use glass bottles for storing developer (which is more sensitive to oxygen than fixer, and plastic allows gas infiltration) and use the water jugs for fixer. The plastic jugs are actually really easy to pour from.
David Hancock thanks sir thanks for your kind reply
Great Video!
But I'm still a bit afraid of D76 because the Safety Datasheet says that it may causes cancer.
Do You think it is that dangerous to use it?
+ei_in_the_sky I wouldn't eat it.
The important note on an MSDS for cancer risk isn't that something is a carcinogen. Lots of things are carcinogens -- sunlight, age, coffee, and so forth. Look at the carcinogenic classification. To my knowledge, hydroquinone, the carcinogenic compound in developer, is demonstrated to be carcinogenic in animals but is not classified as a known carcinogen in humans.
+David Hancock Ok. That' s a bit comforting.
It's nice that you answer all comments.
Thank You!
Hey how long before the pictures start to appear on the film? After development?
They'll appear during their time in the developing chemistry but if you expose the film to light before fixing it you'll erase all the photos. I have a video that goes through the whole process from start to finished results. I don't have a link handy but that might help, too. At minimum you'll need developer and fixer. Those are the two mandatory chemicals.
Definitely not. Your film has to be in the dark when you remove it from the cassette to put into the spiral and tank and then it has to be in the dark during the chemistry. Once the fix is complete you can take it out of the tank or pour the fix back into your container (because fix is reusable and also super toxic if it goes down a drain) and then take the tank lid off and rinse and dump the water. The fix removes all of the remaining light-active compounds from the emulsion leaving only the ones that have already been affected by light, so no additional exposure and development will occur if the fix step was performed correctly.
How would I use this in terms of owning a 290 ml tank with one 35 mm film roll?
Basically you'd need to figure out which dilution you plan to use. Instead of 1,000ml, as in my previous example, replace that with 290ml (I'd use 300 as it's always a good idea to have a few extra mililiters in case some spills) and then simply divide using 300 instead of 1,000 as your total volume.
@Deliah Shellhouse no problem. Let me see if I can explain it differently. Stock is what you get from the mixing directions on the package. Assuming you have a one-gallon (3.8 liter) package you'd mix up the powder with enough water to make 3.8 liters of stock. The 1:1 is then a mixture of stock and additional water. So 1:1 is, in your case, 150ml stock and 150 more ml of water. Stock is what you mix up ahead of time to use later after cutting it with water. Let me know if that helps clarify things.
Ah, by the grace of god yes I finally understand! Thank you so much!
when you mix 1 gallon to 1 package is this considered full strength or 1:1 solution ?
Good question and no. Mixing the powder with the water creates stock solution. Cutting that solution with an equal amount of water (which should only be done immediately before use) makes 1:1. Don't re-mix 1:1 solution into the stock. After dilution and use, the developer is spent. You can use 1:3 (one part developer to three parts of water) to make the developer stretch. The 1:3 times are longer than 1:1.
Thanks
I don't think someone needs to be Ansel Adams to take pride in their work and strive for the highest-quality craftsmanship. Will tap water work? Yes. Does it contain chlorine, fluoride, and other constituents which can adversely impair developer performance and image quality? Also yes. Water from a softened system contains excess salt levels which can have deleterious effects.
Why not use coffee filters, a large kettle & collapsible storage containers; like the ones from freestyle photo/AP
Good question. For the collapsible containers, they're plastic. Plastic is porous and will absorb chemicals, meaning that once a container is dedicated to one chemical it really needs to stay in use for that chemical only or the plastic will degrade more rapidly. Also, plastic absorbs smells. Also, the accordion-type collapsing containers have wear and stress points built in so they can develop pinholes or other leaks with use. And the accordions also do not drain chemicals as effectively as the smooth glass, meaning it's harder to fully remove chemicals between fills. Glass is non-porous and can be used in various chemical service with a good cleaning in between. It also won't absorb smells.
Collapsible containers do require less space, however. And plastic containers won't shatter if dropped.
For coffee filters, they are cheaper but also are much finer than a filter funnel. They strain slowly and risk filtering out chemical compounds if used to strain mixed chemicals. That can impair mix quality if some of the chemicals have not fully entered solution.
A large kettle is fine and actually better than my approach. I simply chose what I could get at a garage sale for $1.
much respect on the detailed answer. Thank you & I shall remember it for my next batch of D76.
can you split the developer up and just make one quart at a time and if so what's the best way to do it?
No, you can't. Powdered developer is made of different constituent chemicals and they have a different crystal size. So like a bag of potato chips where all the small bits settle at the bottom, the smaller crystals in developer bags also settle. If you were to grab just 25% of it at a time, the mix would almost certainly be incorrect and your developer would likely either be way too strong or way too weak. I believe that these are sold in quart-size packages. Also, liquid developers like Rodinal may be a better solution since you only dole out what you need for an individual tank or two at a time.
Thanks
Can I use a plastic jug
Definitely yes. I do now, exclusively. I find them easier to pour from. I buy distilled water in gallon jugs then use that distilled water to mix the chemistry. The excess distiller water goes into my water filer for use in mixing other chemistry and final film rinses. Then the plastic jugs are recycled when I finish with the chemistry.
There are two possibilities. I may have cut the hole too small, or I may have been so bored by it that it only felt like six minutes.
Great video! That a burp at 4:56? :P
Do you have to store it in a glass jar? Why can't you store it in a plastic container?
+Lara Stephenson It can be stored in plastic, and many people do so, but plastic is air permeable and the chemistry will expire more rapidly.
+David Hancock Thanks! Good to know. For now I'll start with using plastic, but will definitely upgrade to glass once I get going.
Truth be told, I store my fix in plastic gallon jugs now. It's easier to pour from. I mix it with distilled water and put it back in the distilled water's container.
+David Hancock Nice! Okay, great to know. One more question: It looks like you heated up some of the water in the pan and put some of the non-heated room-temperature water in the jug first. Is that correct? So you basically had normal room temp water waiting in the jug and then added the heated water?
Lara Stephenson Correct. That allowed the water, during the mix, to be the proper temperature. It's best to just heat all the water up to the proper temperature, but if that's not feasible, an alternative is to mix hot and cool water. Putting the cool water in first allows the hot to cool down and prevents the chemistry from overheating, which is more likely to damage it than mixing it with room temperature water first.
Shaking it like that you will aerate your chemistry and shorten the life of the chemistry.
+George Ortiz I did not know that. Thank you.
Not true! I've been mixing my chemistry that way for the past 40 years and had no issues with the life of the chemistry. Keep on doing it the way you've been doing it, David Hancock!
This seems too complicated. I use just hot water from the tap (well, I live in an area with clean water with minimal traces of minerals in it) and mix it with glass stick in separate plastic measuring cup (no problem with dust there, just hold the bag close to water level), stir until everything is dissolved) and after that seal with gas from lighter in smaller bottles. I used different developers and none of them smelled bad.
Sealing them with gas sounds pretty complicated, too.
David Hancock No, you just hold a lighter (of course, the cheapest one with separate gas release and spark maker) over the bottle for few seconds, propane-butane is heavier, than air, acts like an invisible liquid (think of it as of an ghost of oil), it will make a layer on the solution level and do not allow almost any oxygen to react with it. I used marbles just for stock rodinal.
Yeah, that does sound a lot easier.
I stopped using marbles a while ago. I got some that had a coating which interacted negatively with the developer and caused it to be ruined after about 24 hours in the bottle.
David Hancock Works only if you have fresh mountain water, it did not work with water on the continent and would not work in most of England. You can use reverse osmotic pump to clean normal water, it is OK, and it is clean source of water for drinking in places with not so great water.
just wondering, whats the point if you can do black and white a lot faster in a program? its less wasteful too.
Well, for a lot of good reasons. Firstly, I disagree that it's more wasteful. Modern mining and manufacturing processes create tons of toxic waste. Digital cameras use a lot of rare earth materials that are mined using wasteful and polluting methods (though mostly in third-world countries so it's off a lot of peoples' radar.) Old film cameras -- they were manufactured so long ago that their environmental footprint not is practically nil.
Secondly, taking a black and white film photo requires a much greater skill level than taking a digital photo and slapping some sliders around until it looks good. Black and white film photography teaches image discipline, selectiveness, and improves a photographer's understanding of what cameras do and how they function.
Lastly, it's a challenge. Sure I can obtain basically any black and white result I want from a digital image. I do it fairly often, too. However, I have a much greater satisfaction seeing a negative turn out well after I calculated the exposure, planned the shot, and managed to develop it properly.
Extending that to printing in the darkroom and it's a fantastic sense of accomplishment that makes digital photography feel comparatively hollow.
you must be new here
I just fill a bucket with hot water, mix in the powder, and pour a little more water in. Lol. I didn’t wear a mask 👀
Hmm. That may not be the optimal approach.
Adding aeration (oxygen) to Developer will shorten the lifespan of the chemistry. I'm a retired Navy Photographer w/ 15 years experience, believe me I know, I spent many days mixing Photo chemistry.
Yes, you are correct. Oxidation degrades the chemistry. This video is about due to a redo.
He didn't follow his own advise wear a mask, coughing. My 2 cent is dissolve it with hot or warm water in low volume mix it with a stir stick then pour that content into larger volume jug dilute remaining water volume that's all dontover complicate the process.
There are previous comments covering exactly this point.
No spout pot did not help him. I knew he will get clumps and deposit over engineering either way it will sit to cool down before usage.
Correct, but of there are clumps when it cools they will not dissolve. So fillets and shaking the mix prevent that. Clumps that don't dissolve affect chemistry effectiveness and performance because they change the mix ratios.