celestine47
member
Reged: 26/06/2006
Posts: 108
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hello, I do not do much black and white photography but I do process my own films , but , I am concerned about the keeping qualities of chemicals and I have used solution but, I wonder if I should use a powder?.
What powders are available and how do you mix them?.
the films I use are Ilford Pan F and HP5 .
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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Ilford ID11 is a nice powdered standard dev for those films. You can get packs of various sizes which come with full mixing and use instructions. The powder lasts pretty much forever before you make it up and the stock solution lasts fairly well in full sealed bottles. However, you might also like Pan F in Neofin Blau, which is a liquid accutance developer. What do you use at the moment?
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David.
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Cheshire_Tony
member
Reged: 12/10/2007
Posts: 122
Loc: Cheshire, UK
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Back in the 60s when I did my own processing, I used liquid chemicals (Johnson Universal developer, Acutol(?) fixer, 326 wetting agent). To minimise their oxidation I would fill the space in the bottle with glass marbles to reduce the volume of air.
Then I lost my marbles... 
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Tony
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taxor
Reged: 09/07/2004
Posts: 582
Loc: Lancaster, UK
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Quote:
326 wetting agent)
Blimus, I remember 326 wetting agent. I must have had a bottle for around 10 years before it ran out or went off (can't remember which)! Quote:
To minimise their oxidation I would fill the space in the bottle with glass marbles to reduce the volume of air.
..or use concertina bottles, if you can get 'em or spray lighter refill gas into the partly filled bottles (prevents oxidisation) making sure you don't blow yourself up in the process Powders last pretty much indefinitely but liquid concentrates are more convenient. I don't think there is any difference in quality whatsoever and each type has its adherents. Perhaps you might like to try Rodinal as a developer? This is a liquid concentrate with very good keeping qualities (running into years I am not too reliably informed). Trouble is, it's quite difficult to get hold of these days and you may not like the results (it's an 'acutance' developer). My choice would be ID11/D76 powder.
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"I wanna hold your gland". Lemming & McCartney
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Woolliscroft
veteran
Reged: 23/08/2005
Posts: 1253
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Rodinol is back. You can get it from Retro i.a. I'm never quite sure whether I like it or not. When I do use it, it tends to be with medium format where you don't really notice that it's not as fine grain as some.
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David.
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topoxforddoc
newbie
Reged: 27/07/2007
Posts: 34
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I've used both liquid and powder. I shoot almost exclusively HP5 and TRI-X. Currently I'm using XTOL, which comes in a powder form. The 5L packet is enough for 20-25 films and costs £6-6.50. Previously I've used Ilfosol, Aculx, Acutol, DDX, but not Rodinal (bit grainy with HP5 and TRI-X, I'm told). Mixing up takes about 15 minutes at room temp and then leave it to stand for about an hour before you use it. XTOL keeps for up to 6 months (but doesn't turn brown when it's expired!).
Charlie
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Mojo_66
Rain Kat
Reged: 25/05/2006
Posts: 3416
Loc: Lancs
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Silverprint do Rodinol too, and pretty much everything else. They also do a Rodinol Special, which is supposed to be finer grain, I got some the other day but haven't tried it yet.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mojo_black/
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Simon E.
Reged: 16/01/2001
Posts: 718
Loc: Shropshire, England
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I like Ilford DD-X. It keeps very well for a liquid, I've used it 9 or 10 months after opening and it's still perfectly good.
I don't enjoy mixing powder chemicals, though I have recently bought a pack of Kodak Xtol to give it a try (I like the idea of its more eco-benign contents). Ilford ID-11 is the benchmark, though I don't think you'll see much difference between that and DD-X.
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Simon.
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John_K
addict
Reged: 03/09/2006
Posts: 580
Loc: North Yorks
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I use ID11 for my film. After mixing it is stored in DARK brown glass bottles and never seems to go off even over 6 months in a partially full bottle. Paper developer I buy in 5 litre cannisters (Ilford Multigrade) and decant out again into glass bottles and that also never goes off (5 litres lasts me approx 2ys-18 months). For the main storage I use 500ml bottles which cost approx 35p from Boots Pharmacy and then decant the contents into 100 cc bottles also from boots. I also use old screwtop brown glass wine bottles with the added benefit of HAVING to consume the contents beforehand!
Concertina bottles are about the worst thing to store developer in. The plastic is so thin it is gas permeable and the contents will oxydise in quite a short time. OK for things like fixer and stop bath but never developer
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taxor
Reged: 09/07/2004
Posts: 582
Loc: Lancaster, UK
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Excellent advice from the previous poster. I decant concentrates into brown bottles also and it does make them last longer (but I also give a squirt of butane lighter refill to displace the oxygen).
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"I wanna hold your gland". Lemming & McCartney
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