Hina Doll

Film Preference

Film choice depends on one's style of photography as well as the feeling that one wishes to convey. For good speed and also high resolution I primarily use ISO 100 films. Generally speaking, films with higher ISO ratings show more grain and less resolution. They can be used in situations when there is less available light. Films with factory rated ISO numbers of 100 or lower are nearly free of grain and are high in resolution. Ilford Delta 3200 is probably the fastest film available today and there are a few films still on the market as slow as ISO 25. Two films that I liked a lot were Kodak Technical Pan and Agfa APX 25. They are no longer produced so the stock that I have on hand is the end of it for me. One fairly new film on the market is Bluefire Police ultra-high-resolution film which is very similar to Technical Pan. It was originally formulated for surveillance photography, identification, and documentation.

My overall film of choice now is Fuji Neopan 100 Acros developed in the ascorbic acid-penidone developer, E-76. In low light situations I sometimes use Neopan 400 Presto, also developed in E-76.

Rodinal

Agfa Rodinal is (was) a p-aminophenol film developer that has been around for well over 100 years. It is a high acutance developer that renders high resolution, lovely gradation and a pronounced grain. It was my favorite developer for over twenty years when I was working mainly with large format film. Now that I use mainly 35mm and 645 film I find the resulting sharp grain structure a bit too much for my taste so I stopped using it. Agfa went out of business and Rodinal is no longer available but a very similar developer is made by FOMA Bohemia Ltd. called Fomadon R09. R stands for Rodinal.

FX-37

Another film developer that I have used in the past is FX-37 formulated by Geoffrey Crawley to be used with tabular grain films. It slightly enhances film speed and renders good resolution and tonal gradation.

Stock Solution

Usage

The original formula calls for distilled water but I use boiled tap water with excellent results. After preparation I decant the stock developer into 150 ml bottles and then dilute it 1:5 to make the working solution. Before development I run the working solution through a coffee filter. I have used FX-37 that has been decanted for as long as a month so its shelf life seems to be quite good. My standard development time for TMax 100 and Acros is 10 minutes at 20°C.

D-78

I found the formula for D-78, a very simple glycin developer, at Per Backman's site. Per found it in a Russian handbook. Glycin, as a film developer, is noted for even development and works well in formulas such as FX-2 used as a stand developer. My stock of glycin is very old and now looks like dark cocoa powder. It stains print highlights to such a degree that it is useless in paper formulas such as Ansco 130. It does still seem to be effective as a developing agent in film developers though.

I first used D-78 when making transparencies by contact printing negatives onto sheet film. I found that the old glycin produced a warm toned positive image and that development was very even.

Working Solution

I mix the working solution just prior to use, filter it through a coffee filter and then let it cool to 20°C. The transparency directly below was made by contact printing the negative onto TMax 100 sheet film and then developing it for 10 minutes in D-78.

Glasses & Books

TP-78 (Modified D-78 for Technical Pan)

The first time that I tried D-78 with Technical Pan I got very even development but the contrast was too great. Lowering the amount of sodium carbonate gave me very evenly developed negatives with acceptable contrast. I also lowered the amount of sodium sulfite to give greater acutance. I expose Technical Pan at EI 25 and develop it for six minutes at 20°C.

I also use TP-78 with Bluefire Police film and get very good results. I expose Bluefire at EI 25 and develop it for ten minutes at 20°C.

Working Solution

This Technical Pan Negative was developed for six minutes in TP-78 at 20°C.

Pomegranates

Agitation

Except for Technical Pan I agitate for the first 30 seconds and then for five seconds at one minute, five seconds at a minute and a half and five seconds at two minutes. After that I agitate for ten seconds every minute until development is complete. For Technical Pan and Bluefire Police I agitate for five seconds every thirty seconds until development is complete.

Negative Intensification

To intensify negatives that are lacking in contrast I first soak them in a wetting agent such as Kodak Photo-Flo or Fuji Driwel and then immerse them in Kodak rapid selenium toner diluted 1:4. The maximum toning effect is acquired after about six minutes. I then run the negatives through a clearing bath and wash them thoroughly.