Beef
Hi,
I usually always use HC-110 and Rodinal to develop my films. Mostly in combination with Fomapan films.
Just for fun, I’ve now tried the Fomadon LQN reference developer... and it really blew me away! It gets even more out of the film than the stated speed :) What’s more, the overall image quality is lovely... I almost prefer it to HC-110 and Rodinal :)
So far, I’ve always tried the LQN in the standard 1+10 ratio as a single-use developer. My bottle is 350ml.
With this method, the developer runs out quite quickly and is uneconomical for me (when I compare it with other developers).
Does anyone have a tip on how I could make better use of the LQN?
I don’t want to resort to the 1+14 dilution because of the insufficient speed :)
I was thinking of multiple development...
The packaging states that the developer should be used immediately after dilution with water (otherwise it goes off straight away).
However, it also says that it is possible to develop several films in it if you extend the development time for each one.
How should I interpret this? Do the films have to be developed one after the other, or can the developer be stored in an airtight, light-proof container for several weeks (as is the case with other developers)?
I’m normally against multi-use developers and their lack of precision when it comes to reproduction... but for this fantastic image result, I’d even put up with that :lol:
Regards
Andi
Urnes
Hello,
so if it says that the developer won’t keep once you’ve performed dilution, it certainly won’t keep any longer if you leave it standing and then increase the development time. So you really should develop the films one after the other.
But let’s be honest. If you’ve found a combination that you’re completely happy with, why would you want to start skimping again and risk a potentially worse result simply because it’s not reproducible?
Regards, Sven.
Beef
Hi,
Well, I thought that if it was sealed airtight, it might last longer...but that’s not necessarily the case with every developer :)
yeah, I’m not exactly satisfied :lol: I use the HC-110 for push processing and films from 400 ISO. And the Rodinal for low-speed films (100, 200 ISO). Actually, I’m very happy with Rodinal, mainly because of the many variables you can play around with (temperature, stand development, etc.)... but this developer just doesn’t deliver on speed :) You have to perform overexposure on almost every film by 1–3 DINs (to maintain the ‘normal’ exposure latitude).
And with Fomadon LQN, it was exactly the opposite... it extracts the maximum (if not even more) ISO sensitivity and produces an incredibly poor contrast curve :)
But €4 for 7 films or €12 for 100–150 films... that’s a decisive difference for me :D
Regards
andi
Gerd
How about a smaller can? 350ml is quite a lot for a single roll of film.
For 35mm, there’s the Jobo 1510, which only needs 250ml... If you rotate the film, you can save even more.
Otherwise, Rodinal is just really cheap.
Gerd
Urnes
Right then, I keep my A49 stock solution sealed away for up to three months. But I reckon Gerd’s tip is actually the better one. With the small Jobo canister, you only need 270ml and can develop two films at once. With the rotary method, consumption drops to 180ml. I have to admit that I used to use HC-110 for sheet films because the Jobo can used up 1.2 litres for 6 films, but I wasn’t really happy with it. The rotary method is more fun and pays off in the long run.
Regards, Sven.
Beef
Hi,
Yeah, I’ve got this little AP developing tank :) When I first started developing, I just went for this one because it’s so cheap. And the only thing that’s put me off the Jobo 1510 so far is that it costs three times as much...I’ve always got on really well with the one I have now :)
But I reckon it’s just time for a change... in the long run, it’ll save me a lot of developer.
But actually, I only need about 280–300ml to ensure my reel is completely submerged in the liquid... I’ve just always topped it up to the brim to be on the safe side, and that happened to be 350ml :lol:
Urnes
Hmm, you could, of course, also try double exposures on your film. That would save you some film too. :)
But seriously. In the long run, constantly skimping in the wrong places doesn’t pay off. It’s better to save a little and buy something decent straight away.
Regards, Sven.
