Rudolphono
Hello.
I work a lot with Fomapan 100 and occasionally with the 400 as well.
I’ve been developing with atm49 so far and have been very happy with the results.
But now I’m looking for a developer with a longer shelf life and shorter development times.
Is there a product where I don’t have to compromise too much on fine grain and subtle grey tones?
Regards, Ralph
MirkoBoeddecker
Hi Ralph,
That’s quite an unusual request. If you’re happy with a particular film and developer combination, you really should just stick with it.
Besides, the ATM49 has a very long shelf life.
Why are you looking to reduce your development times?
Best regards,
Mirko
Rudolphono
Development times of 17 minutes are just too long for me.
If I want to push the exposure a stop, I end up spending ages in the boiler room.
I’d also like to switch to a liquid developer.
It’s just nicer to work with.
I’d rather go out and take photos.
I don’t place that much importance on finer details during development either.
I just don’t like coarse grain or contrasts that are too stark.
Although, with my current setup, the contrasts are sometimes even too weak for my liking.
Regards, Ralph
mdeutgen
Hello.
I work a lot with Fomapan 100 and occasionally with the 400 as well.
I’ve been developing with atm49 so far and have been very happy with the results.
But now I’m looking for a developer with a longer shelf life and shorter development times.
Is there a product where I don’t have to compromise too much on fine grain and subtle grey tones?
Regards, Ralph
I can’t quite see the point of shorter times either. Personally, I actually find times of under eight minutes too short, because any deviation in timing or in the movement of the can has a proportionally greater effect than with longer times.
By the way: I deliberately made the switch to ATM49 precisely because I get the longer times with a 1:1 dilution.
And if you take a look at the various data sheets for Kodak’s developers, it states quite clearly that times under 5 minutes can lead to uneven results. That should easily apply to ATM49 as well...
Martin
Gerd
I don’t know how long A49 lasts. But I’ve just developed a pile of films using a batch of Xtol that’s a year old.
Feinkönig delivers the speed and is cheap.
Mirko sells the identical (or similar?) Fomadon Excel, which is also available as a powder for 1 litre.
Fomapan 100: ISO 125, 9 minutes, 1+2.
It’s just powder and is best stored in small (brown apothecary) bottles, which are then filled to the brim for shelf life. Because if air gets in, it goes off quickly.
I don’t know if that would be an improvement for you compared to A49.
Website:
Xtol .
Gerd
ThomasLoos
Hello!
Well, the advantage of long development times is that minor deviations don’t have such a drastic effect. I always do it this way: during development, I sit down at the computer and do something else; I put a towel on the desk, place the development tray on top and set the stopwatch in front of me. That way I can easily have a drink on the side. The fact that I have to carry the tray across my flat at the start and end doesn’t bother me.
Best regards, Thomas
orwograph
That’s what I do too. It’s a good thing, as even 17 minutes hardly bothers me. You could also make a phone call or do some ironing, couldn’t you?
Peter.
bernhardmangelsgmxde
That’s what I do too. It’s a good idea – 17 minutes is hardly a bother. You could also have a phone call or do some ironing, couldn’t you?
Peter.
[Where’s the head-shaking smiley here?]
Ironing and making phone calls on the side... that’s not something you do on the side. Enjoy those 17 minutes of peace and quiet – when do you ever get them? And after washing, you’ll have a developed and clean film and a clear mind...
:rolleyes:
Rudolphono
17 minutes of peace and quiet – when do you ever get that?
That’s true. But when do you ever have 17 minutes to spare? :-)
And 17 minutes isn’t just for stopping, fixing and winding the film... etc.
But I’ve still got enough chemicals for one batch, so I’ll mix that up tomorrow and use the weekend to develop everything that’s lying around.
I haven’t found any other developer that I like either. So I’ll stick with ADOX for now.
If I make 6 batches of 500ml each from my 3 litres of single-use developer solution (1l stock solution + 2 litres of water), each batch should be enough for 2 films, shouldn’t it? I’ve often read that there needs to be a minimum amount of developer in the solution per film. That would mean I’d be developing 12 films per 1 litre of stock solution, so to speak.
As a multi-use developer, it’s only enough for 10.
So should I extend the development time?
Regards, Ralle
mdeutgen
Hi everyone,
If I remember the ATM49 instructions correctly, they say something along the lines of ‘at least 100 ml per roll of 35mm or medium format film’. The Calbe data sheet for A49 states the same: “600 ml of A49 is sufficient for processing at least 6 135-36 35mm films or an equivalent quantity of other formats.” In my view, that’s clear enough.
I’ve decided for myself to use the 1+1 version of my ATM49; that gives me 125 ml per film, so I’m on the safe side. The fact that I can then only develop eight films instead of ten is a side effect which, in my view, is only reflected in a higher development cost. I would consider it wrong to skimp here and would be far more annoyed by a film that turned out badly.
Martin
Rudolphono
I just divided it into 6 portions as a test, because that works really well with my kit,
and straight away I developed 2 reels of Fomapan 400 together in one batch for 11 minutes.
I’m no professional, but to me the result looks great.
I couldn’t find anything about minimum quantities in the ADOX instructions.
It just says 1 litre of stock solution for 10 films.
But that refers to using it as a multi-purpose developer.
So now, instead of 100ml of stock solution, I’m using only about 83ml per film.
I don’t think it’s calculated that strictly, and the results show it works.
Regards, Ralle
philippleser
Hello,
But now I’m looking for a developer with a longer shelf life and shorter development times.
I like to use Diafine for Fomapan films, as the development time is always 3+3 minutes. It is a balancing two-bath developer where you can reuse the solutions time and again (reportedly for a year or longer).
Diafine tends to produce negatives with slightly low contrast (being a balancing developer), but as Foma films, in my experience, tend to be on the steep side rather than flat, this balances out quite well.
Regards,
Philipp
cfb_de
I like to use Diafine for Fomapan films; the development time is always 3+3 minutes.
I’ve also come to enjoy making it myself. A TMY film develops in it in 4-4 minutes to around 640 ASA with really fine grain. A lovely solution; I get on better with it than with Emofin. And when you make it yourself, you only pay once
mdeutgen
Now that my film order has arrived, I processed the first two rolls of Fomapan 400 in ATM49 today (1+1 dilution, agitation according to Calbe’s instructions, 13 minutes at 20 °C) and am actually quite happy with the results. Ultimately, however, I won’t be able to judge properly until tomorrow, once I’ve seen the two films in daylight and in a dry state – at the moment they’re sitting in a measuring jug under deionised water, waiting to be hung up in the shower.
As described above, I used the developer with a dilution of 1:1, using 125 ml of stock solution per film. In the next step, I’ll try the 1:2 dilution and test it with the 83 ml per film mentioned above. What works with Rodinal should actually work here too. I’ve actually always developed my 35mm films in Rodinal using just 5 ml of concentrate... I’ll give it a go.
@Ralle: Could you tell me your settings for processing Fomapan 100 and 400 (times, dilution, agitation)?
Martin
uhoepfner
Hello,
I’ve had good experiences with Promicrol. It keeps for quite a long time even in an open bottle, and I’m pleased with the results, particularly with the 400 (which I also expose at 800 ASA). At 400 ASA, the 400 film takes 12 minutes at f/14, and the 100 film at 200 ASA takes 11 minutes at f/14.
Greetings from the outskirts of Berlin
Rudolphono
@Ralle: Could you tell me your settings for processing Fomapan 100 and 400 (times, dilution, agitation)?
Martin
Fomapan 100 – 17 mins.
Fomapan 400 – 11 mins.
Dilution 1+2
20°C
Agitation: for the first 30 seconds and then 4 times per minute.
But that’s certainly not the be-all and end-all.
My cameras don’t allow me to adjust the exposure.
That’s why it makes little sense for me to set the times more precisely. (Or rather, it’s not possible at all.)
But it works quite well for me as it is.
Regards, Ralle
