Oleksander
Hello fellow forum members,
I’ve just done something really stupid – I developed a Swema 64 in Rodinal.
Unfortunately, instead of a 1:50 dilution, I only diluted it to 1:25 and developed it for 12 minutes (the correct time would have been about 6 minutes at 1:25).
Now the film can’t be enlarged – it’s completely dense and far too steep – and the pictures are important. I know I’m an idiot, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.
Which stop bath would work for this problem? I think Farmer’s stop bath makes it even steeper, doesn’t it? Has anyone here ever managed to salvage a film like this?
Oleksander
Stagirit
I tried using a developer made from potassium permanganate and sulphuric acid for the same problem.
It seems quite harsh, even though I used about 20ml to 1 litre of water, so it’s probably best to carry out further dilution. It etches the silver more evenly than the Farmer’s developer; you might be able to salvage the highlights, but you’ll have to write off the shadows.
I also had spots from the copper sulphate in the solution at the time, so either filter it or perhaps prepare it in warm water.
Otherwise, the result was OK.
Gast
Hello,
Another update from Kisselbach.
Method I) Ammonium persulphate reducer; attacks the darkest areas most strongly, making the negatives softer.
Water 100 ml
Ammonium persulphate 2 g
plus 1–2 ml of a 1% saline solution
Method II) Re-development
Bleach, then redevelop
Bleaching agent (affects the gradient)
for all:
600 ml water
12 g potassium ferricyanide
plus
Bath 1 (mild action)
12 g potassium bromide
Bath 2 (normal action)
12 g sodium chloride
Bath 3 (strong action)
6 g potassium bromide
5 g sodium chloride
1 g potassium iodide
Develop for at least 3 minutes in any developer until the image looks right; repeat if necessary.
Best regards
Roland
PS: I think if you’re struggling with the German chemical names, Franz can help translate them into technical terms; I haven’t had anything to do with chemistry since my final year of secondary school.
cfb_de
You’re welcome.
“Bromkali”: potassium bromide. (Not readily available, as it can be used intravenously to send grandma to her grave.)
“Iodkalium”: potassium iodide.
“Potassium ferricyanide”: [this chronic affliction of makeshift nomenclature will probably live on forever...] "Red blood salt" (for fans of traditional trivial names), potassium hexacyanoferrate(III), tripotassium hexacyanoferrate, lab jargon: "K3". (Also not without its problems when purchasing, because the solution – especially when acidified – constantly releases HCN ("hydrocyanic acid"). Admittedly only a small amount, but for the sake of public health, the legislator has not included a safety measure there without good reason, and as is well known, there are no safety data sheets for finished products when purchasing the pure substance.)
Best regards,
Franz
Gast
Hello Stagirit, Roland, Franz,
Thank you very much for the great tips. I hope I can save the negatives, otherwise I’ll be in for a telling-off :unsure: (official company party).
I reckon Method II is safer, isn’t it?
I hope it’ll be easier for me to get hold of the chemicals here in Ukraine than it is in Germany.
Oleksander
Gast
Roland,
How long am I actually supposed to leave it to bleach? It doesn't say anywhere – could you perhaps have a look again?
Thanks
Oleksander
piu58
Dear Oleksander,
Over-development creates high contrast (where there’s nothing, nothing is developed). Under-development increases the contrast (the shadows are ‘all gone’ at first). My recommendation, therefore, is to leave everything as it is and rely on darkroom techniques instead. For example, diffuse pre-exposure, or pressing the photographic paper—soaked in developer—onto a glass plate.
Stagirit
Just a silly idea on the off-chance – could you perhaps re-expose the film?
I mean, make a black-and-white slide from the over-developed negative, but set a flat gradient for the slide.
For example, on T-Max 100 or FP4.
P.S.: When will the multi-contrast film finally be available?
cfb_de
Hello Stagirit,
When will we finally get the multi-contrast film?
Probably shortly after the invention of the remote control for the sun. You’ve got to set the green/blue colour mix somehow.
;-)
Franz
Gast
I’d suggest having a look under
‘Moersch
’. Wolfgang Moersch has described bleaching and re-development in detail there.
Advantage a:
Very little new chemical is required – just a bleaching agent; you already have the developer,
Advantage b:
Re-development by eye.
You can find everything else in Moersch’s book.
Best regards
Martin
Gast
Right, the links – once you're on the homepage, you need to go to 'Instructions/Know-how'
Gast
Gast
Hi Oleksander,
Just to clarify the bleaching process?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t say how long you need to bleach for; I suppose until everything is invisible.
Then (I forgot) rinse for 10 minutes, develop and fix again – I was probably a bit rushed yesterday.
Roland
Gast
But Mr Moersch has described everything perfectly, as far as I can see
RomanJRohleder
"Stagirit",
P.S.: When will the multicontrast film finally be available?
It was available 10 years ago; we discussed the topic the other day ‘over in Hatten’.
A reproduction/display material from Agfa-Gevaert, with two differently sensitised emulations of varying hardness for use as display material with artificial light backlighting or daylight.
Roman
Gast
Hello,
I’d like to thank you all once again for your tips; they’ve been a great help.
I think I’ll bleach and redevelop the film; apparently, it’s possible to do so without too much risk.
Best regards,
Oleksander
Gast
Hello!
Something similar happened to me once: I calculated that a 1:25 ratio requires about 23 ml of developer, but I accidentally used the 1:50 ratio instead – yet the results were almost normal.
The solution to the mystery was that everything seemed to go wrong that day and, instead of 23 ml, I’d only poured 13 ml into the measuring cylinder, thereby compensating for my mistake.
What can we conclude from this?
Take a splash of developer from the bottle, pay no attention to time, temperature or mixing ratio, and everything will be fine.
Best regards,
Werner
Stagirit
That was available 10 years ago; we were discussing it the other day ‘over in Hatten’.
A reproduction/display material from Agfa-Gevaert, featuring two emulations with different sensitivities and varying degrees of hardness, designed for use as display material under artificial light or daylight.
Roman
Bloody hell, now I’m curious. I’ll have to give that a go with some multigrade paper.
