rednaxelA
Hello,
I’ve already read loads of posts here and on other forums and tried to find out more from the manufacturers’ data sheets. But that’s actually just made things a bit more confusing.
I actually have very little throughput. With 10–15 KB films every three months, that’s about it.
So now I’m wondering how long the opened concentrates will keep.
As I always pursue my hobby in bursts, I can probably process quite a few films in one go. In that case, the chemicals would probably be used up within a few weeks.
It’s probably a different story when it comes to extraction. I’ll probably only get round to it every few weeks, and the throughput certainly won’t be huge. The prepared solutions will likely have gone off long before they’re used up. Which doesn’t really bother me that much. But I’d at least like to have some usable concentrate at home.
My nearest supplier is a good 100 km away and I only find myself in that area now and then. With mail-order companies, I’d probably struggle to meet the minimum order quantity more than once a year. That’s why I’d like to build up an annual supply.
I’ve roughly measured out my trays. With a fill height of about 2 cm, they hold about 2 litres.
That means the usable amount is probably much higher than the quantity I’ll likely process in six months.
I’ve already given it some thought. But now I’d just like to hear the opinions of a few die-hard darkroom experts.
I’ve chosen Rodinal as my negative developer. It’s apparently very stable, and the half-litre bottle should last me a year.
As for the fixer, once opened, Agefix apparently only keeps for 3 months. So a few small 125ml bottles would probably do the trick there too. But I’d actually prefer a concentrate with a longer shelf life.
As for the colour developer, I’m not quite sure what to go for. Eukobrom is available in sizes that are quite practical for me. Calbe N113 is also always highly praised. It’s just that the bottle sizes bother me a bit.
I’d be quite open to alternative suggestions.
Best regards,
Alexander
MatthiasStark
Hello,
I always decant concentrates that I don’t use very often into several smaller bottles.
For example, I take a one-litre bottle and fill four 250ml bottles from it.
The advantage is that the concentrates last longer in the small bottles than if you
end up with a large bottle that’s only partially full. When decanting, you obviously have to
be very careful to ensure that as little oxygen as possible is introduced into the solution.
Incidentally, I can’t imagine that the fixer would go off after three months.
I’m not familiar with Agefix, but I don’t think it’s likely to go off any quicker than similar
competitor products.
Best regards,
Matthias
