Gast
Hello,
The plan is as follows: 8x10'' portraits, developing them myself in a Jobo CPP2, contact printing on baryta paper, framing them, hanging them up, and being happy.
After interesting discussions, price comparisons, all sorts of specialist literature, rummaging through catalogues and laboriously searching the recesses of my mind, I still have no idea what film stock I should use.
The film should be/be able to/have:
- beautiful, creamy skin tones
- rich, deep blacks
- no less than 100 ISO (continuous light 5600 K, homemade – I’ll have to see what I can do; I just can’t seem to get to grips with flash units :().
- affordable, insofar as one can even use that adjective for anything to do with 8x10''.
- processable for processing in a Jobo Expert Drum without too much hassle.
- Available for the next few years.
- Suitable for contact prints (but then again, isn’t every material?).
- Mechanically robust.
- No variations in quality between batches.
What I’ve been mulling over so far:
- Maco Cube400.
Drawback: By far the most expensive film (117
rherz
Hi Matthias,
It’s a shame you’re asking a few weeks too early – I’ve got the Cube lying around, but I haven’t used it yet (it’s my second roll). At the moment I’m using up my first roll (HP5+) because the Efke isn’t available (the lesson here is: if you like Efke, you have to work according to the ‘squirrel method’ = stock up!)
But I can tell you something about the Efke: Developed in A49, 1 + 2, 20 °C, CPE2 level 2 for 18 minutes, advancing after 2 minutes. (Alternatively T-Max 1 + 4, 12 mins – the rest is identical) This produces exactly the kind of images that made me buy the GF – with that slightly ‘antique’ look. Incidentally, something I couldn’t achieve with the flat-crystal films (albeit in black and white) – though that might just be down to me.
The Efkes are a bit more scratch-sensitive than other films, but that’s nothing you can’t manage with proper technique, and it’s not an issue with GF anyway, as the film isn’t pulled over anything there. What the Efke definitely doesn’t like are stop baths. Just rinse with water (change the water twice) and nothing happens in terms of emulsion detachment.
So if the Cube isn’t exactly a revelation, I’ll stick with Efke and just stock up on a decent supply.
Best regards
Robert
MirkoBoeddecker
The efke has just arrived!
We’ve been unpacking since 9:00 this morning!!
So you can place your orders now.
Best wishes,
Mirko
Gast
Is the phone number (030/28599081) on the FOTOIMPEX website correct? For some reason, it’s been constantly busy for hours :ph34r:
I’d love to place an order – and, admittedly, have a quick chat about the technical details first – but how? :rolleyes:
MirkoBoeddecker
That’s just how it is on days like this, unfortunately.
When films arrive that hundreds of customers have been waiting for for weeks, we can’t exactly multiply by magic either...
The shop is absolutely packed, and Lutz is on holiday too.
Florian’s little daughter is ill, so he’s gone home early (he’d been here since 9:00 unpacking the delivery).
Would you perhaps like to send an email?
Best regards,
Mirko
Gast
I’ll do that tomorrow; you’re open on Saturdays too, if I remember correctly...
Otherwise, could you have a look at the list above – have I drawn the right conclusions, and is the Efke 100 the film for me? If I order a 50-pack now, when’s the latest I need to reorder to make sure I still get some?
Best regards,
Matthias
P.S.: If I order on Saturday, when will it be dispatched? Which developer should I use for the Efke if I’m aiming for contact prints? Calbe A49 or Tmax? Or perhaps something else? Is Rodinal suitable? Your table doesn’t mention Rodinal at all; does that mean it doesn’t work well with it?
uworischki
:rolleyes:
Yesterday around 2.30 pm at your shop:
No more Efke PL 100 in 9x12 available...
Was the 9x12 not included in the delivery, or have you run out again?
To make sure this doesn’t happen to me again – should I pre-order?
Gast
:rolleyes: Awww, don't get me all soft, maybe it just hadn't been unpacked yet!
Well, hopefully the 8x10'' isn't out of stock yet; I suppose it's not in such high demand... :ph34r:
MatthiasS
But I can tell you something about Efke: Developed in A49, 1 + 2, 20 °C, CPE2 Level 2 for 18 minutes, with a 2-minute forward push. (Alternatively, T-Max 1 + 4, 12 mins – the residue is the same)
Hello Robert,
Allow me to ask, why only level 2? Virtually all the information you can find online suggests that faster rotation should produce better – because more consistent – results; even the lady from Jobo customer service, when asked what speed to use, said ‘P’. Above all, I’m using one of those 3000 monsters for 8x10 sheet film, so working more slowly actually suits my motor (pre-serial number 22000, i.e. without the reinforced power supply – damn eBay and the Jobo website for keeping you in the dark about such things :huh: ).
Otherwise, how much chemical is needed for five 8x10 sheet films? The tin states a minimum of 270ml so that all films can be evenly coated – I seem to recall reading somewhere else (probably on the developer manufacturer’s website :D ) something about 1 litre. A49 comes in 2 x 1-litre powder packs for €5; even with dilution, the amount of solution I pour in is definitely a cost factor, quite apart from the fact that less chemical also means less weight, which, as already noted, also suits my motor, as it has less mass to move. :)
Otherwise, should one keep the solution undiluted and reuse it (if so, how often is that possible with 1 litre of A49 and five of those 8x10 high-silver Efke sheets?), or is it better to use it diluted as a single-use developer? What about subjects that already have the correct contrast from the exposure itself – won’t they end up looking too flat?
Regards
Matthias
rherz
Hi Matthias,
My CPE-2 (not the + version) only has 0 (nothing happens there :D ), 1 (it turns very slowly – I use that for the wetting agent) and 2 (that’s the one you work with).
With the 8x10" films, how many do you get in the tank? It can really only be one, can’t it? 270 ml should be enough for 6 x 4x5" films for me (I use 300 ml so that I have enough developer for 1 and 2) – but they’re in the spiral and the tank is smaller. If you’re not sure about the amount of liquid, just pour the recommended amount into the empty tank and tip it – without the lid – until nothing more runs out. That should give you a rough idea of how high the liquid level is in the tank – but you can also measure and calculate it. :)
Best regards
Robert
MatthiasS
No, the 3000 holds five 8x10'' sheet films – they’re rolled with the emulsion facing inwards and placed in tubes, like cassettes in a revolver. I think I’ll measure and do the maths... :D
Gast
Hi Matthias,
Regarding the film: you said it should be mechanically robust,
and I think you also mentioned flatness. Tip:
Sheet film on a PET backing (there are plenty of these, but unfortunately it’s not yet standard).
The black-and-white film folks are always getting annoyed because the polyester is hard to tame,
as the films have been rolled up their whole lives. With sheet film, it’s exactly the opposite;
they just always want to go back to lying flat :) . This base is tough too;
apparently it hardly ever tears (I once read a story about a
‘tow rope’ :lol: )
The Maco Cube is available as a roll film on a polyester base, so surely on sheet films too,
the Ilford films are, Agfa APX was as well; I’ve no idea about the Eastern Bloc products.
As for the developer, I experimented with Calbe R09 at the weekend
(with leftover Agfa APX :o ). The R09 has been
recommended many times on www.großformatphotographie.de, balances things out nicely and is economical,
as it can be highly diluted; I think that makes a difference with 8x10" prints. If you absolutely
want to use your A49, I can’t argue with that either ;-)
Contact printing isn’t difficult: you need your negative, a sheet of paper
and a glass plate (tip: buy a picture frame from a supermarket or DIY store
in 24x30 or 30x40 format if you’re contact printing 8x10", because of the margins).
Extend your enlarger until it illuminates the required area on the base plate,
then switch it off. Place a sheet of 20x25 paper down, then the negative on top (emulsion side up),
and lower the glass plate onto it from one side to the other. Then perform exposure
(of course, make a test strip in the same way beforehand). That’s it.
Once you’ve had a bit of practice, you can take a sheet of card and cut
an 8x10" square out of the centre. If you want a white border, simply use
a larger sheet of paper (which is why you should also look for a larger
glass plate) and cover the edge during exposure, or alternatively
use the cut-out piece of cardboard to shield the sheet film and give the edge a heavy re-exposure,
so that it turns black (this way, your contact prints will look very smart and the end result
will be truly impressive). I find making contact prints really fun and they look really classy; you’ll see.
Paper: You need a low-speed paper, as Tetenal Work and similar brands sometimes only require
1–4 seconds when contact printing (from my own experience). PE is generally high-speed. For baryta, Fomatone Classic MG is often recommended;
it’s low-speed and reportedly has a very warm tone. It’s not expensive either. I’ve got a pack at home myself,
but haven’t got round to testing it yet. Maybe at the end of the week...
By the way: I think the portraits are a brilliant idea B), they’ll definitely be a hit...,
I’ll probably give them a go soon too (but only in 9x12).
Regards, Benjamin
cfb_de
Benjamin,
You certainly describe one way of creating reversed contacts: "shift up".
Meinjanur,
Franz
Gast
Blimey! Thanks for letting me know.
cfb_de
We're always here for you.
<duck>
Franz
