rherz
Hello,
Is there a long-life developer (liquid concentrate) with the same properties as A49 (1 + 1)? I just can’t use up the A49 quickly enough, and I don’t want to throw it away – even if it is so cheap!
Best regards,
Robert
MirkoBoeddecker
Robert,
if you want the quality of the A49, there’s simply no substitute.
Liquid developers are always inferior to their powder counterparts.
That’s only logical. The fact that the developer doesn’t last forever is simply in the nature of things.
If you try to counteract this by adding stabilizers, the developer’s properties change.
Then you have to add other substances to fix that – then new stabilizers again, and so the cycle goes round and round. In the end, you end up with something that bears little resemblance to the original.
I did once hear, however, that someone dissolved parts A and B separately in 500 ml of water and mixed them before each development. The ‘concentrates’ made in this way reportedly lasted for 6 months.
I can’t remember, though, whether it was N113 or A49.
It might not work if, for example, the stabilizer is only included in sachet 2.
But of course, not all liquid developers are bad (...just not as good as A49 ;-)...
Moersch MZB 2 two-bath developer is said to outperform the A49. It is, however, definitely more expensive and, with two baths, a bit more fiddly to handle.
Regards
Mirko
rhf
Hi
Yes, I agree with Mirko – A 49 is unique, but whether splitting it into two concentrates is the best approach and actually extends its shelf life is questionable.
I do have to bin some of it every now and then – unfortunately – but I just accept that. I don’t use it for longer than four weeks.
If you’re actually looking for an extremely long-lasting developer, there’s no getting round the MZB.
But it simply has completely different properties.
I mainly use the A 49 for black-and-white and for portraits and nudes.
As a fine-grain developer, the sharpness and resolution aren’t as high as with the MZB, but the grain becomes wonderfully fine. The MZB is undeniably ‘better’ in that respect, but it also accentuates the grain more strongly. The difference is clearly visible in enlargements from 8x upwards. If you tend to photograph landscapes and architecture, and you’re concerned with the finest details and want to ‘get the most’ out of your lenses, you really should give it a try. It’s not for me, though. I’d rather prepare a fresh solution every four weeks.
Best regards,
Rolf
Gast
Hello,
I had a look at Agfa Atomal just for fun and saw that the shelf life is listed as 6 months. Apparently, the two developers are identical in design. I’ve personally stored A49 for longer than 4 weeks and didn’t notice any deterioration. So is there really any truth in the claim that A49 goes off after 4 weeks?
Best regards,
Michael
Gast
The A49 data sheet (see
http://www.calbe-fotochemie.com/prod/pdf/A49.pdf) states that the stock solution has a shelf life of 4 weeks. It is recommended that A49 be used as a single-use developer in a 1:1 dilution with water. To do this, the stock solution is poured into 100ml brown glass bottles available from a chemist. These bottles are inexpensive and hold around 125ml when filled to the brim.
The advantage is that the stock solution in these bottles lasts considerably longer than 4 weeks and preparing the working solution is very simple. If, for example, a KB film is to be developed in a Jobo 1510 canister, you need to fill one bottle with stock solution and one with water to obtain the required 250ml of working solution. There is no need for a measuring cylinder.
Regards, Otto Beyer
Gast
I’ve just developed some FujiFILM Neopan 400 in A49 (1+1), which has been sitting in a partially opened plastic bottle in the cellar for seven months. Why? Because the HRX I’m currently using is, surprisingly, apparently unsuitable. So I was faced with a choice – unsuitable developer or one that’s gone off? The result: the A49 worked perfectly. Now the old A49 is finally used up and I can (finally) get some fresh.
@Mirko, since I’m here anyway: could you please remove the DM prices from the catalogue? It’s confusing and looks rather embarrassing by now. (It’s like looking at a shelf in a shop and finding goods there whose use-by date is three years past).
Regards
LS
Gast
...or you might have noticed that prices have remained just as low for the past three years :)
But unfortunately, we now have to raise them. The chemistry pages are being updated bit by bit.
The first ones are already in the download catalogue.
Best regards,
Mirko
Gast
Why not try diluting the A49 with less water, so that instead of 1 litre, you end up with just half a litre? For example, I’ve diluted N113 (okay, a positive developer) for 10 litres down to 3 litres and have been storing the ‘concentrate’ in a plastic container for 10 months. So far, I haven’t noticed any deterioration. Another advantage is that you’re very flexible when preparing single-use solutions, or you can use it in a more concentrated form. 1 litre of Ultrafin SF worked well as a 1/2-litre concentrate. If you then store the whole thing in glass bottles and perhaps even spray it with an inert gas, your homemade concentrate would certainly last at least as long as the ready-made liquid concentrates.
