2 bath film developers?

[Harry Lime]

I tend to shoot a lot of overcast skies; it's better psychologically for my images to have sheer gray than fluffy white clouds.

Do the BT2B users find that it does give a little more contrast on flat days? That would be an exciting development, so to speak.

Also, how do the Barry Thornton Two Bath developer users rate their films? With Diafine and XTOL, I've always worked at box speed. Does the standard Zone System exposure increase for Zone III (ie. expose ISO 400 film at 200) apply with this developer, or does that somehow not apply?

Also, last question, Thornton recommends little to no agitation in Bath B. With Diafine, I've always given 5 sec per minute in both baths. Any thoughts on how that may affect development with BT2B?

Thanks!

I shot for years in London, where it is either overcast and gloomy or you are faced with bright sunshine and often dark shadows. BT2B always delivered the goods, producing well balanced negatives in both cases. Obviously you can control contrast a lot in the post process. I scan most of my negatives so it is to my advantage it they have reasonable contrast levels and the highlights are well controlled.

I shoot Tri-X at 400, but favor exposure of the shadows, because I can count on the compensating action to preserve my highlights from blowing out.

Normally I do not agitate bath B, with BT2B or Diafine. I have experimented with a single very, very slow agitation as Diafine has aged, to make sure all four reels develop evenly. You will see a rise in contrast if you start to agitate too heavily and your highlights will get fried. I use steel reels so I don't have the streaking problem I saw with plastic reels.

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I shot for years in London, where it is either overcast and gloomy or you are faced with bright sunshine and often dark shadows. BT2B always delivered the goods, producing well balanced negatives in both cases. Obviously you can control contrast a lot in the post process. I scan most of my negatives so it is to my advantage it they have reasonable contrast levels and the highlights are well controlled.

Harry, if I understand correctly, you are just using the standard B bath for everything, regardless of contrast levels? I did scan and print for several years with diafine and it is crazy easy to dial the contrast right in, no matter how flat the neg may be.

 

[Harry Lime]

For the most part. I'm not the most technical shooter on the planet...

If I feel that I needed a little more development (contrast) I will sometimes go for 5/5 min, instead of 3/3 min.
Also as bath B gets exhausted I will extend the soaking / developing time.

But I figure at some point the absorbed developer will be exhausted by bath B and at that point it won't make a difference how long it sits in the bath.

Is this what you are getting at?


HL

 

[cliveh]

For the most part. I'm not the most technical shooter on the planet...

If I feel that I needed a little more development (contrast) I will sometimes go for 5/5 min, instead of 3/3 min.
Also as bath B gets exhausted I will extend the soaking / developing time.

But I figure at some point the absorbed developer will be exhausted by bath B and at that point it won't make a difference how long it sits in the bath.

Is this what you are getting at?


HL

You probably get asked this a lot, but do you have a theme tune?

 

[Harry Lime]

I certainly do, old man.

;-)

 

[Relayer]

Diafine can be got from Mr Cad and Ag Photographic. But it's not cheap

Diafine can be easy mixed from plain chemistry. Last years I was research some 2bath formulas:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
RD-201 now is my default 2bath developer.

If you haven't experience with mixing devs from scratch, you can try "Lazy D-76". You need Soda (Sodium carbonate anh.). Make 2nd bath with 10-15 g/l of soda. Place film in D-76 stock for time less by 30% than recommended. After this place film in 2nd bath (with soda) for 3min. stop and fix. some samples:
HP5+:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5587587373_a05b6a94af_b_d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5624904180_8d37e67748_b_d.jpg
TMAX 400:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5664419111_541c060e7f_b_d.jpg

 

[JaZ99]

I have also used Barry Thorntons 2 bath with success. In his book edge of darkness Barry suggested three different strengths of solution B for varying light conditions viz: -

For high SBR 7g of Sodium Metaborate per litre of water
For average SBR 12g of Sodium Metaborate per litre of water
For low SBR 20g of Sodium Metaborate per litre of water.

Barry Thornton didn't mention which metaborate should be used.
I did my tests with 4 mol (NaBO2·2H2O)

Here are my results:

18 grams of metaborate: Ḡ=0.46
24 grams of metaborate: Ḡ=0.56
31 grams of metaborate: Ḡ=0.67

Agitation: bath A: constant first 30 seconds, then 3 times each minute; bath B: 3 times at the beginning, then once every minute.

JaZ