Ansco 130 user experience, questions, comments, appreciation...

[Alex Benjamin]

Following comments by @chuckroast and @GregY in another thread, I thought I'd be nice to start a thread solely devoted to this interesting developer.

Since I brew my own, I'll start by posting the formula:

Normal use is 1+1.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

(If a moderator could correct my "Anso" for "Ansco" , that would be really appreciated...)

 

[chuckroast]

Good idea. I'll repeat my prior question: What color should freshly mixed stock be?

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Mine gets brownish as soon as I put the glycin in.

 

[chuckroast]

Mine gets brownish as soon as I put the glycin in.

Yeah, I just noticed that @GregY replied in the parent thread that it was "straw" colored. But like you, when I added the glycin and mixed, I got a kind of coffee brown. My understanding is that it turns that color anyway once the diluted stock is in use.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

My understanding is that it turns that color anyway once the diluted stock is in use.

Yes, it doesn't change much once diluted. Just a little lighter at first, but it does get darker with use. The info by Photographers' Formulary is what I have experienced, whether using their kit or making my own.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Found a couple of other, older threads.

Photographers Formulary 130 paper developer very dark

I just mixed up a batch of PF 130 paper developer and I noticed the glycin powder was darker than usual. When I mixed into the solution the now stock solution was very dark brown. Is this a problem? I emailed PF but since this is a weekend I am not expecting to hear from them until next week...

www.photrio.com

Ansco 130

Hi: I am trying ansco 130 for the first time and have been using 1:1 dilution and 60 sec as was recommended. I feel like 60 sec is to short, and am wondering what the rest of you who use this developer use for time and dilution.

www.photrio.com

 

[MattKing]

(If a moderator could correct my "Anso" for "Ansco" , that would be really appreciated...)

And it has been done
By the way, the best way to draw something like this request to our attention is to use the Report function.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

And it has been done
By the way, the best way to draw something like this request to our attention is to use the Report function.

Thanks, and good to know. I'm always learning something new here .

 

[MattKing]

It was another Canadian who helped you out by doing that

 

[GregY]

And it has been done
By the way, the best way to draw something like this request to our attention is to use the Report function.

I did! ......but just because you told me that trick a few months ago Matt!

 

[MattKing]

I did!

And there I thought you were trying to keep it a secret - see above.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

@chuckroast : I recommend you not use tongs with rubber tips with Ansco 130. The rubber will stain, and that stain will transfer to your print when taking them out of the developer. Had that unfortunate experience a couple of times. I now use Paterson print tongs with this developer.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40355-REG/Paterson_PTP341_Print_Tongs_Set_of.html

 

[Steve Goldstein]

@chuckroast : I recommend you not use tongs with rubber tips with Ansco 130. The rubber will stain, and that stain will transfer to your print when taking them out of the developer. Had that unfortunate experience a couple of times. I now use Paterson print tongs with this developer.

I'm glad you mentioned that! While I've been using Ansco 130 1+1 for years with my Kostiner tongs with no issues, in the past couple of months I've had random staining on the paper margins that I concluded must be from the rubber. Once I started using the tongs wrong-way-around, i.e. with the rubber touching only the back of the print, the stains are gone. This works because the Kostiner tongs only have rubber on one side.

The back of the paper doesn't seem to care and doesn't stain.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I haven't used 130 in quite a few years, but the dark brown sounds suspect to me. Could be the Glycin is older. It doesn't last long unless you freeze it. I used to use the Edwal developers quite a bit and they had Glyin in them so I would keep it around. One thing to note that as Glycin ages it can stain the paper. I used to get a nice subtle pinkish stain from it which I found really nice. Glycin gives images a bump in developing in the midtones. In a neg it brightens them, and of course in a print it darkens them making them richer. I don't use the Edwal developers anymore so I stopped using 130 and Glycin.

 

[craigclu]

Following comments by @chuckroast and @GregY in another thread, I thought I'd be nice to start a thread solely devoted to this interesting developer.

Since I brew my own, I'll start by posting the formula:

View attachment 404383
Normal use is 1+1.

Some years back, I started substituting 15ml of 1% Benzotriazole (in alcohol) for the bromide and with my gear and materials, I was getting nicer blacks. Discussions of this back then had me try it and found that I preferred the results. Ilford WT showed the most dramatic difference with velvety blacks.

 

[GregY]

I haven't used 130 in quite a few years, but the dark brown sounds suspect to me. Could be the Glycin is older. It doesn't last long unless you freeze it. I used to use the Edwal developers quite a bit and they had Glyin in them so I would keep it around. One thing to note that as Glycin ages it can stain the paper. I used to get a nice subtle pinkish stain from it which I found really nice. Glycin gives images a bump in developing in the midtones. In a neg it brightens them, and of course in a print it darkens them making them richer. I don't use the Edwal developers anymore so I stopped using 130 and Glycin.

PRJ... i didn't quite understand the last sentence. What connection are you making between Ansco/PF 130 and Edwal? Thank you.

 

[chuckroast]

I have just made first prints with the (suspect) PF 130 1:1 @ 2min.

It seems fine. It is the color of tea, not coffee, and seems to work pretty much as expected with 3 different papers so far.

What I noticed thus far is that emergence seems slower than Dektol but it does seem to reach full black nicely in 2 min.

There is also evidence of better separation in the shadows. This might be my imagination because these are images I have never before printed.

More when/if I find more...

 

[chuckroast]

Some years back, I started substituting 15ml of 1% Benzotriazole (in alcohol) for the bromide and with my gear and materials, I was getting nicer blacks.

Per liter or ?? Of working strength or stock or ?? For 130 or ??

 

[GregY]

I have just made first prints with the (suspect) PF 130 1:1 @ 2min.

It seems fine. It is the color of tea, not coffee, and seems to work pretty much as expected with 3 different papers so far.

What I noticed thus far is that emergence seems slower than Dektol but it does seem to reach full black nicely in 2 min.

There is also evidence of better separation in the shadows. This might be my imagination because these are images I have never before printed.

More when/if I find more...

That's good news CR!

 

[craigclu]

Per liter or ?? Of working strength or stock or ?? For 130 or ??

Yes, per liter of stock. This was the only variation from the original 130 that was posted.

 

[Milpool]

Some years back, I started substituting 15ml of 1% Benzotriazole (in alcohol) for the bromide and with my gear and materials, I was getting nicer blacks. Discussions of this back then had me try it and found that I preferred the results. Ilford WT showed the most dramatic difference with velvety blacks.

John Wimberley used it that way. I think that’s where it started.

 

[ags2mikon]

Thank you Craig. I will try that the next time I mix some up. I've used Ansco 130 for 20+ years and it is my favorite paper developer for a number of reasons.

 

[chuckroast]

Does anyone know what the reasonably expected Benzotriazole stock shelf life might be? I have some ancient Zone VI bottles here that are likely 25+ years on the shelf.

 

[Don_ih]

what the reasonably expected Benzotriazole stock shelf life might be?

Forever.

Incidentally, Ansco 130 will develop your paper even if the glycin is dead when you mix it. It is essentially dektol with glycin and more bromide added.

I've added glycin to homemade dektol lots of times. It makes it last longer. And it makes the development slow down at the normal "done" point but actually keep going in the midtones without just fogging the paper. So, you can leave the paper in for 3 or 4 extra minutes and see some difference that might be an improvement.