What you want Photo Flo to achieve is to relieve the water of its surface tension. You don't need much to do that. If you use too much wetting agent, it may leave residue behind that is unwanted.
PhotoFlo is supposed to be used at a 1:200 concentration, so if you have 500ml of water, you need 2.5ml of PhotoFlo. There used to be a very concentrated PhotoFlo 600, which was supposed to be used at 1:600. Tough to measure such small quantities.
I have a pipette that can accurately measure 2.5 mls. That will generate a LOT of foam in the final rinse. A LOT. That is why I questioned the person who said that if you are seeing foam, you are using too much. A few drops gets you foam, much less than 2.5 mls.
I guess it depends on how you use it. I keep tempered water in a separate bowl, and I add the appropriate amount of wetting agent to it.
Then off the reel I see saw the length of the film through the solution, ten times. No bubbles.
You are probably agitating too much. And it isn't a "rinse", it is a "soak".
Here is what Kodak suggests for the 30 seconds the film is supposed to be in the mixed solution: "Provide gentle agitation for 5 seconds of the total time. To reduce drying scum, mix KODAK PHOTO-FLO Solution with distilled water in areas that have hard water."
You should also mix the working solution up gently - stirring isn't required.
I mix my working solution up during the development stage.
Do you mix in the photo flo? This is a surfactant and requires mechanical energy to disperse through out the fluid. It will not arrange into micelles without mixing energy.
I get enormous bubbles just gently swirling the mixture. Then when adding a reel into the tank, at least 1 inch of bubbles forms. The film comes out coated in bubbles.
I don't use PhotoFlo. I use Sprint End Run.
My negatives dry without a single spot on them. I'm not making that up either. A lot of my prints require zero spotting.
No swirling or mixing, I just lightly swish around with my finger, to avoid making bubbles.
Ah, OK, so our experiences are different.
I never get drying marks either, nor do I get photo flo residues. I just cannot reconcile how anyone could not get foam. I get plenty of foam using 3-4 drops of photo flow!
I add the Photoflo to the water, not the water to the Photoflo. I think that's why you're getting so much foam. When I've seen significant bubbles, I've had poor drying and water spots. So I keep the amount of Photoflo to a minimum.
I put my reels (stainless) through the dishwasher every couple of months. No buildup of residue. I have a half gallon of Photo Flo 1:600. I mix it about 1:3000 and give my film a water rinse for a couple of seconds before hanging up to dry. Never a problem with spots. Guess I should order another bottle before I run out. ;<)
Yes[*]Can I develop ANY B&W film (not chromogenic C-41) with ANY developer? Meaning can I develop a Tri-X with ID-11 for example?
On the instructions included with the developer[*]If the answer on the above is yes, were do I find the necessary dilution instructions?
No, but: you may choose different dilutions to manage development time. More dilute solutions take longer, more concentrated solutions develop faster.[*]Do the developers come in different versions according to the film speed, or there Is just one and you play with the volume, dilution etc?
[*]Is it safe to assume that using same brand film+developer will produce the best result?
Consistency is the most important thing, using a real stop bath can help with consistency. It does also protect the fixer.[*]Is "stopping" using just water and not a dedicated stopper advisable?
Yes, photography is a system made up of many parts. Any change you make, anywhere in the system, has an effect on the end result/the print.[*]I was told I should choose 1-2 films and developer and stick with them, trying out different variations of exposures/developing, good advice?
ID-11 is a great choice, it's good enough that you might never need nor want to change. D-76 is just as good, in fact nearly identical to ID-11 in the way it works. Xtol is good too, Tmax, DD-X, ...[*]Was thinking of starting out with either Tri-X 400 or T-Max 400, any good developers recommended for them?
[*]Do you recommend I should go for the 5Ltr developer or the 1Ltr will suffice for some time?
I add the Photoflo to the water, not the water to the Photoflo. I think that's why you're getting so much foam. When I've seen significant bubbles, I've had poor drying and water spots. So I keep the amount of Photoflo to a minimum.
I guess it depends on how you use it. I keep tempered water in a separate bowl, and I add the appropriate amount of wetting agent to it.
Then off the reel I see saw the length of the film through the solution, ten times. No bubbles.
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