best developer for old style film (efke, foma)??

[danzyc]

hello people could you suggest me how process efke film???

pmk pyro? pyrocat hd? or rodinal?


many thanks

 

[2F/2F]

Any b/w developer will work. If you have a favorite, I would start with that and see what happens!

I use Efke 25 with Ilford HC and I like it a lot.

The most important thing will be learning to control/predict the film, not which developer you use. You should start with some plain-ol' pix and see what happens. If you like it at all and decide to keep shooting the film, I would go on to do a basic speed test followed by a normal development test, so you can get the best out of the film and truly judge it.

Efke recommend not using the stop bath and using plain water instead, to baby the soft and thin emulsion of these films. They scratch like a MF too, so handle with extreme care. Efke also recommend a hardening fixer, such as Kodafix or Ilford Hypam+Hardener to help with this.

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

Efke is beautiful in Rodinal. Handle with care, very prone to scratches.

 

[Uhner]

Pyrocat works very well, as do Rodinal and D76. PMK will in all likelihood work just as well, but I have not tried this combination.

 

[P C Headland]

Efke 25 and 100 in Rodinal 1+100 - nice results every time. I shoot both at box speed.

Both work well in PC-TEA 1+50 as well.

 

[titrisol]

All of the above.
It really doesn;t matter hwat you use, as long as you use it well.
I prefer Rodinal, and lately Amaloco 74, but D76, HC110, etc etc etc etc will work fine

hello people could you suggest me how process efke film???

pmk pyro? pyrocat hd? or rodinal?


many thanks

 

[Pete H]

My favourite for Efke 25 is Tetenal Neofin Blau, but Rodinal is almost as good ...

Agree about the soft emulsion - be very careful with film handling.

 

[digiconvert]

I would concur with the Rodinal or R09 , a result of this combo is at (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Chazzy]

How about a developer formula with a hardener in it, for films with soft and easily damaged emulsions? Or would the hardening action interfere with development?

 

[Ole]

Pyrogallol, pyrocatechol and hydroquinone are all hardening. The staining is also tanning, hardening the emulsion in proportion with the amount of silver.

But presonally, I prefer Neofin for EFKE 25 and 50.

 

[keithwms]

Efke 25 dev'd in wd2d+ produces a robust neg with lots of tonality and sharpness.

 

[arealitystudios]

Rodinal is my personal developer of choice for both Foma and Efke films...especially Foma. There is something beautiful that happens when you bring Foma 100 together with Rodinal 1+50, especially in 120 format.

Sharp, perfect level of grain (for my taste), very nice tones. It is probably my favorite combo. It has that nice punchy classic black and white look.

 

[Stan160]

Adox (aka Efke) CHS ART 50, developed in Fomadon R09:
1+40
1+80

Really like this film/dev combination, particularly appropriate for my older 120 gear.

 

[Harry Lime]

Since these are 'period films' how about a period developer like Rodinal, D23 or Stoeckler 2-bath?

 

[T Hoskinson]

hello people could you suggest me how process efke film???

pmk pyro? pyrocat hd? or rodinal?


many thanks

I prefer Pyrocat developer with both of these films.

 

[T Hoskinson]

Any b/w developer will work. If you have a favorite, I would start with that and see what happens!

I use Efke 25 with Ilford HC and I like it a lot.

The most important thing will be learning to control/predict the film, not which developer you use. You should start with some plain-ol' pix and see what happens. If you like it at all and decide to keep shooting the film, I would go on to do a basic speed test followed by a normal development test, so you can get the best out of the film and truly judge it.

Efke recommend not using the stop bath and using plain water instead, to baby the soft and thin emulsion of these films. They scratch like a MF too, so handle with extreme care. Efke also recommend a hardening fixer, such as Kodafix or Ilford Hypam+Hardener to help with this.

Handling the film with care while developing works better than a hardening fixer - - - hardener will not remove handling induced scratches, dings and gouges.

Pyrocat and other tanning developers (i.e. pyrocatechin, pyrogallol and amidol based developers)harden and toughen the film emulsion during development. But these developers can't repair handling damage, either.

Best to sacrifice some film and practice film handling with the lights on until you "get it right."

 

[Ole]

Since these are 'period films' how about a period developer like Rodinal, D23 or Stoeckler 2-bath?

Since the "period" is around 1950, Neofin Blau is the perfect developer. After all, it was made specifically for the then-new Adox films, which later became EFKE.

 

[alanrockwood]

arealitystudios, what EI do you rate foma 100 at?

 

[removed account4]

caffenol c and a few oz of straight ansco 130.
stand for 26 mins.

 

[2F/2F]

Handling the film with care while developing works better than a hardening fixer - - - hardener will not remove handling induced scratches, dings and gouges.

Pyrocat and other tanning developers (i.e. pyrocatechin, pyrogallol and amidol based developers)harden and toughen the film emulsion during development. But these developers can't repair handling damage, either.

Best to sacrifice some film and practice film handling with the lights on until you "get it right."

I wasn't trying to say that a hardener will fix emulsion damage; just that it is recommended in the data sheet.

 

[k_jupiter]

Sheet film processed in drums... Pyrocat HD. Roll film or Sheet film done in tanks... WD2D+

Amazing what those developers do.

tim in san jose

 

[nsouto]

Efke 25 @ 25 and rodinal 1+50 worked well for me in a recent test.
Will try 1+100 next. Standard MDC times, low agitation.
I'll second the need for care in handling the wet emulsion:
it is indeed very soft.
Results scanned real nice and grain was not obnoxious.
I'm tempted to get a bulk roll of this film as a result...

 

[seawolf66]

I have Efke and rate it at ISO 25 and do watch out for scratches during processing , I use ID-11 by Ilford at a dilution of 1-4 for 13 mintues
have fun :

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Efke and Foma films are beautiful. In any developer. I second pyro since they will harden the emulsion during processing. I've used all kinds of developers with especially Efke and mainly Pyrocat with Foma 400 and I was very pleased with the resulting prints.
- Thomas

 

[Alan Johnson]

From the parts of the attached photomicrographs of chart negatives that are in focus, it is possible to see that solvent developer Xtol 1+0 gives finer grain but acutance developer FX-1 (rather similar to Neofin Blue) gives an apparently higher edge sharpness.The film is the Adox/Efke 25.
Left-Xtol,Right-FX-1.