Caffenol is magic.

powasky · Feb 2, 2013

I devved my first roll of black and white at home a few days ago. I used a tank I purchased arbitrarily from a member here, with uncertain temperatures and measurements in my Caffenol C-M recipe. I fixed with Ilford Rapid Fix. Film is Tri-X. Having never developed film before, I was overjoyed when I actually saw images on my negatives. I made prints in the lab I have access to for my PHT101 class, and tried to match the scans to the prints. I think they turned out pretty well:

Next time, I intend to more carefully work with temperature and time.

FM2N · Feb 2, 2013

Great job.

henry finley · Feb 2, 2013

fair, for a first time. Better than my first time back in 1971. I just looked up what caffenol was. How can it develop, I ask, without elon or hydroquinone, glycin, pro, etc? Wild.I might have some KBr around here. Neat.

powasky · Feb 2, 2013

Thanks to both of you.

Mr. Finley - I was blown away with how easy Caffenol was. Also, I mistyped in my original post - I used Caffenol C-M, not C-L. I'm not interested in stand dev, and I'm not sure that the KBr could really add anything to what I achieved. I imagine that temperature management would do a lot more for me.

henry finley · Feb 2, 2013

I'm a Microdol-X man more than any other, and one of those who does things by Kodak procedure. For 40 years. Now, plain coffee and a vitamin C pill or 2.That's a kick.

powasky · Feb 3, 2013

henry finley said:
I'm a Microdol-X man more than any other, and one of those who does things by Kodak procedure. For 40 years. Now, plain coffee and a vitamin C pill or 2.That's a kick.

Never hurts to give it a try. I think you'd be as happily surprised as I was. Just don't forget the washing soda .

henry finley · Feb 3, 2013

I never had heard of washing soda. Never saw any. I suppose it's counterpart in a conventional developer would be sodium sulfite, carbonate, borax, or other alkali

powasky · Feb 3, 2013

henry finley said:
I never had heard of washing soda. Never saw any. I suppose it's counterpart in a conventional developer would be sodium sulfite, carbonate, borax, or other alkali

It's sodium carbonate. You can make it yourself using sodium bicarbonate and an oven, or you can buy it from a store. I purchased mine from Walmart.

removed account4 · Feb 3, 2013

henry finley said:
I never had heard of washing soda. Never saw any. I suppose it's counterpart in a conventional developer would be sodium sulfite, carbonate, borax, or other alkali

i henry

washing soda is a water softener from what i have been told .. its just bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda ) with less moisture in the powder
that is why you can heat it in the oven and force out the moisture ...
i've been using caffenol in one form or another for about 7 years for all my work. its fun and works great !
( i roast my own sumatran beans special for my darkroom work )

YMMV
john

Caffenol is magic.

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency