caffenol vs commercial developer

mehguy said:

im curious but what is the shelf life of the Tmax developer? I couldnt find any documentation on it.

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From the technical data sheet from Kodak - J86 - http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j86/j86.pdf


"STORAGE
You can store working-strength solution in a full, tightly
closed bottle for six months, in a half-filled bottle for two
months, or in a covered tank for one month. You can store the
concentrate for up to two years."

whats the possibility of me screwing this up? or what things could go wrong with caffenol?

mehguy said:

whats the possibility of me screwing this up? or what things could go wrong with caffenol?

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like with any developer, your film won't develop.
you need the right ingredients that is about it ...
wrong ingredients ... well its like trying to make steak tips out of brussel sprouts ..

if this is your first film development, as i and others have said before, it might be less nerve wracking
if you use a store bought conventional tried and true developer to make sure you have your technique down ..
and that way if things go-bad you realize it is technique or camera realated, not because you used caffenol ...

have fun!
john

mehguy said:

Im still considering caffenol simply because of its shelf life...

@TheToadMen
I thought normal caffenol didnt need potassium bromide?

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You need the potassium bromide to avoid hazy negatives with fast film (ISO400). For 100, you don't.

psmithp said:

You need the potassium bromide to avoid hazy negatives with fast film (ISO400). For 100, you don't.

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Especially when considering semi-stand.