Developer backgrounds

[marcsv]

Our college recently got a donation of old photography materials. Included in are cans of D76 and 76R replenisher, Polydol, Selectol and Selectol soft. But what intrigued me are 6 cans of Acufine and a can of replenisher. I've read a few testimonials about this developer but I have not found a dev chart.

Has anyone here used the mentioned chemicals? I need a a starting point for the tests that I'd be doing.

 

[jovo]

Go to APUG's home page and click on one of our sponsors...DigitalTruth.com wherein you'll find the "massive development chart". Click on 'developers' and you will find a large array of development times for different films using acufine.


http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html

 

[marcsv]

i just found an acufine dev chart, digital truth doesnt have a dev chart for polydol and selectol

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Selectol Soft is a low contrast, warmish developer for prints. Ansel Adams sometimes used a tray of Dektol and a tray of Selectol Soft, and varied the amount of time in each one, to get subtle contrast shifts with graded paper.

Selectol I believe is another print developer, and I think Polydol is as well, but don't hold me to that.

I use Acufine regularly. It will usually give you an honest 1 stop over the box speed of most B&W films.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Kodak Selectol: Kodak described it as "an improved D-52 type developer for warm tone papers."

For use, dilute 1 part stock solution with 1 part water. Develop about 2 minutes at 68 deg. F. For greater softness increase the dilution (up to 2 parts water, 1 part developer). For greater tonal warmth add 3 grams potassium bromide.

Kodak Selectol Soft: Kodak's description" For softer, lower contrast on most papers without sacrificing tonal scale."

Kodak Polymax Developer: "Produces neutral or cold tones with cold tone papers."

No information in my files for Polydol.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Polydol was a large format B&W film developer. I just found a photo-net post by Ron Mowrey

"Polydol, useful for commercial, portrait and school photography. Use at 68 deg for 8 - 11 mins. Capacity, 40 8x10 sheets / gallon."

 

[marcsv]

By the way, I forgot to mention that these cans are at least 10 years old, but none of them had dings or dents. Is it still any good though?

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

As long as no moisture has gotten into the cans, the chemical contents should be ok. However, they might be worth something to a collector - as is.

 

[jim appleyard]

... However, they might be worth something to a collector - as is.

These old cans don't go for much, if they sell at all, on ebay. However, ebay may just not be the right place to sell them. Perhaps there's a better place for stuff like that, but I don't know where.

 

[Gerald Koch]

The developers supplied in cans were sealed under nitrogen gas and so are good for decades if the can hasn't been compromised.

 

[Paul Howell]

As mentioned above polydol was used for roll and sheet film often in deep tanks. Finer grain than DK 50 with good tones. If I can find my 1968 Kodak Data Guide I will post the times for TriX and PlX.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Kodak Polydol/Tri-X: 10 minutes at 68F, tank development (with agitation at 1 min intervals)

Kodak Polydol/Plus-X: 6 minutes at 68F, tank development (with agitation at 1 min intervals)

From The Compact Photo-Lab-Index 1977

 

[marcsv]

thanks for hte replies, i just got a copy of a photolab index by morgan and morgan, time to do some work

 

[Werewolfman]

If you don't want your Polydol, I'll be more than happy to take it off of your hands as that is my favorite film developer.