Developing times in Fuji Microfine

[sharpless]

Anyone have any ideas about developing times for various non-Fuji films in Fuji Microfine developer? I have a few packets of it that I bought in Japan some time ago, and many rolls of film of various kinds -- Agfa APX 100 and 400, Kodak Tri-X, Ilford Delta 100, FP4, HP5, Delta 3200, Lucky 100. Fuji does not give developing times for other than Fuji films. I have been looking around but cannot find any. The massive development chart does not seem to have any. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks. John

 

[David Lyga]

John I might help, albeit indirectly. I sometimes expose Kodak ImageLink Microfilm. It is even sharper than Technical Pan was. However, its latitude is bad and you must expose for the highlights or shadows, as in a contrasty scene you will not get both. For foggy days or open shade it is great. Also, before others want to buy this film: it is NOT perforated even though I comes in 35mm width. I have to be creative in how I run this film through the camera. Now for development;

I dilute standard developers greatly for its development. Start by diluting about 1 + 3 and developing for about five or six minutes. Just develop about an inch of exposed film (why waste a full roll?) Back into a time in this manner. As for exposure: You do have a choice here. If you want the best continuous tone possible, I expose the ImageLink at 4. If you want bolder contrast (you must develop longer for this) try 16 or 32 (even higher for really high contrast).

Maybe you did not even wish information about microfilm, just the 'Microfine' developer: sorry if that was the case. (Semantics play tricks on me in my old age.) I do not have experience with this developer. But whatever, try clip tests (about 1 inch of exposed film) to check its energy. - David Lyga

 

[sharpless]

David, many thanks for this information. Actually, yes, I really can only make use of info on developing times using Fuji Microfine developer, as I have these packs of it and would like to use them up, but all the films I have are not Fuji. I take from your message that I need to experiment a bit, and that's what I'll do. All the best, John

 

[john_s]

From Ryuji Suzuki's old web site, unfortunately no longer accessible:

"Microfine is a ultrafine grained developer supplied in dry powder package. This
formula somewhat resembles a cross of D-25 and Microdol. The developing
agent is metol (3-7%). The solution contains a large amount of sodium sulfite
(70-90%), some sodium chloride (7-15%), and a small amount of sodium
phosphate monobasic (0.5-1.5%) to make the solution pH very weakly alkaline."

 

[sharpless]

Thank you, Michael R 1974 and john_s. This is very useful information.
All the best, John