H&W control from Frugal Photographer

MCB18

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I’m seriously considering getting the ingredients for H&W control because I’ve heard that it is great for techpan, and could potentially be amazing for the microfilm I’m planning to get.

Does anyone have any advice for using this developer? I saw a thread on here about dissolving part a in propylene glycol to prolong shelflife, is that worth trying?
 
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Dan Fromm

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I used it in the early 70s. It oxidized very quickly after opening. If the formulation is the same, use with care.
 
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MCB18

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Dan Fromm said:
I used it in the early 70s. It oxidized very quickly after opening. If the formulation is the same, use with care.
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Yes, so I’ve heard. That’s why I was interested in the propylene glycol variant, apparently that lasts much longer.
 

Alan Johnson

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Here is the propylene glycol version:

H&W Control developer in glycol

Low contrast developers for microfilms are discussed in The Film Developing Cookbook 2020 p129-138 and in FDC 1998 p95-102. Amongst commercial developers are Adotech IV, Rollei RLC and Photoformulary TD-3. Dilute "ordinary" developers may work if the film EI is reduced sufficiently from box...
www.photrio.com
I gave up on it for Adox CMS 20 II because of posterization, but I believe H&W intended it for a less contrasty film and it may well work better with microfilms other than CMS 20 II.
 
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MCB18

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Yep! Exactly what I was referring to.

Was told that this stuff is pretty good at taming microfilm and can potentially be used with Techpan as high as EI 100, so thought I’d give it a shot. As well as Techpan, I’m getting a film called Kodak 2465, which I have no information on other than what my friend who bought a roll has told me (basically that it’s ultra-high contrast, ortho, and works pretty well at EI 12 in pyrocat-HD).
 

F4U

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I remember it very well. It was specifically formulated for Kodak High Contrast Copy film, or their own H&W film, which was probably re-spools of the same film.
 

Dan Fromm

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F4U said:
I remember it very well. It was specifically formulated for Kodak High Contrast Copy film, or their own H&W film, which was probably re-spools of the same film.
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Are you sure? I ask because when H&W came out with their film we speculated that it was Agfa microfilm. I don't recall the number. We could have been mistaken.

Given your screen name I assume that you're one of the last surviving WWII pilots and were around when H&W launched their Control film and developer.
 
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MCB18

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Well, when I get the film here, I’ll mix up a batch. I don’t have any small bottles so I don’t expect this first batch to last long at all, but I’ll at least get some idea of what it’s like.
 

F4U

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Yes it could have been Agfa. It was just an assumption. a further assumption would be the Agfa film was similar to the Kodak emulsion. As for my screen name, I simply looked over at the latest WWII model plane I had built and used that. It is one of my finest builds., aside from my huge Guillows B-29. If i was one of those great guys, you'd know it. America's finest ever.
 
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