• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

historical issue: film developers in Germany of 1930s

Igor Savchenko

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
38
Location
Belarus
Format
Multi Format
What film developer (for roll film and 35 mm) was most commonly used in Germany in 1930s (among those formulated in Germany) and could be considered a kind of standard/ benchmark as D-76 in the US and ID-11 in UK? Could it be Agfa-12?
Your response is highly appreciated...

Igor
 
A big problem with Agfa is that the German formula sometimes differ from the Agfa Ansco (GAF) ones, while some are identical a few with the same number are entirely different with quite opposite purposes.

Agfa 19 (German) was the direct equivalent of D76/ID-11 it's identical except for Bromide which must have been used as a starter, these developers were always used in deep tanks at one time, and replenished.

Ian
 
Probably Rodinal.

From what I have read the Leitz/Stoekler/DD23 type developers were also widely used.
 
These German companies sold Developers in the UK in195: Hauff, Fesagel, Agfa, Voightlander (made by Gevaert) there would have been more.

Ian
 
I'll take a look in the "Das Deutsche Lichtbild 1937" to see what the photographers included in the book used for the published photos:

Rodinal 1:40

Eastman DK 76

David-rezept 1:3

Tetenal Emofin

Agfa-Feinkorn 15

Rodinal 1:50

Rodinal 1:20

Kodak D-76

Tetenal Ultrafin

Perutz-Feinkorn

Final

Parvofin 1:1

Egalisin

Mikrolin

Perinal 1:20

Leicanol

Tetenal Ultrafin S.F.

Micros

And some just bescrived as Metol-Hydrochinon, Glyzin, Pyro-Metol, Paraphenylendiamin, Pyrogallol, Glyzin-Pottasche, Glyzin Standentwickler. Windisch developer is also mentioned in another of the yearbooks.
 
Some more from "Das Deutsche Lichtbild 1935":

Finaccord

Hauff-Glyzinbrei 1:40

Planol

Hauff Neol 1:6

Brenzkatechinentwickler (Catechol developer)

Metol-Adurol

Kodak Pyramidon 1:4,5, Tankentwickler D-7

Metodux

Glyzin + Rodinal
 
I don't think there was a benchmark standard developer in Germany at the time. Rodinal and various MQ developers were the most popular. In the german photo books and magazines from the 30's I've never seen any tests or comparsions like we are used to today.
 
Ian Grant said:
Now can you post the Formulae, in full detail please
Click to expand...
No!

Many of the photographers published in the "Deutsche Lichtbild" books mixed their own developers, and just called them "Metol-Hydrochinon", "Glyzin", "Metol-Soda", and for some strange reason they also wrote the dilution they used, 1:6 for example. How important is THAT when we have no clue what recipe they used. One of them just called his film developer "borax".
 
I have a scanned copy of an Agfa-Ansco formula booklet from 1941. It's 5megabytes. Is it appropriate to upload it to APUG either in this thread or elsewhere?
 
It's quite likely Agfa 17 gives finer grain, & better sharpness as well as tonality than D76, it's closer to Adox Borax MQ, it was also commercially available as a pakaged developer.

Ian
 
Mark, I'm not sure about the German Aga commercial film devs, there was also Agfa 19 which is D76 with a small amount of Bromide.

Kodak were still researching D76 variants in 1935 & beyond, it may not have been on general sale until 1938, no Kodak chemistry is listed in the 1935 BJP Amanacsadverts I have, in fact on the page of "Supplies for the Photo-Finishing Trade" there's every thing except chemistry. There's separate adverts for Kodak Australia/New Zealand again no chemistry. No Kodak chemistry in New Products either.

Maybe Kodak didn't make chemistry until 1938, at least in the UK/Australia.

Ian
 
Agfa 17 is a fine developer. I use it 1+1 for many films. Pan F+, Tri-X, Efke...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register