Ilford SFX 120 film; Push development?

paula hammon · May 12, 2022

I’ve shot this film successfully a couple of times using an orange filter, Mamiya7 rangefinder, and exp. compensation of +1-1/2. I’m not trying for IR, just contrasty B&W. I’ve only used it on sunny days.

For grey, cloudy days can I push the ISO to 400 or 800? Has anyone done this w good results? Would the exp.compensation for the orange filter be affected or stay the same? Would love to hear your experience.

Andrew O'Neill · May 12, 2022

If you don't compensate for the filter, then the films ISO is about an EI of about 500. So that would be a about a push of about 1.5 stops. If you stop down about a half stop more, that'll bring you to about EI 800. Check out the Massive Development Chart for development times with your specific developer.

https://www.digitaltruth.com/devcha...oper=Xtol%&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C&TimeUnits=D

MattKing · May 12, 2022

I amended your thread title slightly - it may draw more comments.

paula hammon · May 12, 2022

MattKing said:
I amended your thread title slightly - it may draw more comments.

Thank you, Matt.

paula hammon · May 12, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
If you don't compensate for the filter, then the films ISO is about an EI of about 500. So that would be a about a push of about 1.5 stops. If you stop down about a half stop more, that'll bring you to about EI 800. Check out the Massive Development Chart for development times with your specific developer.

https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=Ilford+SFX+200%&Developer=Xtol%&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C&TimeUnits=D

Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate the developing time chart!

I’m not clear on your other comment, “If you don’t compensate for the filter”. Would you please clarify?

Currently at ISO 200, I’m using compensation of +1-1/2. If I change ISO on camera to 400, does the ex. compensation stay the same as for 200? If I change ISO on camera to 800 do I add one stop to ex. compensation of +2? Am I understanding that correctly?

Andrew O'Neill · May 12, 2022

paula hammon said:
Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate the developing time chart!

I’m not clear on your other comment, “If you don’t compensate for the filter”. Would you please clarify?

Currently at ISO 200, I’m using compensation of +1-1/2. If I change ISO on camera to 400, does the ex. compensation stay the same as for 200? If I change ISO on camera to 800 do I add one stop to ex. compensation of +2? Am I understanding that correctly?

The box speed of the film is ISO 200. If you compensate for the filter, by giving 1.5 stops more exposure (without changing the aperture or shutter speed), that would change the "film speed" (once you shoot a film at another ISO number other than its intended ISO, it becomes an exposure index) to about 64-80... but then if you want to push the film at 800, there's no point compensating for the filter. Leave the ISO at 200, and stop down about a half stop more, to bring it to about EI 800. Then develop at the time indicated on the chart. What developer are you using?

paula hammon · May 12, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
The box speed of the film is ISO 200. If you compensate for the filter, by giving 1.5 stops more exposure (without changing the aperture or shutter speed), that would change the "film speed" (once you shoot a film at another ISO number other than its intended ISO, it becomes an exposure index) to about 64-80... but then if you want to push the film at 800, there's no point compensating for the filter. Leave the ISO at 200, and stop down about a half stop more, to bring it to about EI 800. Then develop at the time indicated on the chart. What developer are you using?

Thank you, Andrew. We use Sprint developer at the art school I attend.

Andrew O'Neill · May 12, 2022

paula hammon said:
Thank you, Andrew. We use Sprint developer at the art school I attend.

I've never used it, but I heard that it can be used up to a two stop push. You'll have to figure out a development time though, as none are listed on the chart. I found online a time of 7:15 (for normal development) at a dilution of 1+9. 23C. Agitation 5 seconds every minute. If it were me, I would probably try a time of around 11 or 12 minutes for a two-stop push... this is only a guess from my limited experience pushing film. When I push films (rarely), I prefer to use a temperature around 23/24C otherwise the times can get quite looooooong! I recently made a video pushing HP5 and Delta 400 on youtube... I'd be very curious to hear your results, Paula!

paula hammon · May 12, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
I've never used it, but I heard that it can be used up to a two stop push. You'll have to figure out a development time though, as none are listed on the chart. I found online a time of 7:15 (for normal development) at a dilution of 1+9. 23C. Agitation 5 seconds every minute. If it were me, I would probably try a time of around 11 or 12 minutes for a two-stop push... this is only a guess from my limited experience pushing film. When I push films (rarely), I prefer to use a temperature around 23/24C otherwise the times can get quite looooooong! I recently made a video pushing HP5 and Delta 400 on youtube... I'd be very curious to hear your results, Paula!

Thanks for the information and your input. Fingers crossed I have more sunny days than cloudy while I’m shooting with this film. Wish me luck! I’ll check out your videos.
Best regards,
Paula

amam · May 13, 2022

paula hammon said:
Thank you, Andrew. We use Sprint developer at the art school I attend.

paula hammon
Have you been to their website? If not here's the time and development chart.

Time Charts — Sprint Systems of Photography

www.sprintsystems.com

I have experience with both the chemistry and the film you are using. The chart lists it at the bottom of the "Ilford" group as letter "O" and then "+4" (brings you to S) for a 2 stop push is their recommendation. This means instead of 68ºF and 10minutes ("O") you would develop it for 17minutes ("S"). Their time might be right on for you depending on your lazy eights. I have found their recommendations to be pretty accurate.

paula hammon · May 15, 2022

amam said:
paula hammon
Have you been to their website? If not here's the time and development chart.

Time Charts — Sprint Systems of Photography

www.sprintsystems.com

I have experience with both the chemistry and the film you are using. The chart lists it at the bottom of the "Ilford" group as letter "O" and then "+4" (brings you to S) for a 2 stop push is their recommendation. This means instead of 68ºF and 10minutes ("O") you would develop it for 17minutes ("S"). Their time might be right on for you depending on your lazy eights. I have found their recommendations to be pretty accurate.

paula hammon · May 15, 2022

Thank you, amam.

titrisol · Feb 10, 2023

paula hammon said:
Thank you, Andrew. We use Sprint developer at the art school I attend.

Sprint developer is a very good product
I bought a bottle in 2020, and broke it into cough-syrup bottles (4oz / 125ml). Found one of those bottles today, and works as fresh

titrisol · May 15, 2023

I found a 120-roll of SFX I had forgoten about, expired in 2002
Shot it with exposing at +1 (as EI100) and developed in Microphen 1+3
My observations
- Fogging is very low
- Pictures are a bit overexposed, could have shot closer to 200
- Film behaved like fresh, even with the Filter R72
- Microphen could be used for push development (1+1)

Andrew O'Neill · May 15, 2023

titrisol said:
I found a 120-roll of SFX I had forgoten about, expired in 2002
Shot it with exposing at +1 (as EI100) and developed in Microphen 1+3
My observations
- Fogging is very low
- Pictures are a bit overexposed, could have shot closer to 200
- Film behaved like fresh, even with the Filter R72
- Microphen could be used for push development (1+1)

How was the film stored?

titrisol · May 15, 2023

Andrew O'Neill said:
How was the film stored?

It was on a plastic box inside the house. I kept most of my photo-stuff in them and I forgot about the film.
It must have moved with me from the US to Europe and back

I was looking for some negatives and I found a black bag with a few rolls of APX100 and 1 roll of SFX200

Andrew O'Neill · May 15, 2023

titrisol said:
It was on a plastic box inside the house. I kept most of my photo-stuff in them and I forgot about the film.
It must have moved with me from the US to Europe and back

I was looking for some negatives and I found a black bag with a few rolls of APX100 and 1 roll of SFX200

I'm surprised the base fog wasn't bad... I had HP5 expired in 2007 that has about a third stop more base fog.

titrisol · May 15, 2023

Andrew O'Neill said:
I'm surprised the base fog wasn't bad... I had HP5 expired in 2007 that has about a third stop more base fog.

I'm surprised too, and that is why I shot a full 1 exp over
I'm even more surprised that it was still sensitive to the near-IR spectrum even though you can see the sky somehow mottled in the clouds

titrisol · Aug 12, 2023

Andrew O'Neill said:
I'm surprised the base fog wasn't bad... I had HP5 expired in 2007 that has about a third stop more base fog.

The sky is all mottled though
Oh well, it was just for fun

Ilford SFX 120 film; Push development?

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