Low Temp Development

[ashokgoyal42]

Can I get successful development at 10-12 degrees C? Can a temperature difference of 10 degrees between developer and rinsing water cause streaking?

 

[Leigh Youdale]

(a) No and (b) maybe, but more likely it's uneven agitation or liquid coverage.
Why on earth would you want to try using developer at 10-12C? The manufacturers have a pretty good idea what works well - follow their advice!

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Can I get successful development at 10-12 degrees C?

Yes. Kodak publishes information on development at temperatures to -40 C/F. From the photo-lab index:

http://www.nolindan.com/UsenetStuff/Low%20Temperature%20Developing001.pdf
http://www.nolindan.com/UsenetStuff/Low%20Temperature%20Developing002.pdf

 

[mabman]

If it works, I would suspect there might be issues getting the anti-halation dye to wash out - the dye is water-soluble, but I'm not sure what the min. temp. is for it to wash out.

I mention this because I was trying to help someone in England over on p.net who tried to do semi-stand development using water immediately out of his cold water tap. He did the semi-stand for an hour, but his dye didn't wash out (Tri-X and HP5+). I've done it with both films using water at room temp. (about 20 deg C), and the dye washes out each time without issue (I usually to a 2 hr. stand, but I have tried 1 hr., no difference with the dye). (He also had issues with thin negs, which may or may not be temp. related, not sure.)

As for (b), usually the risk mentioned is reticulation, but having never tried it I don't know what the required temp difference is.

 

[hpulley]

Yes. Kodak publishes information on development at temperatures to -40 C/F. From the photo-lab index:

http://www.nolindan.com/UsenetStuff/Low%20Temperature%20Developing001.pdf
http://www.nolindan.com/UsenetStuff/Low%20Temperature%20Developing002.pdf

Ethyline glycol instead of water dilution, very interesting...

 

[lensman_nh]

Achells book "The Darkroom Cookbook" discusses both low and high temperature developer formulations.

Normal room temp developers won't cut it.

 

[ashokgoyal42]

Thanks everyone. That was really useful info. Just didn't think of referring to Anchells book. Will do so.

 

[ic-racer]

I regularly go down to 16c to tame some microfilm. I'd like to go even lower, but the water supply only goes about that low.

 

[CBG]

You can process at much lower temperatures that that. No problem.

Changing temperature during the process is asking for reticulation trouble. Keep your temperatures the same.

 

[pentaxuser]

Just plain curiosity, Ashokgoyal42, but living in New Delhi must mean that low temps like 10-12 degrees C must be hard to achieve. Those of us in colder climates can have problems with getting tap water to get to the ideal 20C unless we have a hot water supply but the problem in New Delhi must the reverse which is cooling water down to 20C most of the year.

So is this simply an experiment to see how low the temp can be for suitable processing? Otherwise I would have thought that trying to develop at 10-12C is more trouble than it is worth.


pentaxuser

 

[hpulley]

My father used to process Ektachrome in Baker Lake, NWT (now Nunavut). That must have been fun.

 

[ashokgoyal42]

Actually first week of Jan the temp of tap water and all the chemicals stored in bottles regularly registered at 10C - unusual!

You're right about keeping temperatures down to 20C - that is what I face during 11 out of twelve months.