Moersch Eco 4812 Paper Developer

Mahler_one · Mar 6, 2009

Every once in a while I enjoy looking through the various products available at Freestyle. My interest was peaked when I noted Moersch Eco 4812 paper developer as being touted by the manuracturer as "The Best in the World".

Has anyone here used the Moersch developer, and if so, would they care to comment? Go to Freestyle and click on the appropriate links to see examples of prints made with Eco. Rather impressive, but still....

Ed

Muihlinn · Mar 7, 2009

I do use it, I do like it... but take any aseveration with a grain of salt...
Under every objective -measurable- point of view it's a great developer, last a lot, develops paper as expected, less harmful to environment, but the question isn't there, the question is if it will fit you, or what do you expect out of a paper developer.

GeorgK · Mar 7, 2009

It is indeed a very good developer; especially shadow separation is top. What makes it really special is the combination of low-toxicity, keeping properties, quality and price. I do not think that there are many developers available which succeed in all four aspects at the same time.
On the other hand, it might not harmonize perfectly with all papers on the market, and, as usually, a lot depends on your personal preferences.
It is also not the fastest working, so I prefer a different developer when I am doing just some quick 5x7 prints. But for a quality print on Varycon FB paper it is really great.

Regards
Georg

Tom A · Mar 7, 2009

I have used it the last 3/4 year and I really like the combination of ECO4812 and Ilford MGIV or MGW a lot. Compared to other paper developers I have used, ECO4812 gives better shadows separation and really nice midtones. I don't know if it is "the best in the World", but for me it is the best neutral paper developer in the World.

Other people might have other opinions.

Regards
Tom

Stefan Findel · Mar 7, 2009

I have not used this particular dev. But all Wolfgang Moersch's products are excellent!
Look here and read it in his own words:
www.moersch-photochemie.de/index_e.php

rst · Mar 8, 2009

I also use it and like it. If you like to see some examples, visit Wolfgang Moerschs web site, he has a gallery for all his products, here is the one for Eco.

Cheers
Ruediger

Mahler_one · Mar 8, 2009

Thanks Ruediger. The examples provided are very impressive.

Vielen Danke.

Ed

matti · Mar 8, 2009

Interesting keeping qualities. Is the tone comparable to Dektol?
/matti

Joerg Bergs · Mar 9, 2009

Hi,

I´ve written a short test about the new ECO developer. I work on a english version. Here you can read the german one:

http://www.joerg-bergs.de/28.html

sperera · May 8, 2009

ultra8 said:
Hi,

I´ve written a short test about the new ECO developer. I work on a english version. Here you can read the german one:

http://www.joerg-bergs.de/28.html

can you summarize your test results in English please?

pcyco · May 8, 2009

hallo

in my opinion it is a very good developer, a little bit slow (i use it most time for 3 minutes).

ja jörg: auf wienerisch; zah a bissl au (beeil dich doch etwas)

gruss

thomas

Doremus Scudder · May 8, 2009

Here is my quick translation of Jörg Bergs' review of ECO 4812. Jörg, hope you don't mind

"The new long-life paper developer

Moersch Photocheme introduced the ECO 4812 developer a few months ago, which was described by the master himself [Wolfgang Moersch I assume] as “the best developer in the world." This came just at the very time that I wanted, for personal reasons, to change my chemical supplier.

I process RC paper by machine and fiber-base paper by hand in trays. An all-around developer, which gave the best performance in both cases, had not been so easy to find. The new Moersch developer, therefore, came at just the right time. Most important for me was the new developer’s suitability to machine processing. The main parameters there are the life of the tank contents, the developing time for RC papers and the replenishing.

Much has been written already about tray processing, which I agree with. My first tray full of developer is now over four weeks old and still develops my Forte fiber-base papers with no problems at 20°C and a 1+12 dilution.

I can confirm Mr. Moersch’s recommended times for different papers for tray processing; the life of the solutions is likewise excellent.

My processor is a Colenta Imageline. This has a feed width of 50cm and tanks that hold six liters each.

The developer was used in a 1+5 dilution with the addition of a starter. One liter of concentrate, therefore, was sufficient for a complete tankful for my machine. Additionally, I used five liters of replenisher, which was likewise diluted 1+5. Development was at 34°C between 30 and 35 seconds. Agfa MCP and Ilford MGIV both reached a density of about 2.1 in this time. An additional selenium toning increased the Dmax to 2.2. Very good! For enlarging and measuring I rely on my Splitgrade. For the above-mentioned papers, the parameters given by the Splitgrade were hardly influenced at all. Only a 0.4-second increase in the exposure time for MGIV.

After the first three of four weeks of use, I changed from Agfa MCP to Kentmere (in the Tetanal packaging). At first, the blacks were not as dense as with the the Agfa and Ilford papers when judged by eye. The densitometer reading showed the highest DMax to be 1.92. At first, I thought the developer was exhausted. Disappointed, I was about to replace it with new when I read on the Moersch website that Kentmere papers require a stronger dilution or more development time.

I changed the time on my Colenta to 35-40 seconds and kept everything else the same. Lo and behold, I achieved a DMax of 2.06 from then on. I got some Agfa MCP paper and measured a DMax of 2.1 at a deveopment time of 30-35 seconds. Great. So, the chemistry was not exhausted!

Currently, the developer has been in continuous use in the maching for nine months. Only with Kentmere paper do I increase the development time. The replenishment is approx. 250ml per square meter of paper run through the maching.

My first experience with Moersch ECO 4812 has been very positive. I now just use one deveoper. If the different times between Tetenal/Kentmere RC papers are observed, the lab worker has a very economical developer that delivers first-class results.

A few words about the desired image tone: Both Agfa MCP and Ilford MGIV in the glossy finish take on a pleasant, slightly-warm tone from the machine processing. The matt version of both papers are somewhat more neutral in tone. I only tray process Foma papers, since the emulsion is supposedly not hardened and relatively thick. It sticks and collects dirt in the machine."

Hope this is of interest,

Thomas; i hab mi a bisserl auzaht, aber net zu vöö...

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

psvensson · May 8, 2009

I'm assuming this is a Vitamin C-based developer. I think it's doubtful that it's meaningfully less harmful to the environment than standard hydroquinone-based developers, mainly because hydroquinone in the quantities used by a home darkroom breaks down into harmless oxidation products in the sewer system.

But I do like Vitamin C-based developers. I used to use Agfa Neutol Plus, and I use Tektol right now. The main reason is that the breakdown products of hydroquinone stain my trays, and occasionally my prints, bathroom tiles and bathtub with a tarry residue. Vitamin C developers leave no hard-to-dissolve residue.

Joerg Bergs · May 8, 2009

Thank you very much for the "fast" translation

Doremus Scudder · May 9, 2009

Jörg,

Gern geschehen! Feel free to use what you like of the translation.

Best,

Doremus Scudder
www.DoremusScudder.com

Moersch Eco 4812 Paper Developer

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