New Products

[Photo Engineer]

I hear a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over vanishing products. Well, I'm doing my part in film, paper and processing solutions. But, the interesting thing is this..... I never hear much feedback about what is wanted, needed or desired in the field of B&W photography.

Now, the thing I can best do R&D on is processing chemistry. Emulsions are secondary to R&D. All I can do there is teach basics to get a person started. But I know a lot of design thingies that I have (along with my good friend Bill Troop) to put into chemistry.

What do you want?

I have Liquidol out there. It is a high capacity, long lived develper with rather low pollution. Yet, I never hear much about it or what you might want beyond it. I would like some input.

How about a fixer that is fast but requires about 1/2 the wash of other fixers? How about a very highly concentrated developer that is extremely economical due to high dilution? How about a high acutance developer.

Now, no promises, but I do need input to prioritize my work (if any is to be done).

If you are happy, I'll just stop the process development work and go on to something else.

Lets hear from those interested......

PE

 

[KOG]

I vote for a low-wash fixer.

Kevin

 

[kristopher_lawrence]

I vote for low-wash fixer too.

And highly concentrated d76 in liquid form, like hc-110

 

[JBrunner]

Liquidol w/glycin.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Liquidol w/glycin.

PE

 

[Photo Engineer]

I vote for a low-wash fixer.

Kevin

PE

 

[Photo Engineer]

Seriously.......

Keeping tests are underway for a Liquidol version of Ansco 130 with Glycin. I cannot promise anything.

Super Universal Liquid fix is in generation 8 and I'm working hard on it. I want it to work, and work perfectly. I've been on this one for over 3 years. Well, considering Kodak work, maybe 30+ years.

Thanks so far guys.

PE

 

[bdial]

I am a happy Liquidol user.
I'll put in a second vote for the fixer. A fix that can minimize wash time would be very useful for me.

A maybe on a high acutance dev, but I'm pretty absorbed in learning the developers I'm using currently to be very willing to change. So I would less interested in those developers.
Barry

 

[Curt]

I'd love to test the developer and fixer on a "new" batch of 8x10 Panatomic-X film.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Curt;

I don't have a film developer yet, but I hope to have results soon. Best I can do is a day at a time. I need an appretice. Anyone want the job?

PE

 

[bdial]

I need an appretice. Anyone want the job?

If I lived near Rochester, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Well, in the mean-time I'll just fart around.

PE

 

[Matthew Gorringe]

Seriously.......

Keeping tests are underway for a Liquidol version of Ansco 130 with Glycin. I cannot promise anything.

Super Universal Liquid fix is in generation 8 and I'm working hard on it. I want it to work, and work perfectly. I've been on this one for over 3 years. Well, considering Kodak work, maybe 30+ years.

Thanks so far guys.

PE

Wow, you read my mind!

I mix up my own Ansco 130. I've just tried my first bottle of Liquidol and was very impressed with it's keeping properties, consistency and the shadow contrast I see with EMAKS and Galerie (as compared to Dektol). If I could buy Liquidol 130 I'd be very interested in trying it out.

The concentration of the developer is important to me because I live in Australia. I now buy from the 'Formulary in 5 litre lots to take advantage of flat-rate shipping. The more concentrated the developer, the better.

For a new fixer it would have to be something that bettered TF4 in some way and be just as good in terms of suitability for use with staining developers. I guess my dream fixer would be an alkaline fixer, short washing times and NO SMELL. I don't use TF4 for paper because of the smell but would be keen to have only one fixer that could be used for film and paper.

 

[Aurum]

Well if I had a wish list....

A one shot reversal developer for making slides out of standard B&W negative film.

Oh and world peace and harmony while you're at it?

can you have it ready by next week? No rush

 

[2F/2F]

I hear a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over vanishing products. Well, I'm doing my part in film, paper and processing solutions. But, the interesting thing is this..... I never hear much feedback about what is wanted, needed or desired in the field of B&W photography.

Now, the thing I can best do R&D on is processing chemistry. Emulsions are secondary to R&D. All I can do there is teach basics to get a person started. But I know a lot of design thingies that I have (along with my good friend Bill Troop) to put into chemistry.

What do you want?

I have Liquidol out there. It is a high capacity, long lived develper with rather low pollution. Yet, I never hear much about it or what you might want beyond it. I would like some input.

How about a fixer that is fast but requires about 1/2 the wash of other fixers? How about a very highly concentrated developer that is extremely economical due to high dilution? How about a high acutance developer.

Now, no promises, but I do need input to prioritize my work (if any is to be done).

If you are happy, I'll just stop the process development work and go on to something else.

Lets hear from those interested......

PE

For the most part, I am fine with the emulsions that are now available. I do wish that HIE was still here, and I know plenty of people miss Tech Pan, but other than that, I can do pretty much 95% of what I want to do with the emulsions that are now available.

I have no interest whatsoever in more chemistry. Ilford or Photographers Formulary supply everything I need and am likely to ever need.

My only real desires for black and white are:

1. That every emulsion be available in every format. If something is made, it should be made in every size up to at least 8x10.

2. That we have a greater variety of enlarging papers. Looking through my 1961 Photo Lab Index is enough to make me cry. There was SO MUCH VARIETY. Different surfaces, different tones, different weighs, etc.

Color materials are another issue, and that is what causes me anguish more than anything else. The black and white world is skimpy, but very manageable. Color just seems to get worse and worse every day. Black and white products are great, and anything you can do to advance the art and science of photography will help. However, I just don't think that black and white is the real problem area here. Color is. I don't see why so many people feel that availability of b/w materials is limiting. I can definitely see why one would feel that way about color, however.

 

[Marc Leest]

Ascorbate developer as XTOL as syrup as HC-110.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think the Swedes devised one and patented it many years ago

That's why Xtol was a late development, as it would have broken he US Patents.

Ian

 

[eclarke]

I'm for the fixer too. I like to use fresh chemicals and I just guzzle fixer...Evan Clarke

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Another vote for a fast high capacity fixer with shortened wash times

It really bothers my environmental continence throwing away all that water just to adequately wash film & FB paper

Thanks for asking

Martin

 

[KEK]

Well, in the mean-time I'll just fart around.

PE

I fart around in the darkroom all the time and now it has the side effect of regulating my blood pressure. Fancy that.

Count me in on the fixer.

Kevin

 

[Photo Engineer]

I will try my best to meet all of the goals above.

For 2F/2F I must say that different types of film and paper are not going to happen from the manufacturers due to the shrinking market. I make my own silk finish, canvas finish and watercolor papers. That is the only way I can get there from here. I make the emulsion to its desired contrast and coat it. I have no route to that except do it yourself.

PE

 

[MartinB]

1 shot least chemistry fixer for rotary processing

My Jobo ATL 1000 makes it impractical to recover fixer after use so a 1 shot fixer that adequately fixes film in the 5 min cycle would be great. It would need to work where the total volume of liquid is from 170 ml to 500 ml and uses the min chemistry to reduce waste. It would be nice to get thiosulfate per film consumption (i.e. number of rolls per litre of concentrate) to similar levels as traditional non 1 shot processing.

While specific to the Jobo, the 1 shot min chemistry is likely useful to other processing methods.

Oh, and another vote for the paper fixer with min wash water.

Martin

 

[Photo Engineer]

Martin;

With a 5 minute fix cycle, just about any fixer could be diluted down to increase fix time. Having done that to your satisfaction, you would then probably have a fix that approaches your goal of a one-shot fixer that is dilute enough to be economical.

Determining the proper dilution would be a snap. Just dilute your current fixer and test with a piece of 35mm leader to get a clear time of 2.5 minutes. Then you have the right dilution. If it is not economical for you then that fixer is not suitable for throw away.

PE

 

[2F/2F]

I will try my best to meet all of the goals above.

For 2F/2F I must say that different types of film and paper are not going to happen from the manufacturers due to the shrinking market. I make my own silk finish, canvas finish and watercolor papers. That is the only way I can get there from here. I make the emulsion to its desired contrast and coat it. I have no route to that except do it yourself.

PE

I don't think they are going to happen either. Just trying to bring up what would really matter to me in the world of b/w at this time. I can do everything I need to do with the currently available chemicals and emulsions.

 

[ElrodCod]

The low wash fixer & highly concentrated developer would be great.