R5 Monobath Rolling Results

[NortheastPhotographic]

So I finally had a roll finished that I could run through R5.

I shot Delta 100 at 100 in 35mm. I bracketed a few times, 1 stop, to see where I could find best density. I had to cool (welcome to summer) the R5 to 75F. I used a plastic tank which I assumed was at least as warm as room temp since I had to cool the dev. I don't have a reliable darkroom to do a quick immersion in the liquid so I had to do a fill, but with the plastic tank this is less than 2-3 seconds of pouring. I then did a swirling agitation for 1 minute, and as per instructions let the tank stand for the remaining 5. Then I did a wash, LFN, and hang. Pretty simple.

My results are a mixed bag. I haven't had a chance to scan anything, but the density looks good. It appears that I'm getting full speed, or very close to full speed. The biggest thing I wanted to avoid, is streaking at the sprocket holes. Unfortunately there IS some streaking, but not in every frame. I will have to experiment more to see if I can eliminate this. I am going to try a prewash at 75-80 degrees to see if it's simply a matter of warming the materials. I will also try R5 at 80F, maybe exposing delta at ISO 64 to compensate for the higher temp.

The other problem is that there is some brownish stain on my negatives. AFAIK, this indicates that my negs were not fully fixed. My wash was extensive so I'm not worried about that. Maybe I should agitate through the fixing process?

Even though I have a couple of problems, I am still confident that I will be able to make this developer work for me. It's great for my NYC apartment workflow. I imagine I will not have as many of these issues with 120 film, and my Rolleiflex does look at me longingly with those two big beautiful eyes... However I need to make it work with 35mm as well. I'll post scans as I make them. In the meantime, any input would be welcome.

 

[jeffreythree]

The streaking is probably from the swirl as the tank fills through the reel. It is probably in all frames to some extent, but mostly visible in frames with large patches of continuous tone like a sky or wall. There is an article out there somewhere that showed a chopped up reel to stop that, and why they say to dunk it with one smooth motion. I would try letting it sit a bit longer without agitation first for more fixing time. I was hoping to hear the R5 did not have that swirl problem.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

Hmmm. So you're saying try dunk, then agitate? The instructions specifically say to swirl to prevent streaking. This may be easier with my metal tank. It's possible that I can seal up my bathroom sufficiently to block all light. It has no windows, but still only at night....

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Whether you use a monobath or a conventional developer over agitating film increases the risk of streaking. Grant Haist in his The Monobath Manual recommends an initial 30 seconds of agitation followed by 10 seconds every minute. He also recommends placing the reel(s) on a lift rod rather than using inversion. Of course this means processing in total darkness.

 

[Sherwood]

This video might be helpful. I have never used the monobath myself, but it looks like the streaking and the brown stain are common. I think those problems can be minimized. It seems like a neat process though!

 

[Gerald C Koch]

The problem with monobaths is just what do you save, perhaps a total of 15 minutes in overall processing time. Then there are the negative aspects. Higher cost and shorter life for the bath. Softening of the emulsion with the possibility of reticulation. Staining and streaking of the film. The list goes on and on. Even Haist after his research and writing a book on the subject came to the conclusion that it really was not worth it. Having used a couple of the baths mentioned in the book I have come to the same conclusion.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

The whole reason I am doing this is because it vastly cuts down on my needed # of jugs and chemistry that I have in my already cramped NYC apartment. Trust me, my girlfriend and I are planning to move to Portland Maine in a year or so, and then I will definitely be rocking my old favorite traditional developers.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

One additional warning. After monobath processing the emulsion is soft and can be easily damaged. Treat it with extra care until it is completely dry.