Silver Pixel RA4 Chemistry

Larry L

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Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
36
Location
Iowa
Format
35mm RF
Any experience with RA4 Chemistry with a brand name of Silver Pixel from a large west coast mail order house? I've been a dedicated user of Kodak RA4 3.8 liter kits for many years but am having trouble getting them via internet ordering due to the shipping hazards. My local camera store dealer doesn't stock anymore and he charges me full list plus to special order. The prices of the above Silver Pixel in larger kits is significantly lower than the last two Kodak kits I managed to order.

From what I've been able to determine so far the manufacturer is in Michigan so that would be keeping with wanting to continue being a faithful customer of "hometown" manufacturers.

Thanks.
 

stefan4u

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Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
167
Format
35mm
Silverpixel / Photocolor

Dear Larry !!

If I'm not completly wrong Kodak had aparted from making it's photochemicals. A company called "champion" will do it further on.

But have a look to the Freestyle Site, they do offer this stuff too.

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=1004&pid=5888

They do have a data sheet with mixing Instruktions
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/Silver_Pixel_RA4.pdf

and MSDS for the Color Developer
https://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/msds/silver/Silver_Pix_RA4_Dev.pdf

It's not possible to get the entire reciept, but at least the right Developing Agent (CD-3) is used, in opposite to "Fotospeed mono RA4" which uses CD-4.
Lithiumsulfate, Diethylhydroxylamine and TEA are present too. Definatly no odorless, more a "conventional (in the best meaning)" formular. Give it a try, 32 Bucks for 20 Ltr. replenisher seems to be a good price.

By the way, this is replenisher, actual you need a tiny ammount of starter to convert it to a seasoned solution.

Regards,
Stefan
 
OP
OP

Larry L

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Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
36
Location
Iowa
Format
35mm RF
Freestyle and Silver Pixel RA4 Chemistry

Thanks for the information on the internal formulations. Not using CD-4 and needing a starter is good information. Have a friend that has a "lifetime supply" of starter for Kodak RA-4 RT kits but will have to checkout the Silver Pixel closer. Do not recall see starter mentioned.

Freestyle is where I was looking to order it and you are right in that the price is much lower than Kodak's at Adorama. I've ordered these kits from Adorama in the past. Some research I did find in addition is that Adorama's charges for shipping are lower than Freestyle's - in this case significantly. The total cost gap for two 10L kits in one order was less than 10%, unless I did the "shopping cart" programs wrong.

Hate to see Kodak selling off so much of their photo business - I started doing color printing in 1975 via a condenser enlarger with a filter tray - printing slides onto Ektachrome 1993 paper. Hopefully, APUG and others can keep wet photography going. It is interesting that many of the internet sites for processing prints are taking in digital files but printing onto wet chemistry paper. Hopefully, that will keep things around for a while.
 

stefan4u

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
167
Format
35mm
Kodak Ra-4 RT / Silver Pixel RA-4 RT

Dear Larry !!

It seems that this sad history is repeating, the (forced) bancruptcy from AGFA here in Germany still makes me headache. A whole Industry is cutting off it's roots, hope the stockholders get happy at least...

But back to your chemicals, a quick check to the mixing instructions from my kodak RA-4 RT says:
Developer replenisher: 50 ml Part A, 35 ml Part B( US Version 22ml Part B) and 50 ml part C to one litre.

Developer in working strenght:
800 ml replenisher, Water 175 ml, Starter 25 ml

Similar numbers by itself are of course only a hint, but because this developer replaces the former Kodak stuff, it's a three part RT composition (including starter 4 part) of nearly identical mixing propotions, I would bet you could tap your friend's lifetime supply of starter and get a proper result. (Anyway, it's only buffered "table salt" ...)

Just add a bit less than told and watch your prints, if they are to dense / contrasty / fogged add slowly starter till the used / desired result is visible. Or just forget about it, I've read several times (from reliable members) that Kodak RA4 RT Developer replenisher can be used, as it is, for room temperature tray development. Maybe the pixar composition can be used that way too...

Regards,
Stefan
 

stevewillard

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Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
177
Location
Fort Collins
Format
Large Format
Just for the record, Kodak's RT developer has some oxidation inhibitors in it and relative to other RA4 developers it is very stable. I have left my RT developer in my replenishing tank with a floating lid over the summer. When I tested the chemistry that fall using RA4 control strips, it was fine. Denver Pro Photo sells it and will ship it anywhere. The last time I did a price comparison, they were competitive with B&H out of New York. Their phone number is (866) 360-4940 and there website is www.denverprophoto.com.
 

PHOTOTONE

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Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
2,412
Location
Van Buren, A
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Large Format
Just to clarify the chemical situation with Kodak. Kodak did sell its chemical manufacturing plant to Champion. Kodak continues to offer the various color and b/w chemicals it did before the sale. It just now has them manufactured by Champion. You will notice no difference in performance. After all, it is the same people in the same plant making the chemicals.
 

jlehmus

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
40
Location
Finland
Format
35mm RF
Those prices for the Silver Pixel chemicals look really good when compared to the prices for the Tetenal and other RA-4 kits that I've looked at. Does Silver Pixel have a distributor in Europe?
 

Alisa_Candy

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
8
Format
Large Format
may you advise alternative for duratrans transparency?


Hello may you advise alternative for duratrans transparency (RA4)?
 

Alisa_Candy

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
8
Format
Large Format
Hello! I have durst epsilon printer RA4 process. Usually I am using duratrans transparency for light boxes printing. Please help to find alternative . may thanks
 

stefan4u

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
167
Format
35mm
Dear Alisa !!

I'm not absolutley sure how to understand your question... This is still RA4 Roller transport chemistry, fed only with a different material, assuming that you are printing on display materials already there will be no big change...
In general you have to increase process times and replenishing rates, Most common is roughly double time for dev. and blix in conjunction with double replenshment rates for the chemicals in order to get the thick / high silver emulsion proper developed.

Exact times can be found on the paper's producer website, the standard is (was) 1:50 min for dev. and blix. at 95°F.

Assuming that this "silver pixel Fotocolor print RA4 RT Developer Replenisher" has similar properties like the "Kodak Ektacolor RA4 RT Developer Replenisher" I would orientate myself, concerning the needed repleshment rates, on their Database too...
Look at Page 8 / 9 of the following pdf http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/acrobat/en/service/Zmanuals/z130_04.pdf

The developing times seems to be valid for the KODAK PROFESSIONAL Digital Display Materials
on your Durst Epsilon Laser Imager too, as stated on the following link http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/e119/e119.jhtml

Anyway, watch out for the exatct display material you use, there is some new (?) display material on the market (professional day/night digital display material) http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/e4013/e4013.pdf which needs only a 45 sec. processing, as well as the older Duraflex RA.

Hope this helps a bit,
Regards Stefan
 

Alisa_Candy

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
8
Format
Large Format
Thank you very much Stefan,
do you know other display material beside Kodak duratrans and duraflex (may be some other companies also produce materails like that for RA4)? Where is cheaper to buy them?
 

Alisa_Candy

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
8
Format
Large Format
or Kodak has monopoly for producing RA4 materials for light boxes?
 
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