The Film Developing Cookbook, 2nd Edition

[NortheastPhotographic]

Will you be offering optical prints to you customers?

Unlikely, this is more for my personal work. Though we are soon going to be offering pigment prints up to 24".

 

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Unlikely, this is more for my personal work.

Okay, thanks. I was hoping we (the analog community) would have another source for optical color prints.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

Okay, thanks. I was hoping we (the analog community) would have another source for optical color prints.

Gotcha. My enlarger is an LPL 4550XL with a VCCE (BW) module. I considered a dichro and could presumably purchase that module but the complexity of maintaining RA4 chemicals was more than I’m interested in. My personal taste has now veered toward pigment prints for color anyway. It allows me to easily make gorgeous and detailed prints from E6 film, which even when I was printing in a color darkroom I never had the opportunity to do. RA4 prints do have a quality to them, but at some point you have to pick a horse. *shrug*

 

[Adrian Bacon]

Gotcha. My enlarger is an LPL 4550XL with a VCCE (BW) module. I considered a dichro and could presumably purchase that module but the complexity of maintaining RA4 chemicals was more than I’m interested in. My personal taste has now veered toward pigment prints for color anyway. It allows me to easily make gorgeous and detailed prints from E6 film, which even when I was printing in a color darkroom I never had the opportunity to do. RA4 prints do have a quality to them, but at some point you have to pick a horse. *shrug*

Same here. While I'm all for having sources to do that sort of thing, not enough people order color optical prints to justify the cost of maintaining RA-4 chemistry, not to mention stocking the paper, though I do offer BW optical prints and pigment prints up to 16x20 out of my shop. For color, I very much prefer the pigment prints from a good scan, but for BW, there's something magical about having a really heavy fiber paper coated with a silver gelatin emulsion.

I would have to be potentially spitting out at least 5-10 RA-4 prints a week every week to even consider it, and 5-10 is such a low number it's obnoxious. This should tell people how many people ask for that sort of thing. Almost nobody. Pigment prints on the other hand, 5-10 orders a day is a slow day.

 

[Kino]

Arrrggg! Shipping pushed back to December 11th!

 

[cmacd123]

seems to have turned up via Book Depository International on abe books. I never understand why it is cheaper to order a book from the UK than from North America.

 

[adelorenzo]

I pre-ordered direct from the publisher, got a shipping notification on December 9 so it's on its way.

They currently have it on sale for $36 USD until the end of December.

 

[voceumana]

Note that the Routeledge Taylor & Francis offer some extra discount; see: https://www.dontpayfull.com/at/routledge.com?c=56413741#c56413741

 

[mshchem]

I received my copy today. This is a great book. Not just a bunch of formulas. I have some good reading now and for years to come. Highly recommend buying this valuable book.

 

[Peter Schrager]

I received my copy today. This is a great book. Not just a bunch of formulas. I have some good reading now and for years to come. Highly recommend buying this valuable book.

Really have the formulas changed??
What reading are you talking about??

 

[mpirie]

I never understand why it is cheaper to order a book from the UK than from North America.

It's because GB Sterling is in the toilet!

Mike

 

[mshchem]

Really have the formulas changed??
What reading are you talking about??

It's still new to me so I won't give a review. It's NOT a cookbook, it goes into history of previous and current films and developers, talk about how things work. It's going to be one of those books that it's best to buy now, like Tim Rudman's famous toning book.

 

[mshchem]

I ordered from Routeledge Taylor & Francis, here in the US. The book was sent to me by a US based distributor, with US postage.

 

[titrisol]

Most probably formulas have not changed. However, I believe there will be additions/corrections/extra knowledge added as this 2nd ed has been in the works for a while
I got my 1st copy in 2000-2001 and left it in Europe, bought another when I moved back
I plan to order this as, just like with other "classic" books, I know this maybe the last edition anyway

I received my copy today. This is a great book. Not just a bunch of formulas. I have some good reading now and for years to come. Highly recommend buying this valuable book.

 

[Alan Johnson]

I had the 1998 edition, quickly reading through this 2020 edition there is in addition mention of some newer developers like pyrocat and some ascorbate developers, among others.
There is also quite a long section on the currently available films and how the differences between tabular and traditional grain affect microcontrast and perceived print appearance so quite a substantial update.
It should also be comprehensible to someone without a chemistry background and since it costs only the price of a few films, a good buy for B&W photography. IMO.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've go the first edition. Have had it for years and years. I'll have to get this latest edition!

 

[scheimfluger_77]

Just received my copy of 2nd. Ed. Today.

 

[Kino]

Just ordered another copy as a gift to a friend. Thanks Steve!

 

[fdonadio]

Got my copy in the mail today. Just o pened the book and started to read it at the page I landed. Interestingly, I got to read chapter 7, about super-fine grained (solvent) developers, which was something I needed to know, but didn’t know how much!

I’m certain the other chapters will be full of surprises as well. Like @mshchem said, it’s not just a bunch of formulas/recipes — it’s a hell of a great reading!

Thanks @Steve Anchell and Bill Troop for such a great book. If I had someone in the family that was into traditional photography, I would buy another copy as a gift.

Cheers,
Flavio

(Edit: corrected chapter number.)

 

[wyofilm]

Started reading my copy today. It is great!

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

I've been reading my copy. Great stuff.

I notice that one or both of the authors is pretty bearish on on Jobo processing of B&W film. Certainly I understand the arguments in some cases, but it's acknowledged that when it comes to sheet film even 4x5 wouldn't necessarily show any deficiencies until a 40x50 enlargement. Personally the convenience of expert drums cannot be understated for those (most users) who have no access to dip and dunk processors or 'deep tank' systems.

I was hoping to get some clarification on the developer recommendation for rotary tanks. It seemed like the authors are recommended 'undiluted' solvent developers such as D76 or XTol. I am to take this as straight mixtures? But they also seem to advise both strengthening developer mixtures and extending times, which is certainly unusual for rotary processing.

The fact is, I'm unlikely to ever go larger than 11x14 from a 4x5 negative, and I'm contact printing 8x10. Perhaps I should just use XTol straight... I was hoping to use Pyrocat HD, but maybe I should just use that for roll film formats where the degree of enlargement is less...

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I
The fact is, I'm unlikely to ever go larger than 11x14 from a 4x5 negative, and I'm contact printing 8x10. Perhaps I should just use XTol straight... I was hoping to use Pyrocat HD, but maybe I should just use that for roll film formats where the degree of enlargement is less...

Pyrocat-HD works well in a Jobo. Just watch out for oxidation - this applies to other dilute developers as well. I and many others use XTOL replenished and 1+1 in a Jobo with good results. A member on this forum has posted good results with rotary processing and Rodinal, and I've had success with both Tetenal Ultrafin (traditional PQ developer, diluting approx. 1+19 - 1+29) and Ultrafin Plus - probably similar to ILFORD DD-X. These latter products work well slightly more dilute e.g 1+7 rather than 1+4, as they are rather "strong" at the standard recommended dilution. I would always approach views on rotary processing with a degree of caution.

 

[markbau]

I've been reading my copy. Great stuff.

I notice that one or both of the authors is pretty bearish on on Jobo processing of B&W film. Certainly I understand the arguments in some cases, but it's acknowledged that when it comes to sheet film even 4x5 wouldn't necessarily show any deficiencies until a 40x50 enlargement. Personally the convenience of expert drums cannot be understated for those (most users) who have no access to dip and dunk processors or 'deep tank' systems. .

This is a subject that has interested me for many years. I've developed film in tanks, in trays, in nitrogen burst, in Jobo's. What I am curious about is what constant agitation does to midtones compared to more traditional development where there is no movement for 50 seconds in every minute. We can easily control total development time by testing a zone VIII neg and adjusting until we get somewhere near 1:30 but what happens to the midtone contrast in the two development scenarios is what interests me. I am getting a densitometer (the 3rd in this lifetime) soon and might start testing for this.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

This is a subject that has interested me for many years. I've developed film in tanks, in trays, in nitrogen burst, in Jobo's. What I am curious about is what constant agitation does to midtones compared to more traditional development where there is no movement for 50 seconds in every minute. We can easily control total development time by testing a zone VIII neg and adjusting until we get somewhere near 1:30 but what happens to the midtone contrast in the two development scenarios is what interests me. I am getting a densitometer (the 3rd in this lifetime) soon and might start testing for this.

I could see doing inversion processing using a 2500 series tank and 6 sheets of 4x5 film. But for 8x10 using anything other than an expert drum seems like such a waste of chemistry. John Sexton was a big proponent of Jobo processing and TMAX films, so obviously there is nothing 'wrong' with the process inherently.

 

[Alan9940]

I use this tank when I want to do minimal or stand agitation with 4x5 film:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/B-W-KING-4...941547?hash=item443e5b37ab:g:T40AAOSw~gRVlncM

It being a stainless steel tank also provides good temperature control via a water bath when extended development times are needed. Otherwise, it's Jobo Expert drums for me.