Thoughts on using Ilford Bromophen in a warm darkroom

[Alan9940]

I've never used this paper developer, but I'm thinking about giving it a shot because I read that it produces a slightly warm image tone with most papers. However, I just read the instructional info on Ilford's paper developers and they don't recommend using this formula in a warm/hot environment. Since my darkroom runs at about 80 - 82F ambient temp during the summer months, I was wondering if anyone has any experience with using this particular paper developer in warm temps? How warm/hot is hot? Ilford doesn't say...

 

[koraks]

I wouldn't worry about it. Give it a go; should work just fine.

 

[MARTIE]

Bromophen is my standard paper developer. The temperatures you indicate won't be an issue, consistency is the main thing.

 

[MattKing]

The exact wording is:
"BROMOPHEN developer is designed for use at
ambient room temperatures, nominally 20ºC/68ºF.
We do not recommend its use for high
temperature or machine processing applications."
I read "high temperature or machine processing applications" as meaning the sorts of applications that emphasize speed and throughput - the ones usually found in industrial/commercial environments.

Of course, if my understanding about UK weather is correct, even 20C/68F might be considered at least a warm temperature environment .....

 

[Alan9940]

Thanks for the input.

@MattKing, yeah, that's the way I read it, too, but the wording leaves "high temperature" open-ended.

 

[Craig]

High temp is for the machine processing chemicals, up to 40°C

 

[mshchem]

I've used it at 75F even warmer no problems. Like Craig says not for use in machines (like the old Ilford 2150). I love this stuff. Keeps nicely in full bottles. Dilute 250mL of stock to make 1 liter of working solution. So a 5L package makes 20 liters of working, very economical. I develop for 2 minutes at 68°F.

 

[pentaxuser]

The exact wording is:
"BROMOPHEN developer is designed for use at
ambient room temperatures, nominally 20ºC/68ºF.
We do not recommend its use for high
temperature or machine processing applications."
I read "high temperature or machine processing applications" as meaning the sorts of applications that emphasize speed and throughput - the ones usually found in industrial/commercial environments.

Of course, if my understanding about UK weather is correct, even 20C/68F might be considered at least a warm temperature environment .....

I am not sayíng we regard the above temperature as dangerous but warnings are announced on public tannoys and the Accident and Emergency depts are alerted in all U.K hospítals

At 21C I am convinced I have seen a guy in a cloak with a scythe walking the streets but it might have been my near comatose condition brought on by the heat


pentaxuser

 

[Craig]

I read "high temperature or machine processing applications" as meaning the sorts of applications that emphasize speed and throughput

The 2000RT chemicals for machine processing say the development time at 40°C is 12 seconds. At 20°C ( the coldest they recommend) the time increases to 46 seconds.

 

[mshchem]

I am not sayíng we regard the above temperature as dangerous but warnings are announced on public tannoys and the Accident and Emergency depts are alerted in all U.K hospítals

At 21C I am convinced I have seen a guy in a cloak with a scythe walking the streets but it might have been my near comatose condition brought on by the heat


pentaxuser

 

[Paul Howell]

I live in Arizona, I have used Bromophen in the summer, my darkroom is in a second bath so I can keep the temps in the mid 70s, and like Dektol and Clayton P90 I have noticed that the contrast is condensed a bit at warmer temps but can adjusted by a bit more dilution, a lower paper grade and so on.