Just like Ilford reversal where you can literally reverse any film by adjusting silver solvent, time and agitation frequency (and developer concentration, if needed) to land contrast you need, making it a very flexible process.
HP5+ included which tends to lend a very flat result in need of boosting contrast, which can be done by deploying constant agitation and increasing developer concentration. Delta 3200 behaves similarly too.
Push/Pull included - any film.
Does this produce best slides out there - unknown to me, but I see no problems with "gradation" and densities.
Sadly he will probably take his knowledge to the grave, because reasons.
Is there a way to use the densitomer in my scanner software to have an understanding what numbers I'm getting with Ilford? Silverfast has one, but I haven't used/don't understand it.
Apparently some of the chemical stuff was published in the darkroom cookbook. Chapter 13.
I went in a search here and could only find a second hand report of his comment which is probably what I remembered.
Post in thread 'DR5 getting published?'
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/dr5-getting-published.178237/post-2393541
Looking through a bunch of posts here about DR5 it doesn’t look like he was using a dichromate intensifier. There are all the regular steps and a mystery one at the end.
Post in thread 'Wanting to try reversal processing but also not die'
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...ocessing-but-also-not-die.174178/post-2268858
Other tidbits I ran across include that he did alter the first developer time depending on the film. No “ham fisted” one time for everything. The same chemicals were used every time which is probably why there were some films that just didn’t work well. He also did not use any silver reduction in the first developer. The warm tone developer (he caller number 2) was apparently run at 60(!) degrees Celsius.
Lots of speculation about the process of course. The most credible I think was that he used a really strong fogging developer that built up density and then was able to clear the highlights afterwards.
He used and swore by dichromate bleach.
Does he say that this is the exact process that he uses for processing his customer's films? And does the cookbook provide any real examples of reversal done with this specific process?
Thanks.
it looks like it does represent his process for the most part.
I assumed that the 2nd developer worked til completion so there wouldn‘t be any more light sensitive halides left.
I went in a search here and could only find a second hand report of his comment which is probably what I remembered.
Post in thread 'DR5 getting published?'
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/dr5-getting-published.178237/post-2393541
Looking through a bunch of posts here about DR5 it doesn’t look like he was using a dichromate intensifier. There are all the regular steps and a mystery one at the end.
Post in thread 'Wanting to try reversal processing but also not die'
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...ocessing-but-also-not-die.174178/post-2268858
Other tidbits I ran across include that he did alter the first developer time depending on the film. No “ham fisted” one time for everything. The same chemicals were used every time which is probably why there were some films that just didn’t work well. He also did not use any silver reduction in the first developer. The warm tone developer (he caller number 2) was apparently run at 60(!) degrees Celsius.
Lots of speculation about the process of course. The most credible I think was that he used a really strong fogging developer that built up density and then was able to clear the highlights afterwards.
He used and swore by dichromate bleach.
It was mentioned several times that his process depended on and required specialized lab equipment. Indeed, he had quite a sophisticated processor. But in the years after he closed his lab he has done limited runs with his Jobo processor. He said that the #2 developer was not able to be done though. That makes me think that the custom equipment was only necessary for volume processing and/or for running the #2 developer. How hot can Jobo reliably get?
In any case he had been doing commercial B&W reversal processing for 15 or so years after lots and lots of testing. He was able to process and get great results from a large number of films. Fomapan 100 didn’t work in his process but HP5+ was a popular film for it despite Ilford saying it wasn’t usable in their process. Different processes work differently, who would have guessed?
Yes, that's an unfortunate line of reasoning. This assumes that the capabilities of amateurs are equal and constant. We have ample evidence only here on Photrio that this isn't the case. We see people working on setups that are much more advanced than what might associate with 'amateurs'. And then there's the constant advancement in technology and availability of materials, concepts and techniques also to the DIY world. To take the DR5 machine we've seen linked to in an Instagram video: that sort of machine is buildable by a dedicated amateur. Yes, they will need to have a decent understanding of embedded systems, mechatronics etc. - but it's absolutely feasible and it does not require gargantuan budgets or knowledge/expertise that's restricted to top-tier organizations.an excuse for not publishing it (in a "Darkroom Cookbook" thread some time ago) was that the equipment was unique and could not be replicated by any amateur, so there was little point in disclosing it.
I like the idea of a member organized...thing. Not sure if I'd be very stimulated by shooting a white board and doing densitometer measurements. But the idea of getting our hands dirty as a group on some reversal processing - that sounds quite nice. I'd consider joining in on the fun!
What would we like to experience/learn/demonstrate/see? To answer that one for me - I'd simply enjoy seeing what people make with the technique. It might be putting the cart before the horse a bit, but perhaps there's a nice challenge or theme to apply it to? How about "contrast"? Or something like "geometry"?
Excellent !
now the DR5 process inventor and practitioner is not offering the service commercially
@isaac7: these are the steps in Dr5 process:
View attachment 409795
Source:
Note the temperature of R.SEP (sepia developer). It is 16.6 C and not 60 C. Rules out hypo-alum sepia toning as speculated by some.
Also note there is a step ST that's done after second development but before fixing as opposed to step FT which is done after fixing. These could be some intensification steps. Or is ST a stop bath as you mentioned earlier? And FT is formalin treatment? Which means there is no intensification at all.
Yeah #8 is the neutral 2nd developer #9 is the sepia 2nd developer. It's possible that the developer in #9 wasn't being used when this picture was taken. Film would only be put through #8 or #9 not both. There were frequently delays if you wanted that warm tone developer as he would wait to get enough to do a batch. If it really was being run at the higher temperature I understand not wanting it cranked up unless it was needed.Excellent !
So, it is apparently:
1. First developer
2. Two washes
3. Bleach 1
4. Bleach 2
5. Wash
6. CL = most likely clearing bath
7. Two washes
8. R. NEU = ??
9. R. SEP = ??
Steps 8 and 9 must be some kind of second developers, otherwise the image can't be produced.
Also, temperature for step 9 is unusually low, 16.6 C.
Maybe only one of 8 or 9 is active at a given time.
10. ST = stabilizer, i guess (?) or "special treatment"
11. Fixer
12. Wash
13. FT = can be "formaldehyde treatment"? "final treatment"?
15. Wash
15. PF = most likely Photoflo
16. Drying
"R.NEU" = Redeveloper, neutral8. R. NEU = ??
9. R. SEP = ??
That's interesting since it was mentioned earlier that the sepia redevelopment would have been at high temperature. It's possible that the thermostat for that bath was hacked/modified.Also, temperature for step 9 is unusually low, 16.6 C.
"Stop". See earlier discussion on the need to instantly stop development for archival purposes.10. ST = stabilizer, i guess (?) or "special treatment"
any direct toner on B&W film slides.
Thank you! I did directly - as a replacement of 2nd development or as a 2nd stage of 2nd development.
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