What's a good, non-temp dependent dev for shooting @ box speed?

jnanian said:

sorry to read of your troubles darkroom mike..
you don't need to remove all the film from the reel just the end to look at a couple of frame ..
and it really isn't hard to slip a couple of frames ( the tail end of the film ) back on the reel ( at least for me )..
regarding paper developer, been doing it successful and continually ( except for a few instances )
since the 1990s, probably 1996 when i ran out of $$ and found a red and white can of "gaf universal"
on the drafty windowsill of the studio i was renting. it was probably 20 years old at the time .. ( or more )
and won't go back, unless it is caffenol, and even with that i put print developer in it
and split bath process it between caffenol 130 ( or 72 ) and print developer ( either 130 or 72 )
and get great results .. sometimes i use sprint film developer but i won't use anything else.

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• So if I'm reading this right, I have 36 exposures on a roll of r=film and I only need to inspect frame #36?
• I think I'll stick with film developers for film and paper developers for paper.

Doremus Scudder said:

Older, but similar to what Bill suggests is the good old Zone VI compensating developing timer. They change the length of "seconds" depending on the temperature, which is monitored by a probe that goes in the developer tray/water bath. They come up for sale used from time-to-time. I have two and like them very much.

The next best solution might be divided developers like divided D-76 or divided Pyrocat. Do a bit of research on these.

Best,

Doremus

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I was tired of watching all the eBay auctions go out of sight on old Zone VI compensating timers.

But we're still dealing with a developer that requires a certain time and temperature to work properly.

I'm getting the feeling that chip j is really looking for a "carefree" developer. Maybe a monobath.

Bill Burk said:

If your goal is to never have to maintain temperature, you could use what I use... CompnTemp, http://curtpalm.com/Software.html

If the temperature drifts higher, the clock runs faster... if it gets colder, the clock slows down.

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Can I get one of these to help me with deadlines?

Is there any chance that chip j would be satisfied with a developer that is relatively temperature independent?
I'm thinking about something that requires relatively small amounts of time adjustment to deal with relatively large amounts of temperature change. Something that would permit using the same time for temperatures that range over something like a 4C range, and still yield excellent results.
And if so, any suggestions?

Why does everyone want to suggest an esoteric film developer? Looking at a time/temperature chart is free and requires no effort. Doing things the right way just isn't burdensome. For God's sake man, make the smallest effort to achieve good negatives.

Rodinal 1+100. Use proper reels (stainless, not plastic).

The Massive Dev Chart iOS app will do time/temperature conversion automatically. You don’t have to believe the MDC’s development/exposure times or anything—just edit your own profiles to reflect your practice, or use theirs as a starter and make your own tests, but the time/temp conversion is very handy along with the process timer at least for daylight processing. For processing in the dark, turn the backlighting on your phone all the way down and shield the phone from the area where you are handling film. Usually I just use the calculator to figure the time and then proceed as normal with my regular Omega lab timer.

Diafine with TMY120 isn't that bad, actually. Keep it above 70f. Two baths. David Vestal was using it some years ago when he was trying to find something to shoot if TriX was discontinued. But I get better results with Xtol, and it's not all that hard to manage the temps unless you're working outside in a snowstorm.

BradS said:

The question you asked in post #14 was answered in post #16 (and in the first sentence of post #13).

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Thanks for the reply. The posts you refer to must surely be classified as "control" in anyone's book. The poster in question simply says you don't need to control temperature and then gives a film and developer combination which implies that the said combo negates any need for control. Was his post an "off the cuff" comment or is there something about this combo that does largely eliminate any need for control?

I hope he responds

pentaxuser

The Zone VI Compensating Development Timer (if you can ever find one) works quite well within REASONABLE temp boundaries. Once you get too far out, certain
developer ingredients might accelerate or decelerate activity disproportionate to other ingredients. Too hot, typically above 75F, and you might damage the emulsion
itself. Too cold, and depending on the specific developer, some components simply might not have enough energy to jump start them, or at times, even to stay fully
dissolved in solution. A warm water drip line into a big tray, offset with a brick of picnic box "blue ice" can work wonders.

Here in the summer, it’s not too unusual for ambient temperature to be in the mid-80s indoors, so I process up to around 86F and haven’t had any emulsion floating off. I’ll try in those cases to use a developer that won’t give me an excessively short development time. Modern emulsions are hardened, so that “tropical” developers containing hardeners like alum should no longer be necessary, but of course it’s important to keep the temperature of the whole process consistent to avoid reticulation.

B&W film instructions tend to give processing times for 65-75F, but E-6 is at 100F. Maybe PE or Ian or someone with similar knowledge may have something to say about whether color materials use different gelatin or additional hardeners to allow processing at that temperature, and whether B&W films may incorporate that technology, even if high-temperature processing isn’t mentioned on the data sheet.

777 or diafine...
18 to 24 seem to give similar results...

buy a thermometer and use any developer that pleases you

faberryman said:

Why does everyone want to suggest an esoteric film developer? Looking at a time/temperature chart is free and requires no effort. Doing things the right way just isn't burdensome. For God's sake man, make the smallest effort to achieve good negatives.

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I have to say..I agree.
These are solutions to a problem that doesn't exist.
If timing your developing based on a couple of degrees difference is too much work...then maybe just send the film out to be developed.

It's honestly no work at all to keep a gallon of water in the house along with the stop and fixer so that the temps are the same, and mix up a one shot batch of developer, take the temp, adjust the time a bit and then develop.

Anything easier and you wouldn't actually be doing anything.