Where to get Ilfochrome P-30

[Dug]

Ed - I have always mixed the P30 kits one at a time, for one liter of prepared solution. If I use the 5 liter kit mixed 1 liter at a time, do the stock solutions need a burst of butane in the top to keep the oxygen away or any other weirdness to preserve them?

 

[EdM]

Ed - I have always mixed the P30 kits one at a time, for one liter of prepared solution. If I use the 5 liter kit mixed 1 liter at a time, do the stock solutions need a burst of butane in the top to keep the oxygen away or any other weirdness to preserve them?

I mix one litre at a time and nearly always use it within a week. I almost never mix multiple litres. Two or three weeks have never been a problem for me. After mixing, I store it in brown plastic 16 0z photochemical bottles. Over the 25+ years I have used Cibachrome/Ilfochrome, I have only had it spoil once - that was when I returned to half full containers after a two month hiatus. My darkroom temperature is pretty well controlled at 65-70 degrees depending on the season.

My question for the group has to do with both the Classic and RC print material life. Has anyone used it when it is more than a year out of date, and what attendant problems or failures have there been?

Ed

 

[ras351]

My question for the group has to do with both the Classic and RC print material life. Has anyone used it when it is more than a year out of date, and what attendant problems or failures have there been?

Ed

I've recently made some prints with some CLM1K paper which expired in January 2004. It printed fine although it has been in the freezer since it was purchased. The only problem was that it needed a bit more magenta (7CC) than I would have otherwise guessed given the suggested filter pack. I did have some problems with some old CPM1M paper (stored room temperature) a couple of years ago. It ended up with some rather severe colour crossover - it lost a large proportion of its red response and after adjustment with filtration I ended up with cyan highlights.

Roger.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Why is it of almost no use to the amateur photograher? The 5 litre kit will (according to the Swiss source) be mixed one litre at a time just like the 2 litre kit was. Considering the keeping properties of the stock solutions, I can live with that.

Ed

...unless, of course, if it would come fractioned in 5 one-litre bottles.

Which I strongly doubt: that's the point...

 

[EdM]

Ilfochrome P3.5 - 5 litre kit

My supplier delivered the new P3.5 5 litre kit today. Price? I don't know- he hasn't received the invoice.

P3.5 is all liquid. It is not separated into 5 - 1 litre kits. However, the instructions given allow for mixing 1 litre at a time. Obviously, I do not yet know the keeping properties of partial containers of stock solutions. When I hear from Ilford Tech Support, I will post.

Regards,
Ed

 

[Wayne]

After using the P30 kits for a few years I've been playing around with my own developers in order to resolve the contrast issue. Results so far show promise. Firstly the developer is basically a normal B&W developer with a small amount of thiosulphate added to remove the masking layer. Personally I've been testing with the Beers formulas which for lower contrast uses only the metol developer, with the thiosulphate added at a rate of 0.1 to 0.2 grams per 100ml of developer (ie 30ml Beers A stock + 60ml water + 0.1 gm thiosulphate). This develops a silver image in the paper for each of the three layers. I can't see any reason why you couldn't use a normal multigrade type developer (with thiosulphate added) if you're happy with a normal contrast image. Dilution and time can be used to tweak things slightly. You can also use phenidone/ascorbic acid developers if you have a reaction to metol.

Roger.

I'd be interested to know if you have any real success with this, I tried numerous divided developers a few years ago and had very little luck lowering the contrast. I contacted someone who had used the same formulas successfully to lower contrast in the past, and he claimed the emulsion changed a few years ago and it no longer works. That was my experience, and I finally gave up trying.

 

[jon]

When I was at Henry's in Toronto the other day, there was a single P30 kit still there in the ever-shrinking darkroom section. $45cdn I believe.

 

[Wayne]

I have a P-30 kit that I am holding for ran$om. Before I release it I want the Americans out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and the USA.

 

[davetravis]

Hi Folks,
I've done web searching and found the new 5L kits at:
UniquePhoto - makes you buy 4 of the 5L kits...
Adorama may get the 5L soon, but the 2L is not being produced
B&H - has it, but still won't ship...
RainierPhoto - takes a phone call
Calumet - will arrive 8/05

I've got one 2L kit left and will use it with great ceremony!
I'm totally commited to Ciba, and will use any chems that will work!
The 5L will work for me. I'll use 2L in the ICP42, two batches, and make
the big ones in the Jobo Drums with the remainder.
It sounds like I should stock up on the poly in sheets ASAP!

Long live Ciba!!!

 

[EdM]

Hi Folks,
I've done web searching and found the new 5L kits at:
UniquePhoto - makes you buy 4 of the 5L kits...
Adorama may get the 5L soon, but the 2L is not being produced
B&H - has it, but still won't ship...
RainierPhoto - takes a phone call
Calumet - will arrive 8/05

I've got one 2L kit left and will use it with great ceremony!
I'm totally commited to Ciba, and will use any chems that will work!
The 5L will work for me. I'll use 2L in the ICP42, two batches, and make
the big ones in the Jobo Drums with the remainder.
It sounds like I should stock up on the poly in sheets ASAP!

Long live Ciba!!!

The all liquid P3.5 - 5 litre kit includes instructions for mixing one or two litres at a time. My first one arrived today. I began printing Cibachrome in 1978.

Ed

 

[ras351]

I'd be interested to know if you have any real success with this, I tried numerous divided developers a few years ago and had very little luck lowering the contrast. I contacted someone who had used the same formulas successfully to lower contrast in the past, and he claimed the emulsion changed a few years ago and it no longer works. That was my experience, and I finally gave up trying.

Hi Wayne,

Yes, it works although it requires some calibration and testing initially. As in B&W film processing you increase exposure and reduce development time (or temperature) or change to a slower/lower contrast developer. It doesn't beat contrast reduction masking for ultimate control but if you require less than a paper grade change (or thereabouts) it's an option. I've used it to print from transparencies which I couldn't reasonably print using the P30 kits without losing the shadow detail or washing out the highlights.

Roger.

 

[Wayne]

Hi Wayne,

Yes, it works although it requires some calibration and testing initially. As in B&W film processing you increase exposure and reduce development time (or temperature) or change to a slower/lower contrast developer. It doesn't beat contrast reduction masking for ultimate control but if you require less than a paper grade change (or thereabouts) it's an option. I've used it to print from transparencies which I couldn't reasonably print using the P30 kits without losing the shadow detail or washing out the highlights.

Roger.

Thats good to know, in case I ever get back on the Ciba wagon again. It must not work as well as it used to though, as my source had used dd's for years, stopped printing for a while and then poof-it didnt work like it used to. I guess I was able to get some slight contrast reduction, ceertainly less than a grade, but not enough to make me happy.

 

[EdM]

Ilfochrome P 3.5

I called every photo store in town that keeps darkroom supplies. None have Ilfochrome P-30 kits or Ilfochrome paper. One has had the P-30 kits on backorder since January. They all say they simply can't get it anymore.

Adorama is out of stock. B&H has it but won't ship it. Freestyle has Arista 2 liter kit, but not P-30. Calumet is out of stock.

I've done a bit of RA-4 printing from negatives, but I've never made R-prints before. I just want the experience of making contrast masks and producing one or two decent R-prints before the process entirely disappears, but then I think I'll be done with it.

Anyone know where I can get a P-30 kit and some Ilfochrome paper?

Try Adorama again. Calumet is another possibility. However, there will be no more P30. The new kits are called P 3.5, all liquid, and shipped as 5 litre kits. There is no change in time/temperature.
The instructions include the proper mix for 1 litre at a time. I received my first P 3.5 kit from my local supplier today.

Ed

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Ed, however it is, these are good news indeed.

By how many different liquids is the kit composed? Just three? Which quantity of liquid does each contain? See, I may want to start keeping the old small bottles to fraction the liquids, rather than leaving the new bottles half-empty.

And what about the papers? Did you see some *NEW* Ilfochrome on the shelves, perhaps?

 

[EdM]

Ilfochrome P3.5 - 5 Litre Kits

Ed, however it is, these are good news indeed.

By how many different liquids is the kit composed? Just three? Which quantity of liquid does each contain? See, I may want to start keeping the old small bottles to fraction the liquids, rather than leaving the new bottles half-empty.

And what about the papers? Did you see some *NEW* Ilfochrome on the shelves, perhaps?

Three liquids, broken down into Developer A,B,C; Bleach A,B,C; Fixer is one solution. Packaged as Developer A, 1.5 L; Developer B, C, 500ml. Bleach A,B,C, each 500 ml. Fixer 2 L. Times/temperatures are as before. They have only listed 75 and 86 degrees for some years, but I have found that the old time charts from the '80s and early '90s work as well as ever.

An e-mail from Ilford Tech Support some weeks ago assured me that the new P3.5 liquid chemistry will produce the same results with the same treatment as the P30.

B&H lists most paper as Special Order, particularly the huge rolls. They do have the 11x14-50 in stock (I use that most); some others are also in stock.
My local supplier is a processing center, so the don't carry stock for the general public.

Regards,
Ed

 

[Wayne]

I wonder if the packaging/volumes will the same on both sides of the pond though.

 

[EdM]

P3.5 Packaging

I wonder if the packaging/volumes will the same on both sides of the pond though.

I can't answer that except to say the 1.5 litre stock container is marked "for Australia" <grin>. I assume it will work in Indiana.

I believe the P30 2 litre kits were the same anywhere...?

Regards,
Ed

 

[Wayne]

There used to be a kit available only overseas (ie not in the US), I cant remember the specifics but it wasnt available here-was it a 1 liter or 3 liter kit perhaps? The only thing we've had available (other than P3) in the US in recent decades is the 2 liter, so someone on the other side of the puddle should know the answer.

 

[EdM]

I'd be interested to know if you have any real success with this, I tried numerous divided developers a few years ago and had very little luck lowering the contrast. I contacted someone who had used the same formulas successfully to lower contrast in the past, and he claimed the emulsion changed a few years ago and it no longer works. That was my experience, and I finally gave up trying.

Back in the early 1980's I tried Dektol as a Cibachrome developer. IIRC, it worked, but produced a rather flat image. Do not, repeat, do not rely on this experience. I neither took notes nor kept the prints - that was 25 years ago.

Regards,
Ed

 

[Wayne]

Hopefully you threw some thiosulfate in there too

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Thank you, Ed. It'll be quite difficult to fraction and store before usage, methinks. Will see.

As for volume/packaging, who knows? As a matter of fact, in my experience I can't recall ever purchasing two P30 or P30P kits which looked the same, had the same content and made the same quantity. Each time I went to the store, something had changed. Say: funny the developer comes in three compounds now. It was only two last time. Really, who knows.

 

[EdM]

Thank you, Ed. It'll be quite difficult to fraction and store before usage, methinks. Will see.

As for volume/packaging, who knows? As a matter of fact, in my experience I can't recall ever purchasing two P30 or P30P kits which looked the same, had the same content and made the same quantity. Each time I went to the store, something had changed. Say: funny the developer comes in three compounds now. It was only two last time. Really, who knows.

Small containers - of which I have too many - should take care of the fractioning concern. Have you kept any of the old 250 ml containers from the P30 kits? Thanks to Darkroom Studios, I was able to get a couple of P30 kits a few weeks ago. I will try using the smaller containers for fractioning once I start on the new P3.5 chemistry. Assuming same results, I am pleased to have the powder eliminated.
The only changes in P30 I have observed since the early '90s have been the color of the caps. The content mix/quantity hasn't changed in the kits imported to the USA.

Regards,
Ed

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Have you kept any of the old 250 ml containers from the P30 kits?

That's what I was wondering. I still have some old stuff in stock, so I think I'd better "collect" all the bottles from now on...

Yes, liquids are much easyer to mix, though their expiration is always my concern. I didn't have problems so far, but for some reason I'm persuaded that powders, generally speaking, last longer.

However it is, thanks for the fresh news about the 5.3 kit.

 

[Dug]

Ilfochome Kits Have Arrived! - Rainier Photo

Just got a call from Bart at Rainier Photo - The P3.5 kits are in and they can start shipping:

http://www.rainierphoto.com
1-800-255-3456

I will be picking mine up on Saturday (7/30) and will report my findings.

 

[Wayne]

Is that really what they call the new kit? Seems an odd if not bad choice