would it be possible to process film in Hydroquinone?

Hi,

I got a high contrast developer for my papers. The process takes about 30sec-1min.

I'm wondering if i can use this developer to process bw films instead of rodinal.

Also, if you have any experience, what times should I use?


offtopic: Can I turn on the darkroom light when developing a roll of film outside of the Jobo?(I think film is sensitive to every light, but just reassuring.). I use agfa apx 400


sorry for my bad english

When I was in high school, back in the 60's, as I remember most photography developers are based on the benzene ring. Combinations of different chemicals produce different results. Some work with each other, controlling aspects of the dominant chemical.

Here is a link I found that could help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_developer

Others, who make their own developers have more knowledge on this than me. I buy the chemicals, like D-76/ID-11 and so on already ready to mix into stock solutions.

Others here have more to contribute but I thought this might help. I recently purchased the book, "Pyro" by Mr. Gordon Hutchings. This may be of interest if you want to use Pyro developers. They are based on the benezene ring as well! What would the do without carbon & hydrogen? And oxygen and all the other little gremlins running around!

thanks I just ran a test (i shoot a 24 test roll, cut in darkroom into 12 pieces) and developed 3 pieces in different times. it works. I have to figure out the times now.



my paper developer is 95% hydroquinone and 5% some sort of crystals. very cheap and popular here in Poland, and it can stand for 60 days.

the question remains, is there a light colour that I can see and which won't fog a bw film?


edit: I just checked on the producers website. the 5% is Phenidone.

jrmions said:

... offtopic: Can I turn on the darkroom light when developing a roll of film outside of the Jobo?(I think film is sensitive to every light, but just reassuring.). I use agfa apx 400 ...

Click to expand...

Panchromatic films need to be developed in total darkness!

jrmions said:

the question remains, is there a light colour that I can see and which won't fog a bw film?


edit: I just checked on the producers website. the 5% is Phenidone.

Click to expand...

To answer your question, for panchromatic films, no there isn't. For ortho films with no sensitivity to red light, you can process the film under a red safelight. These are not commonly used, and haven't been since the 1920's or 1930's. However, I'd be neglectful if I did not mention that there is a dark green (Kodak #3, see this document for information on all sorts of safelights) safelight that can be used to inspect film for a few seconds only after development is at least 50% complete. In practice this lamp needs to be very dim, so dim that you really can't see anything except the lamp itself. Even that little bit of light will add some fog to the film, but the amount is supposed to be slight. I've tried it a few times and the effect wasn't as slight as I'd hoped it would be. Anything brighter WILL fog the film, no question about it.

Phenidone/hydroquinone developers are pretty common. TMax, TMaxRS, and HC-110 are commonly used ones from Kodak. I believe Ilfotec HC and Microphen from Ilford are PQ film developers, as is their Bromophen paper developer.

Most PQ paper developers can be used at much higher dilutions for films.

Ilford PQ Universal at 1+29 is actually a good fine grain developer, but Ilford don't recommend using it that way, I have done it but usually for copy work. May & Baker (now Champion) used to recommend using their equivalent Suprol at 1+29 and even 1+39 in photofinishing machines for fine grain fulm processing.

Ian

how would you compare R09 one shot rodinal and Phenidone/hydroquinone developer. Both are cheap and I have good access to both.

thanks guys

I'd stick to Rodinal R09, it gives slightly better film speed and is more flexible, excellent tonality & fine grain.

Ian

A couple of Hydroquinone based developers for high contrast...

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Kodak D-8 film developer for very high contrast or low temperature processing

Cold Water 750 ml
Sodium Sulfite anhyd 90 g
Hydroquinone 45 g
Sodium Hydroxide 37.5 g
Potassium Bromide anhyd 30 g
Cold water to make 1L


Dilution: 2+1 (2 parts developer + 1 part water)

Starting point development time: 2 mins.

This developer has a very short life and must be used immediately after mixing.

When mixing, due to the risk of heat reaction, dilute sodium hydroxide separately in a small amount of cold water then stir into mixture slowly in sequence.

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Ilford ID-13 High Contrast for Line and Screen Negatives

STOCK SOLUTION A
Warm Water125 F 750.0 ml
Hydroquinone 25.0 grams
Potassium Metabisulfite 25.0 grams
Potassium Bromide 25.0 grams
Water to 1.0 liter

STOCK SOLUTION B
Sodium Hydroxide 50.0 grams
*Cold water to 1.0 liter


Mix equal parts of A and B immediately before use. The mixed solution has very
poor keeping qualities and should be discarded immediately after using. With normal
exposures, development is complete in 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 minutes.


*Caution: A good deal of heat is liberated when dissolving Sodium Hydroxide, and if
warm water is used, it may boil with explosive violence. Use only cold water to dissolve
caustic alkalis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilford ID-16 Special lantern plate developer

Stock Solution A
Water 125F 750 ml
Hydroquinone 18 g
Sodium Sulfite anhyd 50 g

Stock Solution B
Cold Water 750 ml
Sodium Hydroxide 10 g
Potassium Bromide 4 g
Water to 1L

Always use cold water when mixing potassium or sodium hydroxide due to risk of heat reaction.
Dilution: Mix equal parts A + B immediately before use.
Starting point development time: 2 mins.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilford ID-35 High contrast film developer

Stock Solution A
Water 750 ml
Hydroquinone 37.5 g
Sodium Sulfite anhyd 94 g
Potassium Bromide 9 g
Cold water to make 1L



Stock Solution B
Water 750 ml
Sodium Carbonate (monohydrate*) 217 g
or or
Sodium Carbonate anhyd 185.5 g
Cold water to make 1L


* = 185.5 g Sodium Carbonate anhyd

Dilution: Mix equal parts A + B

Mixing instructions: Add chemicals in specified sequence.

Starting point development time: 5-7 mins.

jrmions, you might want to track down a copy of Anchell's The Darkroom Cookbook and/or Anchell and Troop's The Film Developing Cookbook. I haven't read the latter, but I've got the former (well, its second edition, anyhow) in my darkroom. It covers the theory behind developers, and includes information on various ingredients in developers. This should be very informative from a theoretical point of view, even if you don't mix your own developers. (The bulk of the book is formulas for developers, fixers, and other photochemicals, so you can mix your own from raw ingredients.)