by randall

I'm probably not the right person to answer but, in my experience, I have had spotting with Ilfosol 3 and HP5. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't fix in PS after scanning. I'm using DD-X now and there is hardly any spotting. Problem I had with Ilfolsol 3 was that I developed a roll one week and everything was good. A week later I developed another roll and the negatives were very thin as if there was almost no development. I was following all the temperatures, time, and agitation correctly. With a little research I found that Ilfosol 3 has a sudden death when it reaches shelf life. It had turned yellow and that probably should have been my warning. Now I try to only mix enough chemicals to use over a few days instead of a whole gallon.

I'm very careful with temperatures now as the water from the tap comes out at about 75 degrees as do my chemicals stored in the cabinet. I use tap water. The quality of tap water in Hawaii is very good. Although I hear that some use distilled water, I haven't yet. Depending on where you buy it, one could pay anywhere from $1 to $3 a gallon for distilled water. All my chemicals get their time in the refrigerator until they hit 68 degrees before I use them now.

I have been developing for a couple years now. I learned everything from the internet. The first several rolls I developed I would, per internet instructions, rinse a couple times before adding chemicals to the tank. I was disappointed with the results. I found out later that my scanning of the negatives was the main problem and have now solved that issue. Additionally, I wasn't paying attention to temperatures at all. For the past six months or so I have been shooting more film than digital. I can see on the internet that one can achieve as sharp a result wit film as with digital and this is my goal. I have found that the film type makes a significant difference in the outcome and began experimenting with different films. I like HP5 but Delta 100 seems to be sharper. I guess the best advise is to follow the film's box instructions with developing and that pre-soak is just internet folklore.

Thank you for the explanation. Very informative to me. If I do use a pre-soak, how long and want temperature should I use? Also, if the pre-soak softens the gelatin and allows the chemicals to get to the film base quicker or more effectively, would that alter the development times? As you can probably tell, I'm relatively new at this. I'm following the times, agitation, and temperatures indicated in the Massive Dev app.

I was about to try Ilford HP4 Plus 125 and was reading about it. The article I was reading stated that if I wanted finer grain and extreme sharpness I should use Ilford Delta 100 and "give it a good soak" before developing. When I first started developing, I would rinse Tri-X a couple times before pouring the developer. I wasn't too impressed with the sharpness but, this could be due to my scanning and/or other factors. Lately I've been loading the reels and going straight for the chemicals. I have achieved some excellent results with HP5 in 135 format and also with Delta 100 in 120 format. What exactly is meant by a "good soak"? I'm looking for sharpness and contrast in the details. Currently I'm using DD-X developer at 68 degrees.

I purchased this camera a few years ago as an open box sale from the Navy Exchange Pearl Harbor, HI. All items in the box except for the manual were still sealed. That being the case, I'm confident I was the first to get my grubby paws on the camera. I used it as my primary camera for about a year until I purchased a D810. It then became my backup body. About 9 months into the D810, I was washed off the reef into the ocean with the D810, tripod, and 16-35 f/2.8 lens. The D810 and lens became paper weights. I then switched to a Sony mirrorless system, keeping the D800 as a backup. After a while I realized that the D800 and all my Nikon lenses were just being stored in my humidity controlled dry box and not hardly used at all. I have since sold all my pro lenses and only have the D800 body remaining. It is in excellent condition and comes with box, manuals, battery, charger, body cap, and the various cords that were in the box when new. It has 24,244 shutter actuations. I got this number from the shot of the money shown in the pic below. ver used the strap and can't seem to find it right now. I know I have it somewhere and still looking. If I can find the strap it will be included also. No guarantee on the strap for now. I can also promise that if you do purchase this camera and I come across the strap a few months from now I will send it to you. Finally, take a look at the pics and take your time to determine if this is the right camera for you. I'm currently resolving a dispute with eBay and a buyer that didn't pay. I think this will be resolved by 8 July. Enough of the history and drama. Here are pics of the camera. I accept PayPal. The price includes shipping within USA via USPS Priority Mail with tracking and signature required. If you're an international buyer, contact me and we can probably work something out on the shipping. Bottom line is that I'm not trying squeeze you for a little more cash by charging an outrageous amount for shipping. Believe me, this happens to us here in Hawaii all the time. Sometimes it costs us more for the shipping than the item being purchased. Often, businesses refuse to ship to Hawaii and Alaska. Now fo the pics:

Recovering from cervical spine surgery with a two level ACDF, I haven't been able to get out of the house. With that restriction I developed the last roll of HP5 shot while in Japan last April. Nice thing about the surgery is that I can actually feel the film as I roll it onto the spool. Photos from Atami which is about 2 hours by train from Tokyo. Atami is a resort town known for hot springs and was a get away town for famous Japanese authors. All created with Leica M6, Voigtlander Color-Sckopar 35 f/2.5, HP5, DD-X, and scanned on Epson 850. Natural hot spring foot bath outside the Atami train station. People enjoy a foot bath while waiting for the train. Two cute girls. My niece and her daughter. A restaurant where we had lunch

Aloha Bill, Fabio is the cook. Mike is the taller server. Sorry no new photos today. Got my neck fixed. Have to spend the night in Tripler. Expect discharge tomorrow AM if all goes well.

It's a small world. Went to the Kailua Farmers Market and met Fabio. We were talking and soon discovered that he went to boot camp with my son in San Diego. They served in the same unit and did two combat tours in Iraq together. Both are out of the Corps pursuing other interests now. Leica M6, HP5, DD-X, Epson 850.

Aloha, I'm a bit late to the party this week. I was playing with EBay last week and ended up winning a bid on a black Rollei 35 SE. I have had a burning desire for one of these for the past two years. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the condition. No scratches or dents, mechanically functioning, and only slight brassing on the advance lever. I went to the drug store and purchased three LR44 and one LR43 batteries to replace the dead mercury cell. I was concerned with the 6.2v vs 5.7v mercury cell but, that seems to work fine. I tested the light readings from the camera with my Sekonic L758DR and they were either exact or very close. The meter is a bit of a pain as it seems to require fairly bright light to read. Guessing the exposure or using the Sekonic proved to be a lot quicker than fiddling with the camera's meter. My greatest challenge was estimating the distance for zone focus. Ok, now for some pics from my Sunday morning hike. I was impressed with the sharpness of the 40mm Sonnar lens. Shot on HP5, Ilfotec DD-X, and scanned emulsion side down on Epson 850. Raindrops Old Pali Road Old Pali Road (Same composition I posted last week with the Zorki 4) Tree Flower (2.8 at 3ft)

After seeing Bill Bowes' FED at the farmer's market last week, I decided to get my Zorki 4 working again. Spent several hours Friday evening doing a "quick" CLA. Hardest part was getting the slow shutter speed governor wound and correctly positioned. All is well now. Here's a shot from my Sunday morning hike on the Old Pali Road. Zorki 4, Jupiter 8, HP5, f/4, 60, Ilfotec DD-X, Epson 850. I turned off ICE and unsharpen mask in the scanning software.

Koolau. Leica M6, Voigtlander 35, Tri-X 400, D-76, Epson 850, I scanned this using Epson Scan with Digital ICE spot/dust removal. The dust was removed but I think it makes the picture a bit soft also. Aloha.

I like to tinker with things. With that, I plan to attempt to change the curtains myself. The lenses are not really great. I have an adapter for my Sony and have used these lenses a time or two. I guess it's just the nostalgic sentimental value I would get from using my Grandfather's cameras.

I have two Exakta cameras. One is an EXA Version 1 that is stamped "Made in USSR occupied Germany". The other is a Varex IIa. I have shot a roll through the Varex with no advance problems. The only problem was the holes in the curtain I discovered. I shined a light through the EXA and found its curtain has holes also. I plan to replace the curtains in both. I'll post something on this forum when I do.