Film speed booster developer

I try to reload 16mm bulk film into 110 cassette for my Pentax auto 110 film camera.

 

The currently available 16mm bulk film are low speed type (ASA 25), cannot be use

 

in pentax 110, which need at least ASA 100.

 

In a 1950 book published 1952 in Singapore there is a quote from American Photography

1939 March edition a formula which can increase film speed from ASA 8 to ASA 450, a film speed boost to 40x.

 

However one of his ingrediant Johnson & Johnson Swerl was discontinued long time ago

 

Any one knows any film speed booster developer, when can boost ASA 25 TO ASA 100

The 16mm film width is exactly 16m

Standard Film Sizes - Antique and Vintage Cameras

Another alternative is to use a 35mm film to 16mm slitter

http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18254619-md.jpg

 

 

I bought a stainless steel film slitter from Jimmy Li in Hong Kong many years ago

The 110 format film available now is color only, which I cannot develop my self. I want to shoot B&W 110 film which I can develop at home.

So the only way is to use a film slitter to cut ASA 100 35mm film into

16mm wide film strips, and reload into an empty 110 cassette

Lomography sells a 110 B&W film:

 

Orca B&W 110 ISO 100

 

So far, I still have some VP110, though.

The Film Photography Project store still has Fukkatsu 110 film.

The film photographer's best resource for vintage film and cameras.

I just ordered some of the Fukkatsu.

 

Besides the more ordinary 110 cameras, I now have an Astrocam 110.

 

Also, I just noticed, that unlike VP, which comes in 12 exposure rolls,

the Fukkatsu comes in 24 exposure rolls!

 

I might use two shots for the Astrocam, then the rest of a roll in a

terrestrial camera.

Standard for 110 film was 12 and 24 exposures. I develop the Fukkatsu for 10 min. in Microdol 1:1.

Standard for 110 film was 12 and 24 exposures. I develop the Fukkatsu for 10 min. in Microdol 1:1.

 

For 126, and I believe also 110, Kodak made VP in 12 exposure rolls, Kodacolor (X, II) in 12, 20, and later 24 exposure rolls, and KX and EX in 20 or 24 exposure rolls. (I believe later KR and ER, also.) TX-126 was available as an SO, though I never saw any.

 

12 Cartridges Kodak TX 126-12 Tri-X Pan Fast B&W Film ASA 160 Or Faster | eBay

 

has a picture of TX126-12 and I believe KR126-24.

 

My usual favorite developer is Diafine, but I also have HC-110 and TMax.

 

HC-110 is the favorite for older film, which I have some of, including VP110.

 

I bought TMax when I bought one roll each of TMZ and Delta3200,

both of which I haven't used yet.

In a 1952 book "Introduction to Photography" by Tai Huai Ching, published in Sin Chew Weekly magazone in Singapore. listed a speed boost developer described by Philip Priedell in in 1946 November issue of American Photography.

 

Friedell used a two bath developer containing Benzotriazole.

He use Dupont sound track film with very low film speed--Weston 8

to take picture with this low speed film and developed in his two bath

developer, he got result equivalent to Weston 300 to Weston 460

a amazing speed boost of 300x to 450 x

 

I need to do my own experiment with 16mm Agfa Copex (ASA 16-25)

in Pentax Auto 110 camera or EDIXA M16 cameras to see what speed boost I can get.

Unlike Swerl, the chemical benzoletriazole is

available.

Edited May 14, 2019 by jacktang

Could just use Acufine. It increases film speed, maintains relatively fine grain and IMHO, works really will

https://www.freestylephoto.biz/static/pdf/product_pdf/acufine/acufine.pdf

I need a speed boost of 4-16 times, not 300 x. Because Pentax Auto 110 has only ASA 100 and ASA 400 speed. I shall try to reduce the amount of benzoletriazole.

Would like to see your results. 16X is a lot of speed increase. I would think it might be very grainy, but, won't know until it's tried. As far as I know, All 110 cameras, with metering, were ASA 100 & 400 only. Either the tab on the cartridge was full length or clipped. My Minolta 110 Zooms do have a +/- one or two stops, so could expose ASA 400 at 1600. I'll have to try that sometime.

All these years and people are still looking for speed boosting developers. Speed is measured on the toe, and AFAIK, nothing to date has had much of an effect there. You can increase contrast, and you can certainly increase grain, but getting an actual increase in film speed is difficult at best. 16X, ha! Not happening.

conrad_hoffman, wrote 16X, ha! Not happening.

 

Actually 300x already achieved 300x, 16x is a piece of cake

 

You can look up old issue of American photograpy:

 

 

 

Philip Priedell in in 1946 November issue of American Photography.

Friedell used a two bath developer containing Benzotriazole.

He use Dupont sound track film with very low film speed--Weston 8

to take picture with this low speed film and developed in his two bath

developer, he got result equivalent to Weston 300 to Weston 460

a amazing speed boost of 300x to 450 x

Compensating developers like Diafine, or stand development, attempt to keep developing

the shadows without overdeveloping the highlights.

 

The numbers on the Diafine box have changed over the years, but they have recommended

EI 1200 to 1600 for Tri-X and 160 to 250 for Panatomic-X.

 

The increases are much smaller for many more modern films.

 

Films in 1946 were pretty different from today, so it is hard to say much about them.

They might have a much bigger safety margin than later films.

 

In theory, a grain might be developable from one photon, but most often

it takes more, and film speeds are set appropriately.

 

Also, since much of what makes an image is not shadow or highlights, but somewhere

in between, and appropriate increase in the midrange might make enough difference,

even if the toe doesn't change much.

Anyone have an idea of the recommended EI for Fukkatsu in Diafine?

The box says ISO 100.

 

It doesn't matter so much, as I plan to use it in the Astrocam 110, which recommends

ISO 200, and has no choice of shutter speed or aperture.

(One can choose a sunny or cloudy day, though.)

 

I could also use HC-110 on it, but then I don't have any times for that.