DEKTOL WITH AZO

I have tried using Azo recently with Dektol (1:2/68F or 1:4) on negs developed in PMK (or HC110). The prints have a blue tone to them. has anybody else observed this? Doesn't occur with Amidol or Edwal Platinum. Thanks

Alan - both Bill Johnson and I noticed this with our prints at the

workshop. Bill also had an Amidol print which was more neutral to

just slightly warm. He also thinks that the fixer plays a part in

the image tone. I've got his e-mail address if you need it.

If you play around with the dilution of Dektol you can modify the

coloration a bit. I have had better luck with Agfa Neutol WA than

with most anything other than Amidol. I think the amidol formula from

Michael A. Smith works very well, but for a bit of creative control

you may find using some others is a good experience.

Yes, Agfa Neutol WA will give a rich, neutral silver tone. TRY IT.

Alan- Sean Yates and I have both experienced the "blues" with Dektol

and Azo, but evidently it is possible to alter the blue cast if you

experiment with the Dektol. You may also recall at the workshop that

Michael Smith said he occasionally uses Dektol with Azo to get just a

bit more contrast, but somehow manages to avoid the blue color.

Others seem to get a more neutral color with the Agfa developers, but

I am so pleased with the Amidol I haven't tried anything else yet.

Let us know your results if you have a chance to experiment.

Although I've also experienced a blue-green tone in my limited work

with Azo and Dektol, I've found that the tone is quite acceptable

after selenium toning. I'll definitely try the Agfa developer though.

Greetings,

 

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FWIW, I too have noticed a blue black tone in AZO, but as the

previous poster mentioned, selenium toning cured it. At the time, I

was using Polymax-T as the developer.

 

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Regards,

I asked kodak the same question-they have no idea. Tried again last

night using 1:1 Dektol made up with distilled water-same result. Se

toning did remove blue tone effectively (1:12 2 min) as per previous

responses. Tone with Dektol, after Se toning, is warmer than with

Edwal developers but still very nice.

 

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Thanks for the suggestions,

 

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Alan

I get the blue tone and I like it. No point rockin' that boat. :-)

Besides I could never get amidol to work for me. I am sure it was

something I was doing wrong but I didn't really want to take the time

to figure it out.

I tried Azo for the first time last night, and indeed, the tonal scale

was great, but I got the blue-green tone in Dektol. I picked up some

Neutol WA, as recommended above and will try that next, but out of

curiosity, has anyone here tried Azo in Formulary BW-65

(phenidone-glycin developer), which claims to produce results similar

to Amidol without the staining, cost, and short tray life?

So after some testing, I've settled on this combo for Azo (all at 68

degrees F.): Agfa Neutol WA, 1:11, 2 minutes; Kodak Rapid Selenium

Toner 1:15, 3 minutes--just enough to make the blacks pop out and get

a nice separation of intermediate tones.

David, in the course of your testing between October 6 and 21, did you

try the Formulary BW-65? If so, what kind of results did you get?

Thanks in advance.

No I didn't, in the end. I was happy with Neutol WA and accounts of

BW-65 over in the B&W Printing and Finishing list suggested that it

wasn't too different from Dektol in practice, at least with other

papers (though that still doesn't tell what it does with Azo), so I

haven't felt the urgency to try it. If you do, please report back.

You can get a free sample of BW-65 from PF, so what do you have to

lose? I've been playing with glycin, Neutol WA and Azo tonight, will

report back if I see anything interesting. I have a sample of BW-65

standing by, if needed, but I suspect it will only give the dreaded

green.

If you use the Michael A. Smith formulation of Amidol developer the

short tray life is a thing of the past. I have run some tests and

printed successfully from a batch left open in a tray for 18 hours.

It still worked fine. If I filter & bottle it overnight I can use it

for 3-4 days without problems. I tried mixing the Edward Weston

formulation I found in books & it didn't last more than 4 1/2 hours

at the longest. Not long enough for me so maybe Weston was a much

faster or more efficient printer than I am, not hard to do.

If you develop in Amidol for most of the time and finish up in

Dektol, Neutol or another developer you can vary print tone a bit as

well.

Dan, I expect that Michael's developer might be so long lasting

because of the 80+ year old Amidol that he uses, rather than the

formula he uses to mix it.

Sorry, Dan. Open mouth and insert foot -- the story of my life.

well there must be some reason. the only significant difference I see

between MAS's formula and many others is the reduced quantity of

bromide.

 

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Does Michael have an explanation for why his formula lasts longer?

I have been told by others that the citric acid addition in Michaels

formula is what helps keep it active for such a long time.

All I really know is that it works very well for my prints and I have

been able to get 92 8x10's out of one litre of developer over a three

day period.

But there's citric acid in other amidol formulas too-Brett and Cole

Weston's, Wynn Bullock's. I dont doubt that Michaels formula lasts,

just curious why that hasnt been reported by anyone else who used

similar formulas

I'll answer my own question. Apparently the use of acid to prolong

amidol working solution life has been known for a long time. The 1975

edition of _Photographic Facts and Formulas_ mentions that acid will

prolong the life of amidol solutions for a couple days. I have no idea

how many of the earlier editions also mention this fact, but since

Wynn Bullock died in 1973 it was certainly known long before that.

Apparently its not very widely known though.