Best Powdered Chemicals for Shipping to Asia

I'm currenly using Ilford chemistry, Ilford film, and Ilford paper

(mainly because it is what is available in Taiwan). I am THRILLED with

the results. The only problem is that the importer is flaky and I have

been 3 weeks with no fixer...before that, it took a month to get ONE

BOTTLE of LC-29 (and I was out). I'm trying to simply buy three

bottles of everything (liquid) and re-order when I am down to one, but

the importer is resisting (go figure).

 

I looked in to buying the liquid from the U.S. and having it shipped

here, but shipping was far too expensive. So, it just occurred to me

that there are probably many powdered (light) alternatives that I

haven't considered.

 

What I use is as follows:

 

Film Dev: LC-29

Paper Dev: Ilford Multicontrast

Paper: Varicontrast

Stop: Ilfostop

Fix: Ilford Rapid Fixer

 

I generally shoot FP4 at 125, HP5 at 400, 800, and 1600, and Delta

3200 at 3200 and 6400 (would go higher if LC-29 could do it).

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for alternate chemistry?

The Kodak fixers come in powder packets, but I don't think they're significantly more

shippable than the Ilford rapid fix bottles, and anyway they typically come with hardeners,

which I don't like. ID-11 = D-76 is an old standby that is packaged as a powder; it might

do for you for a film developer, although I don't know that it would be good for Delta

3200. Microphen would work better for the pushing you're doing.

 

It should be noted, however, if you're willing to put up with the process of doing it you can

make your own chemistry. That might be much cheaper.

Graham, making my own sounds fascinating, but again...getting the raw materials may be a challenge :-). I'm trying to get ahold of some D-76 to try it with the 125 and 400...the 3200 IS a challenge :-D (in many ways...Microphen is unavailable, trying to bamboozle my way into some XTol to try on it).

Alton, you may want to look into mixing your own as Mr. Hughes said. You can mix your own Microphen! In addition, you may get months (years?) out of the raw chemicals when you mix your own. This way you could order less frequently.

 

If you can, pick a a copy of Anchell's "Darkroom Cookbook" and Anchell & Troops "Film Dev. Cookbook". Both have tons of recipes and great info.

There are (to my knowledge) two companies in the US and one in Canada that will ship most of the powdered chemicals at a reasonable price.

 

http://www.photoformulary.com/DesktopDefault.aspx

 

http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/

 

http://www.colba.net/~fotochem/index.htm

 

I'm a home brewer, do not live in the US (I can find most of the ingredients in local chemistry stores) and use long lasting formulas (longer than standard devs) based in Patrick Gainer's ideas. Here's his original article:

 

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/VitC/vitc.html

 

There are many more of his posts (longer lasting formulas) here at photo.net.

 

Have fun,

The only real caveat to provide is that research done by Kodak in the 1980s (and never finished) indicates that films and papers containing silver iodide do not fix completely in sodium thiosulfate solutions (Anchell and Troop, 1996). The only powdered fixer commonly available is sodium thiosulfate.

 

Ammonium thiosulfate fixes faster and solves the fixing question, but comes as a liquid. You may have to simply order larger quantities of it. If your importer won't get 3 1 litre bottles for you, get 1 2.5 litre bottle and keep your old containers so that you can store most of it in full bottles, minimizing exposure to air.

 

As for developers, you can buy many in powder form and they keep indefinitely that way. I mix some of my own developers and also buy Ilford Bromophen (for printing) and Kodak XTOL (for films).

 

Stop bath is acetic acid in water - a 1 to 2 per cent solution. If you have trouble buying stop bath concentrate there, use ordinary vinegar diluted accordingly (about 1:2 to 1:4), or use a running water stop.

I guess the above explains why I can`t get

T max to fix in Kodafix. Kodak Rapid fixer which comes as a liquid only works great. Zone IV clears tri xxx fine and is powder. Buy from Calumet. Photographers Formulary non acid fixer clears t max , but check to see if it is available as powder.

 

 

 

 

formulary

If you order the metol and hydroquine then the other items for mixing your own chemicals are often not too hard to find locally. Sodium sulfite is used in various industries. If you find a 50-100lb bag the stuff should keep a LONG time. Some things are available at the hardware or grocery store. Get used to looking at labels. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. pH+ or pH up used for pools is often sodium carbonate. Sodium thiosulfate [hypo] is used I think to lower clorine levels in pools. Vinegar has already been mentioned. lye is something I can't remember right now.

 

Some have stated colour fixer is just fine for B&W. If you find a friendly colour lab they might be willing to order some for you.

 

I bet if you put some leg work into calling around you'll find many of the raw chemicals are available locally. Get yourself a copy of the darkroom cookbook. A scale. A collection of the most common chemicals. You'll find it possible to make up anything you want. In whatever size you need.

One cam make ammonium based fixer mixing hypo with ammonium cloride or sulfate (both powders).

 

See Kodak F-7 and F-9 (they work without hardener and can be made alkaline). I use F-9 alkaline.

Does Fuji distribute their chemicals in Taiwan? If so, they are worth

trying. Fujidol-E is an ascorbic acid-phenidone film developer

designed to mimic the processing times and 'look' of D76, but with

slightly finer grain. Super Prodol (SPD) is their cheapest developer,

a PQ type which, I've read, resembles the FX37 formula. Microfine is

a metol-only fine grain developer, similar to Perceptol or Microdol-

X. All come in one liter packets. There is also a liquid concentrate

film developer, Super Fujidol-L. All have an excellent reputation in

Japan.

 

Fuji also makes several print developers in powder form, including a

ascorbic acid type, in different sizes.

 

Some of Fuji's products have mixing instructions in English as well

as Japanese. But even for those which have only Japanese, the

procedure is completely routine. (You can email me if you need help,

or find an older Taiwanese who learned Japanese during the occupation

60 years ago).

 

Ilford's Perceptol and ID11 are made locally for the Japan market by

a company called Chugai, and hence are much cheaper than imported

Kodak Microdol-X or D76. They come in 600ml packets. They might be

available in Taiwan on order from Japan, perhaps cheaper than other

imported chemicals.

 

How about Kodak HC-110? It lasts nearly forever in the thick, liquid

concentrate form. A quart should do for many years. In fact, if you

add sodium ascorbate, you'll need to use even less of the

concentrate, and it seems the image quality is improved to boot.