Fine grain developer for BW Minox 8 x 11 film

<p>Hello everybody, Please recommend me a fine grain developer for Minox black and white film development of T-Max and other films? In old times, I used to develop with Kodak Microdol which, alas, I think is no longer available. Thanks and greetings from Colombia</p>

<p>Try Frugalphotographer's Bluefire developer</p>

<p><a href="http://www.frugalphotographer.com/">http://www.frugalphotographer.com/</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>My favourite Minox film developer is Agfa Rodinal Special (Studional ) an excellent long shelf life fine grain developer.</p>

<p>Now under a different name Compard Ro9 Spezial-Film Developer</p>

<p><a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/9721-Compard-R09-Spezial-Film-Developer-120-ml-Agfa-Rodinal-Special-Formula">http://www.freestylephoto.biz/9721-Compard-R09-Spezial-Film-Developer-120-ml-Agfa-Rodinal-Special-Formula</a></p>

<p><a href="/minox-camera-forum/003HJW">http://www.photo.net/minox-camera-forum/003HJW</a></p>

<p><a href="/minox-camera-forum/005jLv">http://www.photo.net/minox-camera-forum/005jLv</a></p>

<p>Thanks a lot guys. You're really very nice!!!</p>

<p>Hello Eduardo, may I suggest Paterson FX-39? This was specifically designed by Geoffrey Crawley to get the best out of T-grain films, such as Kodak T-Max and Neopan. I find it gives very good results in my Minox 8x11 cameras with Ilford Delta 100, which I cut to size using a professional film cutter purchased from MS Hobbies. Hope this helps!</p>

<p>Thanks for your help Gordon, I got locally a pack of Ilford Microphen. I haven't used it yet and I would like to have your opinion. Where is the Paterson FX39 available? I also have an original Minox film cutter. No problem here.</p>

 

<p>Hello Eduardo, I just ordered another bottle of FX-39 from the following dealer:<br>

The Imaging Warehouse Ltd.<br />1A Black Hill Industrial Estate<br />Warwick Road<br />Stratford-Upon-Avon<br />CV37 0PT<br />Tel: 01789 739200<br />Fax: 01789 731569<br />www.theimagingwarehouse.com<br />info@theimagingwarehouse.com<br>

If they won't ship to Colombia, you might try making Crawley's FX-37 developer for T-Max/Delta films? You can find the formula here:<br>

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum223/33275-crawleys-fx-37-developer-t-max-delta-films.html</p>

<p>Hello Eduardo,<br>

Microphen is my developer of choice when I need to increase film speed for use under low light conditions. Some films push better than others; for example I made a photograph of Graeme Obree (The Flying Scotsman) riding superman position at Manchester Velodrome which always sells well to cycling enthusiasts. That was made with a black Nikon F Photomic TN and 200mm f4 Nikkor-Q C using Kodak Tri-X rated at ISO 6400. The image has fine grain and good tonality (for this speed).<br>

On the other hand, I photographed Chris Hoy beating Kévin Sireau on the same track in 2008 to become the first British cyclist to win the World Sprint Championship in 54 years. Hoy's front wheel is just over the finish line, Sireau's front wheel just behind the line. This time with my chrome Nikon F Photomic FTN but using a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor on a monopod with Ilford HP5+ rated at ISO 6400. The image is definitely grainier with a slightly 'clumped' appearance. Still acceptable as a piece of track cycling history, but I wish I'd been able to use Tri-X that day (Calumet had run out).<br>

I find it satisfying making strong images with fine equipment and lenses, without motordrive, auto-exposure/focus, digital, etc where the software, rather than the photographer makes key decisions.<br>

Some issues of the Minox Memo (see http://www.minox.org/mhspublications/MinoxMemo/index.html) show good low light work with pushed films.<br>

If you're after a fine grain developer for traditional films, try Ilford Perceptol which works well but be prepared to lose half the film speed (eg., Pan F+ rated at ISO25 rather than ISO50).<br>

A lengthy reply but hope this helps!</p>

<p>Hello Gordon:<br>

Thanks for your very extensive and clear response. I just want to develop my films perhaps Ilford or any similar nowadays available with my daughter Paloma (23) which is studying photography and is fascinated with the Minox. We will perhaps enlarge to maximum 20 x 25 so I just need a decent negative with as little grain as possible. I do miss the Kodak Microdol which gave me beautiful negatives. I will just have to experiment and see what I can get. Thanks again!!</p>

<p>Hello Eduardo,</p>

<p>I just took delivery today of "American Mood" by Robert Farber, published in hardcover in 2004.<br /> <br /> This is very much my kind of book, with a carefully sequenced mix of soft black and white and subtle colour images made with a variety of camera formats.<br /> <br /> Frames 8, 11, 14, 20, 21, 25, 35, 45, 49, 67 and 76 out of 90 plates were made with Minox 8x11 cameras using ISO 100 and 400 films (67 was made with a Minox miniature Leica).<br /> <br /> The main thing about the work is how well the Minox photographs fit in with the rest of the images. It's quite seamless and viewers wouldn't know a frame had been made with 8x11 unless they read the technical information at the end of the book.<br /> <br /> Not as serious a book as Robert Frank's "The Americans", "American Mood" also charts a road trip and works more at an emotional level, as the title implies.<br /> <br /> This is a good technical and aesthetic demonstration of how the Minox can in the right hands, be just as viable a creative tool as the Leica and a serious camera for the artistic photographer.</p>

<p>Hope this helps your daughter with her studies.</p>

<p>Kind regards,<br /> Gordon</p>

<p>Thanks Gordon, Yes, the Minox IS fantastic despite its size. No wonder it was used as a spycamera. It reminds me that precisely today the Cuban missle crisis ended way back in 1962. And a spy, wore out a Minox taking more than 10.000 pictures of the documents showing the missles, the basis and much more in Cuba. <br>

I LOVE my Minox despite digital photography unjustifiably hit very hard chemical photography.<br>

Don't misunderstand me, I LOVE digital but chemical imagining has its own romance and quality that digital will NEVER reach. It's like Vinyl analogue records will NEVER NEVER be replaced by other digital formats like CD, MP3 etc. <br>

Paloma sends you her regards and thanks. By the way have you been into 3D? I really love it. I have a Realist and other cameras and a very sought after Prism Stereo attachment for my Nikon D3200. I had a Fuji Real 3D but got rid of it because I had to carry plenty batteries because each charge only lasted for some 50 shots or so. </p>

<p>Thanks again, my friend.</p>

<p>EDUARDO</p>

<p>Eduardo<br>

I was going to suggest "The Film Developing Cookbook", only to discover that home brewing an exact copy of Microdol is not that easy. I'm certain that reading P. 69 & 70 of the above book would be helpful. I would suspect that U can get both the book & the chemicals to brew it in Columbia. Although cost might be a different matter. U would need an accurate scale. I have always used distilled or deionized H2O for my photo processing chemicals<br>

Best wishes, Jay Drew</p>

<p>Hello Eduardo,</p>

<p>I've never tried 3D imaging but it sound interesting.</p>

<p>I did my BA(Hons) Photography at Nottingham Trent University (it was Trent Polytechnic in those days), so wish your daughter every success with her studies.</p>

<p>Following Jay's suggestion, if you want to try home-brew developers, you could try Rollei Retro 80, Agfa Copex or Kodak Imagelink with H&W Control Formula (from The Frugal Photographer Web site):</p>

<p>This developer, invented by Harold Holden and Arnold Weichert in the late 1960's, was patented in 1973. The patent has expired, and the formula is now in the public domain.<br />H&W Control was sold in retail stores for several years, but did not receive widespread distribution. Before being commercialized, it was used extensively by the US military for developing surveillance films, the kinds used by top-secret high-altitude aircraft of the day such as the U2.</p>

<p>Today's Bluefire HR developer is an updated version of H&W Control, reformulated for multi-year shelf life.</p>

<p>When mixed fresh, the H&W Control formula disclosed here will give you the same sensitometric results as the commercially packaged Bluefire HR. However its shelf life will be six months or less, depending on storage conditions.</p>

<p>Solution A: <br />Water 50 ml <br />Sodium sulfite 1 g<br />Hydroquinone 0.16 g<br />Sodium carbonate 4.6 g<br />Phenidone 1.1 g</p>

<p>Solution B: <br />Water 50 ml <br />Sodium sulfite 8 g</p>

<p>Add Solution A to Solution B, then add water to make 132 ml of concentrate. <br />Phenidone dissolves with difficulty. Use water heated to 55° (130°F). Mix the chemicals in the order shown, and be sure each is completely dissolved before adding the next.</p>

<p>This is a concentrate. To use, add water to make to 2.1 litres of working solution per 132 ml of concentrate (approximate dilution of 1:16). Process at normal development temperatures with intermittent agitation for 14 to 18 minutes. Use working solution once and then discard.<br />Use with Bluefire Police, microfilms, and Kodak Technical Pan. Gives unacceptably flat images on ordinary films.</p>

<p>Shelf life of the concentrate is approximately six months in a full, tightly capped glass or PET bottle, less than one week in a partly full bottle. Refrigeration considerably prolongs shelf life. Normal color is pale yellow. Concentrate that has begun turning pink or red is oxidizing and should be discarded.</p>

<p>Kind regards, Gordon</p>

<p>Thanks so much Gordon for your detailed explanations. I will show Paloma everything that you have sent me. She has at this time much more knowledge than me, I'm just an ordinary average photographer and she is stepping up very nicely. <br>

Paloma wanted to complete her studies in the UK but unfortunately the visa problem is terrible. Also, costs in the UK, if paid with weak currency from Colombia (with all due respect, with an "o" not a "U") comes out very expensive. We have here good places to study her career but she wishes to increase her knowledge by studying abroad. <br>

As for 3D, you should give it a try. It is dead easy and the results are really amazing!!! </p>

<p>Keep in touch!!<br>

EDUARDO</p>

<p>Hello Eduardo. If Paloma is learning the skills of traditional photography, she might find "The Goldfinger craftbook for creative photography" useful. It's available as a free pdf download from Silverprint's Web site here: <a href="http://www.silverprint.co.uk/pdf/Goldfinger.pdf">http://www.silverprint.co.uk/pdf/Goldfinger.pdf</a> <br>

Silverprint ship worldwide (I have no connection with them, just to be clear) so you may wish to browse their site. They've been around for ages and I remember buying Agfa Record-Rapid on the roll and getting 440 stainless steel trays made up at the local sheet metal works for large Degree show prints.<br>

Paterson has stopped making FX39, btw so I'm currently trying out Tetenal Ultrafin Plus with Delta 100, though Ilfotec DDX should also work well.<br>

Hope this helps!<br>

Gordon, U.K.</p>