Marathon B&W chemicals

I teach a high school photography class and am looking for ways to

keep costs down but am concerned about quality. I'm thinking about

trying Marathon brand chemicals and would greatly appreciate some

feedback if anyone has any experience with them.

 

Thanks,

Mark Paulsen

No experience with Marathon, but I recall my teacher getting bulk Kodak chemicals for a song through a regional Kodak dude. Perhaps an informal sponsorship of some sort? Of course this was 1981, but it may be worth a call.

 

BTW, my neighbor's son is required to provide his own digital point-and-shoot for his high school class. Obviously, dark-room technique has been relegated to the history department ...

Carl.

Never used 'em, but calculate the real costs before making a decision. My guess is that nothing is cheaper than high dilutions of Rodinal for film, unless maybe a minimalist developer like D-23 that you mix yourself. Some paper developers keep well enough to use for several sessions. Others barely make it through one session. Fixer should be monitored so it can be used to full capacity, but not a bit more. Kodak powdered fixer is inexpensive and works well, but rapid fixer is the preferred solution with modern materials. My point is that how you select and use your chemistry will likely have a larger impact on the total cost, than the initial cost of the stock solutions.

Another thought- don't do this yourself! It's an excellent research and math problem for the kids that has some practical application.

as the question of developer costs, please try this webpage.

 

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Developers/Cost/cost.html

Not familiar with Marathon but another source for discounted materials is Adorama's line of darkroom materials. I seem to recall some folks who've tried 'em reporting satisfactory results.