FP4 @ 100 in microphen (used)

[hubert_seremak]

<p>Hi<br>

This is strange question, but hope you have some experience like that.</p>

<p>I shoot trix 400 films most of the time and use Microphen developer. I have one litre of microphen that I use 10 times, stock, after 10th use I make new soup. It is used ONLY with tri-x films. It served very well, developing this way.</p>

<p>Now I have this 1 litre microphen used 6 (six) times and I have taken some photos on FP4 film. What should I do? Can I develop it in this developer I used for trix films before, for 6 times? Or it ruins FP4, because of different chemicals on the surface of FP4 or what, they will somehow react in bad way?</p>

<p>If you say I can run with this lil used microphen with FP4 - fine, but what time then? I exposed for EI 100, not 125. Digitaltruth says 8 minutes for 125 ISO. Should I shorten the time a little or is this '24 ISO negligible difference? But then, microphen is "used" a little, so what now?</p>

<p>I am asking because I have many more trix films in my fridge and only 2-3 FP4 more, so I don't want to make whole new chemistry for 2-3 FP4s. If it is not necessary. And also - I made some important pictures on this FP4 so wasting it is not recommended at all:)</p>

<p>thx in adv.</p>

[frank.schifano]

<p>Yes, you can use the batch for developing FP4+ or any other B&W film without concern. Simply develop the FP4+ according to the recommended times, or for whatever times you use for the results you want. Don't worry about adjusting for the slight over exposure either. 1/3 stop is nothing to fret about and is well within the error of many metering systems anyway. </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Just fire it up, HS. That's exactly how I used Microphen, 10 reuses per liter of stock solution. I didn't distinguish between films and developed Tri-X, TMX, TMY, HP5+, FP4+ and others from the same batches of Microphen. I just checked off each reuse on a piece of tape on the bottle, but didn't bother to note the type of film. And I counted a roll of 120 film the same as a roll of 36 exposure 35mm. (For that matter, I counted every roll as one roll, without regard to number of exposures. No problems after many liters of Microphen.)</p>

<p>The only time I segregate films and chemistry is with T-Max films and fixer. I had a jug of rapid fixer just for T-Max films, another for every other film and a third for prints. T-Max films exhaust rapid fixer almost twice as quickly as other films, but appears to have no effect on developer stock solutions.</p>

[hubert_seremak]

<p>(might be a double post as something vanished here when tried to send to the forum, hmm, ok I try again, sorry if doubled)</p>

<p>thans for the answers. I must admit, I have taken the method of using 1 litre of stock mirophen from Lex's advices and it is very good method:)</p>

<p>One more: Can I use this 1 litre 10 times with 10 or 20 rolls? Or is it going to be too weak after -teenth use? (asking because I can put 2 rolls of 120 film inside this Jobo tank of mine..)</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ah, fair question. I should probably have been more specific over the years when recommending 10 reuses per liter of Microphen stock solution. By that, I mean 10 *rolls* of film. So when processing two rolls in a double reel tank, I count that as two uses.</p>

<p>I should also acknowledge that my practice deviates from Ilford's documentation for reusing Microphen and it's probably best to at least try their suggested method if mine seems a bit too casual. Ilford suggests increasing development times as the stock solution is reused. I don't bother with that, but also don't try to milk the liter of stock solution beyond 10 rolls. My casual approach is a trade-off between expedient use, economy and consistency.</p>

<p>BTW, if you aren't pushing film very hard, Microphen works very well at the economical 1+1 dilution for one-shot use. I've routinely used the 1+1 dilution for one stop pushes and occasionally even for TMY up to 1600, but the latter does better in stock solution. I also soup normally exposed TMX (EI 100) in Microphen 1+1 and find it tames the quirks of TMX compared with the also excellent ID-11/D-76 at 1+1.</p>

[hubert_seremak]

<p><img src="http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb72/leihoa/palackulturymaszyna2.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I tried to post a picture here but no idea how to do it properly, so I ll skip this step, sorry. FP4 is strange, trix is more contrasty or I made something wrong. Here I had increase contrast (just by little, very little) as it was pretty "flat", I must say.</p>

<p>what about Perceptol, does it have some good storage possibility like Microphen, and it could be used 10 x 10 rolls as well or no?</p>