Black and white film suggestion

[ben_hutcherson]

That looks to be a different and probably better design than the Yankee reels.

 

It looks like it should let you "walk" the film in by twisting the reel as you can with Patterson reels(which admittedly I've never used to develop, even though I have some).

 

On the Yankee reels, you can perform the same motion and load the reels, but you have to use your thumbs to hold it. It's sort of second nature once you practice a bit, but the Patterson reels self load just by twisting back and forth.

[mikheilrokva]

That looks to be a different and probably better design than the Yankee reels.

 

It looks like it should let you "walk" the film in by twisting the reel as you can with Patterson reels(which admittedly I've never used to develop, even though I have some).

 

On the Yankee reels, you can perform the same motion and load the reels, but you have to use your thumbs to hold it. It's sort of second nature once you practice a bit, but the Patterson reels self load just by twisting back and forth.

That sounds pretty neat! I should give it a try once so I can brag about it with my children :D

[glen_h]

There is the Yankee, and the Yankee II. The former goes up to 116/616, but no notch for 16mm, and also I believe no clear reel top for reversal film re-exposure.

 

Similarly, the Yankee II only goes to 120/620, and down (with notch) to 16mm, and clear (as shown in the picture) reel top.

 

Yankee II has a thermometer in the agitator, I am not sure about the Yankee.

[glen_h]

And yes, the Yankee II was my first tank. Not so much later, I inherited a 35mm Nikor tank and reel from my grandfather, which I still have, 50 years later.

[mikheilrokva]

Part of why it's pretty hard to answer is that the development is a question mark here; some combinations between developer and film work magic, some result in negatives that aren't particularly exiting. I'm far from an expert, but having used a number of different developers with some films, the differences can really be quite noticeable.

 

Just a simple example: my standard go-to is HP5 with HC110 as developer; while it's supposed to be close to Tri-X, somehow I never got pleasing results of Tri-X in HC110 (probably my fault, but still). In reverse, HP5 in Rodinal was an experiment I'll never repeat, while I quite like the look I get of Tri-X developed in Rodinal.

 

If you have the development done by a lab, then it's harder to say which film will work and which not - unless you can specify to them how you want development done (but doing it yourself is probably cheaper, more fun).

 

Another question that is probably difficult to asnwer: if your friend is loosing his interest in photography, do you feel trying new films is going to pull him back in? Especially if films are so expensive in your country, before spending a nice sum on various emulsions, I'd try to understand first whether your gift would really make your friend get back out and shooting.

Another thing could be to get him a basic starting kit to develop his own films, if he does not do so yet - personally I think it's a nicer "extension" to getting him involved in B&W photography. Just some ideas, maybe they apply, maybe they don't.

I'm sorry, I have noticed your response only now.

I'm pretty sure he's gonna get hooked. He likes trying out new stuff, however right now is in financial crisis so hobbies had to be shelved. I on the other hand finally overcame gear hoarding syndrome and have some money to spare :)

[mikheilrokva]

And yes, the Yankee II was my first tank. Not so much later, I inherited a 35mm Nikor tank and reel from my grandfather, which I still have, 50 years later.

Nikor? The shiny metal tank? Is there a big difference between plastic and metal tanks fuction-wise?

 

I bought Gaf tank due to its adjustable reel. Didn't know 120 format developing was available out here.

[ben_hutcherson]

Nikor? The shiny metal tank? Is there a big difference between plastic and metal tanks fuction-wise?

 

Nikor(note one K-as far as I know there's no connection to Nikon/Nikkor) is one of the better known makers of stainless steel tanks and reels. I have a lot of Omega stuff, along with some Hewes reels. I like the Hewes best for 35mm. There are also bunches of no-name brands of varying quality.

 

Working with stainless steel is quite different from plastic, as the reels are loaded from the inside out. The process can be kind of difficult to explain, but what you do is lightly cup the film so that it fits between the spirals of the reel, then let it "pop" out and into place when it's on the reel. It takes some practice to be good at it, but once you have it down you can load stainless steel reels faster than plastic. You can really mess things up by accidentally doubling things up and end up with undeveloped areas on your film.

 

Also, some reels-particularly the less expensive 35mm ones-will bend at the slightest provocation such as if you drop them. A bent reel will cause you no end of headaches.

 

Stainless reels are not adjustable, and most that you find will be either 35mm or 120. If you want a different size, you'll have to watch Ebay or go digging in the used cameras shops. About 6 months ago, I needed a 220 reel(same width as 120, but double the length) but fortunately found a new in box one at my local shop.

[mikheilrokva]

Nikor(note one K-as far as I know there's no connection to Nikon/Nikkor) is one of the better known makers of stainless steel tanks and reels. I have a lot of Omega stuff, along with some Hewes reels. I like the Hewes best for 35mm. There are also bunches of no-name brands of varying quality.

 

Working with stainless steel is quite different from plastic, as the reels are loaded from the inside out. The process can be kind of difficult to explain, but what you do is lightly cup the film so that it fits between the spirals of the reel, then let it "pop" out and into place when it's on the reel. It takes some practice to be good at it, but once you have it down you can load stainless steel reels faster than plastic. You can really mess things up by accidentally doubling things up and end up with undeveloped areas on your film.

 

Also, some reels-particularly the less expensive 35mm ones-will bend at the slightest provocation such as if you drop them. A bent reel will cause you no end of headaches.

 

Stainless reels are not adjustable, and most that you find will be either 35mm or 120. If you want a different size, you'll have to watch Ebay or go digging in the used cameras shops. About 6 months ago, I needed a 220 reel(same width as 120, but double the length) but fortunately found a new in box one at my local shop.

I guess I'll be fine with GAF. Either way I can't buy rodinal and other fancy liquids so I'll have to do with D-76, so no need for high end tanks.

[ben_hutcherson]

D76 is still my workhorse developer, and in most cases I don't really find it lacking. I mix up a gallon of it, and leave it sitting on the floor. It's usually 19ºC when I pour it out, which is pretty darn close to one of the common 20º temperatures(and actually only takes about a 30 second correction to work correctly at 19º for films like Tri-X).

 

Kodak officially lists the shelf life at 6 months for a full bottle and 2 months for a half full bottle. I've used it with good results up to a year, although I do add a bit of time as it ages. Air is really the enemy of developers(especially for more dilute/less viscous ones) but this can be mitigated somewhat. There are two classic tricks-one is to squeeze the bottle to get rid of air-in fact at least at one time you could get 1 qt. "accordion" bottle to make this easy. The other time tested way is to use glass marbles to take up volume in the bottle.

 

BTW, if you're adventurous Rodinal can be prepared from Tylenol(acetomenophen/parcemetol), Washing soda(sodium carbonate) and Lye(sodium hydroxide). I'm currently using some that was made that way, although admittedly I made it from reagent grade chemicals(I'm a chemist) rather than using off the shelf stuff but they should work fine.

[mikheilrokva]

D76 is still my workhorse developer, and in most cases I don't really find it lacking. I mix up a gallon of it, and leave it sitting on the floor. It's usually 19ºC when I pour it out, which is pretty darn close to one of the common 20º temperatures(and actually only takes about a 30 second correction to work correctly at 19º for films like Tri-X).

 

Kodak officially lists the shelf life at 6 months for a full bottle and 2 months for a half full bottle. I've used it with good results up to a year, although I do add a bit of time as it ages. Air is really the enemy of developers(especially for more dilute/less viscous ones) but this can be mitigated somewhat. There are two classic tricks-one is to squeeze the bottle to get rid of air-in fact at least at one time you could get 1 qt. "accordion" bottle to make this easy. The other time tested way is to use glass marbles to take up volume in the bottle.

 

BTW, if you're adventurous Rodinal can be prepared from Tylenol(acetomenophen/parcemetol), Washing soda(sodium carbonate) and Lye(sodium hydroxide). I'm currently using some that was made that way, although admittedly I made it from reagent grade chemicals(I'm a chemist) rather than using off the shelf stuff but they should work fine.

You'd make a lot of money if you had photography classes. A lot of people, including myself would pay you to get knowledge.

[ben_hutcherson]

You'd make a lot of money if you had photography classes. A lot of people, including myself would pay you to get knowledge.

 

What I know pales in comparison to a lot of folks here.

 

I admit to being at an advantage when it comes to this kind of stuff since I do have a masters in Chemistry and work as a chemist at a university. My degree is officially in analytical chemistry, but I spent of a year of graduate school as a synthetic organic chemist.

 

I've thought about talking to the photography professor over at the art school to see if I can do a few lectures on the chemistry of photography, or alternatively talking to my department chair and seeing if I can do it as a 100-level special topics elective aimed at art majors. The guy who does our "chemistry for non-science majors" lab has also talked to me on doing an experiment or two on photography.

[Mike Gammill]

Off topic from original post, but I'd love to see T-shirts that have printed: (on front) Silver Halide Photography (on back) The Ultimate Fun in Oxidation-Reduction

[mikheilrokva]

Off topic from original post, but I'd love to see T-shirts that have printed: (on front) Silver Halide Photography (on back) The Ultimate Fun in Oxidation-Reduction

You'd be lucky if someone could actually understand the meaning of it out here. People in local lab said I'm one of a few who knows what C-41 is. That's Georgia for you :D

[mikheilrokva]

What I know pales in comparison to a lot of folks here.

 

I admit to being at an advantage when it comes to this kind of stuff since I do have a masters in Chemistry and work as a chemist at a university. My degree is officially in analytical chemistry, but I spent of a year of graduate school as a synthetic organic chemist.

 

I've thought about talking to the photography professor over at the art school to see if I can do a few lectures on the chemistry of photography, or alternatively talking to my department chair and seeing if I can do it as a 100-level special topics elective aimed at art majors. The guy who does our "chemistry for non-science majors" lab has also talked to me on doing an experiment or two on photography.

I think you should give it a shot. After all, it's something you love.

[Mike Gammill]

True, but half the fun is getting people to ask about it. I would wear to school once in a while since one of the subjects I teach is high school chemistry.

[ben_hutcherson]

Off topic from original post, but I'd love to see T-shirts that have printed: (on front) Silver Halide Photography (on back) The Ultimate Fun in Oxidation-Reduction

 

Indeed that would be true :)

 

I've managed to build a good relationship with my local lab. The lady who actually does the processing does a good job when it comes to maintaining the chemistry, but I don't know how many times I've walked in and she's sidelined me with a question that made me have to stop and think. In fact, I usually talk it out(verbally) and they just let me run with it until I come out with an answer. Of course, I've also coughed up old film before so that she could test it before processing a customer's roll.

 

In exchange, I occasionally get comped a roll of E-6 processing and often get priority pricing-especially if I say that I need it in a hurry. This lab gets my business because I realize how lucky I am that I can drop off E-6 first thing in the morning and pick it up that evening. Granted it doesn't beat the lab that closed ~10 years ago that ran E-6 twice a day(volume permitting) and if I caught the morning run before ~9:30 I could get it by noon.

[glen_h]

 

(snip)

This lab gets my business because I realize how lucky I am that I can drop off E-6 first thing in the morning and pick it up that evening.

 

When I was young, my father would take his Kodachrome, or later Ektachrome to the Kodak Palo Alto plant on the way to work in the morning, and pick up slides on the way home.

 

When I was in high school, he would take them to the Rockville MD plant on the same schedule, again on the way to/from work.

[rodeo_joe1]

"I want a black and white film suggestion for my friend, who is gradually losing his interest in film photography."

 

Introduce him to the desaturate and curves tool in any decent image editor. Then let him lose all interest in film and join the 21st century.

 

Does a painter need a new brush or a different type of paper or canvas to keep their interest up?

 

Perhaps it's just the needless fuss and bother of using film that's making your friends interest wane? Perhaps he just wants to make pictures, and not fart about with chemicals and arcane rituals?

[mikheilrokva]

"I want a black and white film suggestion for my friend, who is gradually losing his interest in film photography."

 

Introduce him to the desaturate and curves tool in any decent image editor. Then let him lose all interest in film and join the 21st century.

 

Does a painter need a new brush or a different type of paper or canvas to keep their interest up?

 

Perhaps it's just the needless fuss and bother of using film that's making your friends interest wane? Perhaps he just wants to make pictures, and not fart about with chemicals and arcane rituals?

Ohh I'm afraid you're several years late! He switched to film after years of using digital. The end.

[rodeo_joe1]

New gear or a different film aren't the answer. You need to get your friend interested in making pictures again. The medium used is irrelevant.

 

We all go through phases of being jaded with life, love, art, whatever. A new pair of shoes, camera, film, heavy drinking, etc. is never the long-term answer.

 

Try to revitalise your friend's interest in photography as an art form, and in life in general. Point out the interplay of light, interesting shadows, characterful people, little cameos played out on the street, reflections, amusing juxtapositions, great scenery, ugly decay, textures...... anything visually interesting and stimulating.

Edited March 13, 2018 by rodeo_joe|1

[Mike Gammill]

While not as forgiving as Tri-X or HP5+, Fuji Acros 100 is still a very flexible film and has generous reciprocity characteristics. If available at a reasonable price your friend should continued to use it. If it's expensive the Kentmere 100 and Arista EDU 100 are both inexpensive and can be bought in 100 foot bulk rolls to save even more money.

[mikheilrokva]

While not as forgiving as Tri-X or HP5+, Fuji Acros 100 is still a very flexible film and has generous reciprocity characteristics. If available at a reasonable price your friend should continued to use it. If it's expensive the Kentmere 100 and Arista EDU 100 are both inexpensive and can be bought in 100 foot bulk rolls to save even more money.

We bought 100 ft bulk of Kentmere and split it in two. Let's just say we're not buying it again. And Acros is his favourite film.

[mikheilrokva]

New gear or a different film aren't the answer. You need to get your friend interested in making pictures again. The medium used is irrelevant.

 

We all go through phases of being jaded with life, love, art, whatever. A new pair of shoes, camera, film, heavy drinking, etc. is never the long-term answer.

 

Try to revitalise your friend's interest in photography as an art form, and in life in general. Point out the interplay of light, interesting shadows, characterful people, little cameos played out on the street, reflections, amusing juxtapositions, great scenery, ugly decay, textures...... anything visually interesting and stimulating.

That's what I'm doing to myself right now actually. However it doesn't seem to work on him. He's a bit... um... "different".

[mikheilrokva]

I've stumble upon "Ilford Pan 400" in store today. It costs 5$ per roll. I did some research and found it's some cheapo for second grade market. But has anyone here used it? How does it perform compared to HP5+, for example, or Fomapan 400?

[Moving On]

Introduce him to the desaturate and curves tool in any decent image editor. Then let him lose all interest in film and join the 21st century.

 

Does a painter need a new brush or a different type of paper or canvas to keep their interest up?

 

Perhaps it's just the needless fuss and bother of using film that's making your friends interest wane? Perhaps he just wants to make pictures, and not fart about with chemicals and arcane rituals?

A Painter in a digital world?

Gotta love the irony in that post......