the world in black white

Although I have used mostly b&w film for the past 40 + years, I find no benefit in using color film unless the color, per se, truly contributes to the esthetics of the image. That rationale has kept me from wasting color film. (It took a long time to realize that colorless color images were a drag!)

I should have qualified the time of 7 minutes as being for Acros 100. For Acros 400 the time should be about 9 minutes.

Arthur: I just read that Sistan is available from Freestyle, but I haven't confirmed it.

Arthur: The PhotoTechnics articles by Ctein regarding RC permanence were April/May 1998, and May/June 1998.

Matthew: My tests produced a time of 7 minutes @ 68F degrees, using an ISO of 100. (This is using a JOBO CPP-2 Processor.) I really like this combination, although I have been using 510-Pyro exclusively for the last year of so.

Arthur: Here is where I saw the Sistan for sale: http://www.digitaltruth.com/store/agfa.html

Arthur: The Fuji product is no longer available, but I am 96% confident that the Sistan is currently available. I remember seeing it for sale just several months ago.

Hi, Arthur! As I recall, the article was related soley to B&W RC papers; however, I won't stake my life on it. I will see if I can locate the article within several days. Bear with me, please. Sistan is being produced by another manufacturer, and a little homework should yield who that is.

Ctein conducted tests which were published in PhotoTechnics magazine several years ago. He found that a final Agfa Sistan bath added substantially to the longevity of RC prints. Something to think about.

Robert Vonk: Thanks for the link. Maybe somebody who speaks fluent english could proof read the site - for the benefit of the lame and the halt.

Rodeo Joe may not always be accurate, but he can be direct and rude. Thanks, Frank, for your courteous and accurate response. At least Rodeo Joe attempts to discourage digital users from using this forum.

Rodeo Joe: I like your style!

I have been using 510-Pyro for over a year - two batches of 200ml each. Each batch was initially honey colored, and within a week each batch had turned dark brown. My second choice of pyro developer is Wimberley's W2D2+. Third is PMK, which I no longer use.

 

John-Paul: The topic is color of 510-Pyro, not color of negative.

My vote goes with Lex!

The Unblinking Eye has some formulae:

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Developers/Formulas/formulas.html

Kevin: Will you be transferring this to the proper forum?

My vote is for 510-Pyro also. I use it exclusively any more (thank you again, Jay) and have

no reason to even consider anything else. It has an extraordinary life span in its non-

diluted form.

Thank you, Frank. I wish I had been as eloquent as you were.

I agree with Arden Howell. I never use a hypo clearing agent except for prints, and with TF4

it supposedly isn't really necessary then. (I use TF4 fixer with film also.) After fixing and a

ten minute wash, then about a one minute or two minutes soaking in wetting agent, the film

is ready to dry.

LensWork is not a darkroom magazine, but a magazine whose mission is "an exploration

of the path of creative photography. Through an exchange of ideas, insight, personal

experience, and opinions, it is hoped that LensWork will inspire photographic artists to

create work which truly bears their signature.

 

The focus of LensWork is ideas rather than images, imagination rather than imitation, and

an understanding of photography beyond craft. Images are published as portfolios of art

and illustrate the creative concepts expressed in the articles."

 

Brooks Jensen, co-editor, writes profound and insightful essays for the publication. Each

issue is truly worth collecting. The quality of the publication is superb!

Jeff: The same thing recently happened to me, i.e. crystals remaining in the bottom of the

solution. After reheating the mixture in hot water most of the crystals dissolved, but some

remained even after stirring multiple times. I strained them out with a fine mesh funnel and

have subsequently used the solution with no difficulty. Still not sure what went awry; the

first time that I made the formula I had no such problem.

 

I have become a strong advocate of 510-Pyro! It is an excellent developer for nearly any

film, and really easy to use.

I don't agree with the advice of not clipping the corners off the film. My experience has been

that usually it aids in loading the reel. Also, I have found that, when possible, the reels are

spared the build-up of crud if the film is removed from the reel when dipping/soaking the

film in wetting agent.

Luke: I apologize for my comment. It wasn't intended to be offensive but obviously came

across that way.

David W. Griffin: Thank you for expressing what needed to be said - otherwise it could have

been a case of "ignorance is bliss".

Like Erik Hattrem, I also favor Xtol for this film, although Wimberley's W2D2+ does a really

good job also, as does 510-Pyro. (And the list goes on. . .)