adam_n.1

<p>well, i use eco-pro fixer and paper developer. i don't use the film developer but i'm happy with the quality of their other products, if that helps...</p>

<p>dave-- i sent my order on the 24th via priority from the west coast and it got there early tuesday morning.</p>

<p>my last roll was of the golden gate bridge. on a sunny day, no less!</p>

<p>i'd recommend investigating plus-x, it's the easiest b&w film to scan that i've found so far. really crisp, punchy contrast with a great tonal range. i usually develop it in hc-110.</p>

<p>hmmmm maybe develop in d-19 at double the time? if your only choice is tmax i'd still double the time. more frequent agitation, although not necessarily more vigorous</p>

<p>well, i've processed maybe 2 dozen rolls or more of polaroid instant slide film and have had really, really good luck with getting usable images every time. much better luck than with polaroid peel apart or integral films of similar vintage. the only problem i've had with the really old stuff is the black backing doesnt come off after it's processed, but it washes off easily with warm water.<br>

that being said, you of course may not want to risk it...apparently theres a latent image on these films that can be developed with normal photochemicals...</p>

<p>I've built two darkrooms, part of the joy for me is building it yourself. You can have a really minimal setup for printing with an enlarger (with a lens and a negative carrier and contrast filters), an easel to hold the paper, a safelight, three or four developing trays, a timer for the enlarger and usually a separate timer for the prints. Bottles to store chemicals, tongs for handling the prints. A grain enlarger is probably a necessity but not urgently so. Luxuries would be running water and a sink, a print dryer, refrigerator, print and/or film washers, radio/cd player/etc</p>

<p>a little late here but it doesn't look like anyone mentioned oscar's in sf<br /> http://www.oscarsphotolab.com/<br /> probably the best place in the city since newlab closed</p>

<p>i'd recommend against photoworks. prices are unreasonable and the customer service is lacking.</p>

<p>no one mentioned looking glass on telegraph in berkeley? if you can travel to the east bay for just a minute they have a wide selection of film and other traditional supplies.</p>

<p>actually now that i look at it, the cress photo site was where i read " Blue bulbs may also be used with B&W film but they are less powerful because of the blue coating so you lose approximately 2 stops of light."<br>

i guess i should have said i am using press 25Bs, but i dont have the packaging, just a large box of bulbs. i have (just a few) clear press 25s in their packaging so i was going to use the values there and adjust for the blue coating. i'm also using flashcubes, which are really AG-1B. the packaging for these doesn't have separate values for b&w or color.</p>

<p>thanks for all the responses. i'll see if i can find that website again. i guess maybe i'll shoot some with a 1 stop adjustment and some with none and see if it matters. when i shoot with vintage gear i like to go all the way, hah (well except for the film i suppose?)</p>

<p>do i need to make any exposure compensation? i was just reading a website that said using blue bulbs with b&w film necessitated making an adjustment of 2 stops. buuuut i looked around here and didn't really see anyone saying the same thing. any advice? TIA</p>

<p>It's never in a normal range. It's either completely pegged at + or resting at zero when the meter is off. I've done light repair work on cameras before but only if I could get access with simple jewellers screwdrivers. I should definitely get one of those spanners as you recommend.</p>

<p>Hi, thanks for replying..<br /> The stop down switch definitely works in all regards. I've been using the camera without a meter for a while and still use the switch for checking DOF. I'd really like to get the top plate off so if theres any tips for removing the film speed dial I'm all ears. I've thought about getting a mini shoe mounted meter but the ones I've seen so far don't look like they'd fit behind the pentaprism.</p>

<p>OK I searched the archives and didn't quite see this one answered...<br>

I've got a Spotmatic SPII with a good battery (Wein cell PX400 replacement, even though I know it will take a silver oxide.) The battery is installed properly and when I do the battery check (shutter speed = B film speed = 100) the needle reacts and drops slightly from it's zero resting place (I have an early model so it rests just under the median between + and -) Anyway, other than at B and 100, no matter what aperture, what shutter speed or film speed setting, the meter flies completely up to the top overexposure + mark. It doesnt waver a bit at all...<br>

If theres a fix for this that doesnt involve completely disassembling the camera i'm game.. i was going to remove the film/shutter speed knob and clean the contacts underneath with some contact cleaner but i don't have what appears to be the special tool to remove the screw that holds it down? Any advice appreciated...</p>

<p>two of the three in the first set mention pushing right in the tags.. one is pushed 1 stop and another 2 stops. also the first one is shot on neopan 1600, which from what i understand is basically neopan 400 with printed dev times having the push "built in". so you can achieve that same effect with neopan 400 pushed two stops as well (i used to do this regularly.. works very well.)</p>

<p>i can second going to looking glass. i was just in there last week to buy some hc-110, and yesterday to buy some efke film. their selection used to be better, but i cant fault them for moving more towards digital, and thank god they still have what they do.<br>

there's also photographer's supply in SOMA in SF. great store as well.</p>

<p>whenever i'd take film to be cross processed to a lab i'd always have them push it one stop.. so i'd recommend that even at home</p>

<p>as far as i can tell, no one makes it anymore. fuji (on their japanese website) announced ceasing production of super G last year with the last shipment out to be this fall. ferrania stopped as per frugal photographer.. and i think someone contacted kodak who said they were done as well.</p>

<p>hi,<br>

1 polapan, 4 polagraphs and maybe 4 polachrome and 4 HC polachrome is OK by me.<br>

and 5 EkC duplicating film. i can't really use anything else (thanks though!)<br>

i will contact parv with my info.<br>

also, dont forget about flat rate boxes, esp. from hawaii. these will most likely fit into the medium sized box.</p>

<p>please note you need a polaroid processor to process these.<br>

as to the inner workings of the machine and why the film doesnt come out covered in chemicals, i don't know. it's almost a dry process (thick paste) as far as i can tell, and the chemicals end up going back into the processing pack when the film is finished developing.</p>

<p>i use these regularly so if you have any left i'd love to have some as well</p>

<p>this won't really solve your problem but why are you fixing for only 3 minutes? if you're using tmax 400 you should be fixing for 10 minutes. if its trix 400 then at least 5 minutes...</p>

<p>longs had far and away the best photo dept of any drugstore i've ever given any film to, and better than any department/discount store. and thats even across 4 or 5 stores within the chain that i'd used at one point or another. i'm hoping the switchover to CVS doesnt affect this.. at least at my local store the personnel is still the same for the time being. i've read horror stories on here about CVS and how some of them even cease to have a minilab...<br>

another thing of note is longs had whittled their film selection down to a few disposables and maybe MAX 400.. and when they switched to CVS they started stocking tri-x?? at my local drug store, fresh tri-x. very odd but very welcomed!!</p>

<p>Now that NewLab is closed? I was just ready to give them an order.. guess I missed it by two weeks.</p>

 

<p>why is that so expensive for a plastic camera. yikes :(</p>