[alt-photo] Re: Development By Inspection Methods

[Ken Sinclair]

Francesco,

I used it mostly on  Plus-X and the then equivalent of FP4... but as  
I mentioned..
in my experience with Pinacryptol Green pre-bath I am still not  
convinced it was
worth the effort... and the cost

A few years ago I changed the majority of my development  to BTZS  
tubes for both
4x5 and 8x10 sheet film... and Pyrocat HD... (a much less expensive  
alternative to the
selection of developers that were common in my darkroom) which allows  
for both
silver gelatin and non-silver prints. My 120 and 35 mm films are  
processed on Hewes
SS reel in the Kindermann tanks.

As I mentioned in my last response, I will occasionally feel the need  
to have a quick peek
when tray developing the odd one or two sheet films and will switch  
the green light on...
but for only a few seconds after (AT LEAST) half  way through the  
intended time. A friend
used to look at the green light 'through' the negative but I am  
usually concerned about
inducing any kind of fog but while you may find that 'easier' than  
viewing the base side
and judging from that. It may help if you take an 'older' duplicate  
negative and put it in either
water or a developer to give you an idea of what a properly developed  
negative 'looks like'
by either transmitted or reflected off-the-base green light.

The alternative, of course, is to make duplicate exposures and  
process one at a time in your
preferred developer of choice.

Have fun

Ken




On 7-Mar-12, at 8:47 PM, Francesco Fragomeni wrote:

> Thanks Ken,
>
> I've found a few things written about Pinacryptol Yellow and  
> Pinacryptol
> Green that I had not previously seen. They echo your experience  
> with the
> desensitizer reducing the speed of the film significantly. I've  
> also found
> reports that it may not work or be effective with modern faster  
> films. I
> was hoping that these desensitizers would be more useful then they
> apparently are and I suppose that explains why they are nearly  
> impossible
> to get a hold of these days. If there was anything magical about them
> they'd probably be in use today.
>
> I'm very interested in what I'll be able to do with the green  
> safelight
> technique (minus the desensitizer). I use 100 and 400 speed films.  
> My only
> concern is whether or not 400 ISO film will be dramatically more  
> apt to fog
> using the technique. I understand that the green safelight is only  
> on for a
> few seconds at a time and kept at a safe distance and I get that  
> the film
> desensitizes as it develops but I' still concerned that faster film  
> will
> fog. Anyone have any experience developing 400 ISO film this way?  
> Are there
> any problems with it?
>
> -Francesco
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 7:58 PM, Ken Sinclair  
> <photo1 at telusplanet.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> On 7-Mar-12, at 6:12 PM, Francesco Fragomeni wrote:
>>
>>  Hi all,
>>>
>>> [snip)
>>>
>>> Anyway, I am very curious about other DBI methods but I've been  
>>> unable to
>>> find much information on the web and in the forums. I know that  
>>> there are
>>> still some people who DBI using a dark green Wratten safelight.
>>>
>>>
>> [snip]
>>
>> Francesco,
>>
>> I 'got into' trying DBI about 35 years ago using Pinakryptol Green
>> pre-development bath
>> with occasional 'second half of development time' of observation with
>> green safelight
>> during tray development....  a practice recommended by a friend
>>
>> I (personally) was not convinced that it was worth the trouble..  
>> the $
>> cost... and gave it up
>> up after finding that 'my film speed' of the film was reduced by  
>> just over
>> half.
>>
>> But...  since then, I have on a few but rare occasions used short
>> green-safelight inspection
>> of film observing the back of the film (without any Pinakryptol
>> pre-development soaking)
>> but again... only after at least half development time has passed.
>>
>> By the same token... I have not tried Pinakryptol yellow.
>>
>> Ken
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Quando omni flunkus moritati (R. Green)
>>
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Quando omni flunkus moritati (R. Green)