I worked for several months with Kodak 4x5 Professional Copy film doing
view-camera copies which included a grey scale next to the original,
testing on the densitometer to see if the density developed anywhere near
the "real-life" steps. It was one of the nightmare experiences of my
life into which I was sandbagged by someone on this list who shall remain
nameless. Although he was able to tray-flip up to 8 4x5s at a time and
have them come out step for step on the densitometer, I could not tray
flip, because I could not tray-flip period, and also because I cannot put
my hands in developer, any developer. (Latex gloves lead to craziness
which also is detrimental to your photographs, besides which, I cannot tray-
flip with latex either.)
I have probably a two-inch-thick pile of the charts, none of which came
reasonably close. Diluting the developer warped the curve, cost the
shadows, whatever. Trust me. Agitation so slow it hardly moved also didn't
do it. Finally, nameless had brainstorm, suggested switch to Rodinal for
its tendency to hotter midtones. Worked like a charm. If some other poor
soul out there is so misbegotten as to be struggling with similar task,
I'll look up the dilution and timing.
This, I repeat, was 4 by 5, and a film which probably reacted differently
from T-Max, or whatever you platinum printers are rolling. I'll add that
the instructions that came with the Jobo (not fully translated from the
Franco-Japanese, partly omitted and backwards) told you for best results
to put only four sheets in the tank, the inner and outer rows, leaving the
center empty. (Theoretically the tank could hold six.) How is the 8x10
configured?
As it happens, however, I'm now working 12 by 18. When you're developing
lith film to a top density of .9 or 1, you've already diluted to the max.
I ran into mottling problems. Hence the tubes. I plan to get open ended
PVA and do in tray. No need for a $100 (or whatever) drum for such a rare
occasion. I hope.
To be continued.
Judy