From: Richard Knoppow (dickburk@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 08/13/02-06:56:57 AM Z
On Tue, 13 Aug 2002 11:37:19 +0000 Charles Dias
<charlesbronsondias@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> I´m looking for some easy way to process
> Fortepan 100 35mm film. I´m using
> it in my community classes of photography
> (because it´s cheap and gives good
> tonal and contrast results) but when processed
> with the consumer chemicals
> (Dektol, Rodinal, ...) by the book it gets
> toooooo grainy ... is there any
> other easy alternative way to process it with
> fine grain results I can teach
> in my classes???
>
> Thanks,
>
> Charles
>
>
Both Dektol and Rodinal are quite coarse grain developers. Dektol is mainly
a print developer. Many other developers will give finer grain. Probably the
best all around film developer is Kodak D-76. It will give you close to the
finest grain you can get without loss of film speed.
Ilford ID-11 is nearly identical to D-76.
Ilford Microphen is also similar but uses Phenidone and gives slightly
higher film speed.
Sprint chemicals also makes a Phenidone based film developer similar to
Microphen.
All of these can be used diluted 1:1 as one shot developers. Diluting has
the advantage of longer developing times, which are easier to control and have
better uniformity, and are economical.
Don't overlook Kodak HC-110, a highly concentrated developer. Its mixed into
a less concentrated stock solution and that is diluted again to a working
solution. HC-110 is slightly coarser grain than D-76 but still much finer
grain than Rodinal or Dektol. The concentrate is quite long lasting so its
economical.
Now, basically, film grain is built into the emulsion. Developers can make
it somewhat coarser or somewhat finer but the variation is less than between
films of different characteristics. T-Max 100, for instance, will be
substantially finer grained than Fortepan 100 in any developer. But, of
course, its more expensive.
You might investigate the possibility of bulk loading film for your class.
There is a very substantial cost saving for not very much work.
Richard Knoppow
dickburk@ix.netcom.com
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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