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  #1  
Old 3rd June 2014, 11:16 AM
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David Nimrod David Nimrod is offline
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Default Chemical Confusion!

The last time I bought chemicals for my Darkroom was nearly 30 years ago.

I recognise the old favourites, but there are many new brands around now...

I will be processing B&W film (mostly HP5, FP4 and some Delta and T Max).

I'll be starting with cheap RC paper, until I can print with some degree of skill (here's hoping it all comes back to me!).

Anyway... what I'm asking, is for a recommendation for a coherent set of Developer, Stop, Fix, Paper Developer...

All the Ilford stuff that I used to use seems pretty expensive...

Is it worth the premium over Firstcall, Fotospeed and other 'ecomony' brands..?

Thanks in advance,

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Old 3rd June 2014, 11:30 AM
paulc paulc is offline
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[Film] Developer - You can't go far wrong with D76.

Stop - A teaspoon of Citric Acid (try Boots or a home brewing store) per litre of water.

Fix - If you want cheap, Champion Amfix in 5l bottles is probably the cheapest you'll find. Works just fine with film and paper.

Paper Developer - Ilford Multigrade. Not the cheapest, but dependable results.
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Old 3rd June 2014, 12:02 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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I use Xtol nowadays. A very good developer provided you are happy to mix powder and can store the 5L of stock. I use old winebags and boxes but you can buy new 5L Polypin containers which are in effect brand new winebags in wineboxes.

There's a thread on them here on FADU. Do a search and you find the thread.

I haven't used Amfix but I am sure it is fine. Champion make photographic chemicals for other companies who then sell as own brand so there may be little or no difference between Fistcall's Champion stuff and Ilford other than its cheaper

Mike
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Old 3rd June 2014, 12:52 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulc View Post
[Film] Developer - You can't go far wrong with D76.
Stop - A teaspoon of Citric Acid (try Boots or a home brewing store) per litre of water.
Fix - If you want cheap, Champion Amfix in 5l bottles is probably the cheapest you'll find. Works just fine with film and paper.
Paper Developer - Ilford Multigrade. Not the cheapest, but dependable results.
I would agree with all of the suggestions made but unless you are proposing to shoot dozens of films at a time I would suggest a one-shot film developer, in which case you might consider Rodinal for its keeping qualities. It works very well with all of the films listed and there is a vast weight of advice on its application on this forum (most of it more recent than the year of its introduction, 1887).
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Old 3rd June 2014, 02:40 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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For film I use either D76 or Rodinal, for stop bath and fixer I use Champion, and for paper developer I have been using Acugrade, and when my stock is used up I will use fotospeed or champion, both as good as the Ilford but cheaper, in fact the Champion chemistry is the cheapest you will find, but very good quality
Richard
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Old 3rd June 2014, 02:48 PM
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David Nimrod David Nimrod is offline
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Thanks for all the info... much appreciated!

Thinking back, I have good memories of Rodinal, and Agfa chemistry in general.

I see that Firstcall do 330ml 'Softpacks' of R09, does anyone do larger quantities, like a litre?

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Old 3rd June 2014, 04:21 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Nimrod View Post
I see that Firstcall do 330ml 'Softpacks' of R09, does anyone do larger quantities, like a litre?
In stainless-steel spirals, 330ml of concentrate will process roughly 100x35mm films at 1:50 dilution. Although Rodinal's keeping qualities are legendary, wouldn't it be tempting fate to store enough for several hundred films, open? The bags are a very elegant pack, allowing air to be excluded after each use, slowing oxidation. I see that 500ml bottles are still listed.

Last edited by JOReynolds; 3rd June 2014 at 04:28 PM.
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Old 3rd June 2014, 04:41 PM
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David Nimrod David Nimrod is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JOReynolds View Post
In stainless-steel spirals, 330ml of concentrate will process roughly 100x35mm films at 1:50 dilution. Although Rodinal's keeping qualities are legendary, wouldn't it be tempting fate to store enough for several hundred films, open? The bags are a very elegant pack, allowing air to be excluded after each use, slowing oxidation. I see that 500ml bottles are still listed.
Good point, well made!
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Old 4th June 2014, 03:05 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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you can get 500 ml of ro9/rodinal from firstcall or silverprint, I always get the 500ml, the developer keeps forever, I have a bottle in my darkroom I opened 2 years ago, dark as night but sitll developing films as good as ever, I have used rodinal, same formula as RO9 just a different nome, that was at least 20 years old in a glass bottle, still working as good as new, so get the 500ml, it works out a bit cheaper and never goes off
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