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  #1  
Old 18th March 2021, 05:53 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default What is your choice

I currently use Ilford Microphen for my B&W having used ID11 for years and years before I changed. I find both developers to have exceedingly long shelf lives once mixed and I am just coming to the end of a batch of Microphen which was mixed in April 2018!

The results from either developers are in my untrained eye virtually identical, so is there an advantage of one over another? With both, I use it at 1-1 dilution and discarded.

I find it very odd that there should be two, so very similar developers sold by the same manufacturer alongside each other. (at the same price as well.)
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Old 18th March 2021, 07:30 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John King View Post
I am just coming to the end of a batch of Microphen which was mixed in April 2018!
John I take it this was the 1L packet that was turned into stock solution and used periodically over what is a 3 year period

It sounds as if it was the "use once then dump" method rather than the pour back into the 1L container each time. If my assumption is correct was the 1L then decanted into it smaller bottles such as 250ml or even less as it was 1+1 to avoid any chance of air being introduced?

I intend my packet, yet to be turned into stock to be used for D3200 or HP5+ pushed a couple of stops and for the purposes of using it at the higher speed of 3200 at least it looks to be better at stock rather than 1+1

At stock however for 120 film and on a use once and dump it doesn't go far - only doing 2 films

Thanks

Mike
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Old 18th March 2021, 08:03 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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I recently started using ID11 stock, which I like, and I also use Rodinal, I have used Microphen in the past, long past, and Microphen is a speed increasing developer, I used it to develop Tmax 100 which I would rate at 400 with no loss of quality, and I believe that the box speed of the Fomapan films is achieved with Microphen, where wit 400 I get 250 with both Rodinal and ID11, and that,I think, is the main difference between the 2 developers
Richard
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Old 18th March 2021, 09:43 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Microphen/ID11

I did mention that I used it at 1 to 1 dilution but the 1 litre is only split into 2 x dark brown 500cc glass bottles and used as I needed it.

No decanting out which does amaze me and with the Mulitigrade print developer it is a must. The liquid stock which I have just finished was as clear today as the day I made it. No sediment or cloudiness or discolouration.

I don't usually let it last as long as this but in the interim I have processed a lot more C41. I will be using more B&W in the future because my old allergy to colour print chemicals is starting to make a come back.

I was not aware that Microphen was a speed increasing developer. I exposed films at the box speed and developed according to the Ilford chart on their website which is the only one I trust.

(I was told many years ago by Ilford when I queried the time for developing a certain film and was told not to trust the times inside the box because they have literally millions printed at once and by the time they are used, if there is a chemical change the times may well be out of date. The website is the only source to trust 100%)
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Old 18th March 2021, 09:54 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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I think that prints from Microphen negatives donlook different to those from ID 11 negatives. The grain in the Microphen version is more obvious, but not coarse and obtrusive. I am using it quite regularly now, as one litre stock reused for 10x 35mm or 120 films. I agree that the stock solution lasts very well.
Alex.


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Old 18th March 2021, 10:33 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Alex if you provided an answer on a previous thread then forgive my laziness in not looking first but do you follow the Ilford regime of adding 10% to every film what after the first or does your percentage vary over the 10 films and if so by how much

I recall Big Paul I think it was who felt that the Ilford regime overdeveloped the first few films after film 1 and I think I recall advice to try the first four films at the time for film 1

However none of that may matter in that You Alex seem to be the only one who uses the Ilford replenishment method of pouring back the full tank's contents each time

Thanks

Mike
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Old 18th March 2021, 10:40 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Microphen/ID11

By using it at 1 to 1 dilution, I get 8 x 35mm films out of one litre which I consider to be reasonable. I prefer the 'use once and throw away' method because I don't have a terrific through-put and from what I have read reusing a stock solution risks it deteriorating before it is exhausted.

I have 2 x 1 litre kits of ID11 on the way from AG so I should be able to make a reasonable comparison.

Mike, if you use the 1 to1 dilution then you should easily get 4 x 120 films out of one litre. It only takes a few mins longer to develop, give it a try.
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Old 19th March 2021, 08:28 AM
Keith Haithwa Keith Haithwa is offline
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My normal prefernces are ID11 for FP4+ and HP5+ in 35mm and 120 sizes and Xtol-R (or occasionally Pyrocat HD) for 5x4" films - usually Fomapan 200.
I have used new wine bags for storing both film and paper developer for a number of years and I have never had any chemicals go off as far as I can tell.
My ID11 x 5L, was mixed, twice filtered through the same coffee filter before being bagged in June 2020. My other film developer is Xtol, mixed, filtered and bulk stored in the same way in March 2019.
My Pyrocat HD is stored in the same 500mL bottles it came in and just seems to last forever!
The ID11 developer is used one-shot and the Xtol is used as a replenished regime.
My Ilford Multigrade paper developer was mixed in June 2019 and stored in the same way although for convenience in the darkroom I decant some print developer into 70mL plastic amber bottles brim-full. These are stored in the darkroom and then diluted to make up a working solution per darkroom session.
My lack of mobility is not good these days so my throughput is very hit and miss but with these chemicals and this method of storage I can keep chemical costs within my pension budget.

My previous post was deleted because my cut & paste technique went awry, sorry.
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Old 19th March 2021, 09:11 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Haithwa View Post
. My other film developer is Xtol, mixed, filtered and bulk stored in the same way in March 2019.
Keith your replenisher method and my use once and dump may be different enough to render my experience and yours unconnected but I bagged my Xtol in 2 winebags in March 2019. After well over 2 years of use I did a film leader test before using it and I did notice that while it still turned the leader black it was not quite as black as my first leader when the Xtol was fresh

Because of that I didn't use it but I may have been just too cautious as a slightly longer dev time might have made up for what may be a lack of strength

So can I ask do you do the leader test at the start and then after say 2+ years and if so did you see any difference or have you detected any even slight difference in recent films' development

Thanks

Mike
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Old 19th March 2021, 09:45 AM
Keith Haithwa Keith Haithwa is offline
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Mike: I shot and dev'd a film in my ID11 the other day and compared it to one from when it was fresh and I couldn't see any difference by eye - and therein might be a problem. I've had cataracts removed from both eyes, I have a touch of AMD in both and I've got more 'floaters' in my eyes that the combined world's navies, so I wouldn't stake my life on it but they printed without issue so it's ok for my purposes. I also checked my Xtol recently and I was happy with that too.
I aren't very strict about testing and it's decades since I shot and processed professionally and now I am much more relaxed about my photography. It's an approach which suits me down to the ground although it does cause some coughing and spluttering amongst some I know.
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