Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

All the techniques and equipment needed to develop film, create glass plates or print following traditional & alternative methods
Post Reply
User avatar
Valerio Trigari
Forum Hero
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:46 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Contact:

Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Valerio Trigari » Sat Dec 10, 2011 3:19 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi again,

and here I am with yet another question about developers. As usual, the question arises after reading the Adam's The Negative. He mentions that both methodologies have a compensating effect, so my question is: is one method better than the other, or do they give about the same results? The book does not make any comparison, for what I remember. This is another technique that I never used in the past, but I'd be curious to try.

Thanks,

Val
http://www.valeriotrigariphotography.com/

Proud owner of a Linhof Technikardan 45.

Ed Moss
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:42 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Midlands
Contact:

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Ed Moss » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:16 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Suppose like most things Darkroom, conduct your own tests and see which works best for your application/methodology.
I've never really had any need/desire to go much past ID-11/Perceptol/Microphen and now XTOL.

User avatar
Valerio Trigari
Forum Hero
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:46 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Contact:

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Valerio Trigari » Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:09 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

That's the plan! :) I'm just curious to know about other people experiences.

Valerio
http://www.valeriotrigariphotography.com/

Proud owner of a Linhof Technikardan 45.

Paul Mitchell
Moderator
Posts: 491
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:05 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Burnham, UK
Contact:

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Paul Mitchell » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:06 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

As Ed suggests, suck it and see... I was a dedicated DDX user but then discovered Prescysol EF using the partial stand method.

Paul
When people ask what equipment I use - I tell them my eyes.

http://www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk
http://www.arenaphotographers.com

lostlandsuk
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:15 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Scotland

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by lostlandsuk » Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:57 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

It seems like forever since I have posted anything on here . . .anyway . .
2 Bath vs Dilute - well I have used both fairly extensively, tray developing 5x4 . . .
Dilution H in HC110 (though not highly diluted like semi-stand Rodinal) is very good, but time and again you hit the old wall of possible over-development and dense negatives, it is also very critical of temperature, AND, the big one, certain films really don't get on well with it - FOMA 100 being a good example. This being said, when I got nice results I got very nice results.
Barry Thornton's 2 Bath - it is as near as damn it a perfect developer for me - I use it with 5x4, 120 and 35mm and usually have results that I am happy with - it is very good with most films. One thing I would say though is that despite the recommendations not to use a water pre-soak with a 2 bath developer, BT2 really benefits from it. All the chemicals are relatively cheap and easily sourced from Silverprint.
It can be a little flat, but this can be sorted out by slightly longer in the first bath and upping the agitation in the second bath by about 30 secs and then leaving to stand longer. All in all, it is long lasting, easy to mix and a reliable tool.
I haven't used the likes of the more common divided developers, or as I said very highly diluted semi-stand development (who has the time???) so I can't comment on them, however, people like them, so if you want to go that route there is always that option.
Search around there's a ton of info . . I can recommend the happy chappies at FADU if you have any questions too.
Hope this helps.
Phil

User avatar
Valerio Trigari
Forum Hero
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:46 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Contact:

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Valerio Trigari » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:06 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Hi Phil,

thank you for sharing your techniques on the two types of compensating developers. Just a quick question: if you took two identical pictures and then developed one negative in a highly diluted developer and the other with the two baths technique, would you get similar results or would they rather different?

Cheers,

Val
http://www.valeriotrigariphotography.com/

Proud owner of a Linhof Technikardan 45.

lostlandsuk
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:15 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Scotland

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by lostlandsuk » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:23 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

To be honest (and this might put the cat amongst the pigeons) apart from more contrast gained with Dil H in HC110 (and that is not nearly as dilute as some people do with stand development and Rodinal, so I can't comment on that), I don't get a huge amount of difference!
What I prefer about the 2 bath is it will control skies very well, though obviously total overexposure does result in denseness . .. However I feel I have used BT2 enough to pretty much fine-tune it to each negative and film. Barry I believe developed it for roll film use, but like I say I have found it very good for almost everything I have needed to develop. You can obsess to the nth degree about developing (I have . . . .)!
I also tend to expose shadows on ZIV as opposed to the regular Z III - gives me better low level detail and the 2 bath helps with any over-exposure!
His site is very imformative and kudos to whoever keeps it going as it is a great resource like his books.
http://www.barrythornton.com/
Cheers
Phil

User avatar
Valerio Trigari
Forum Hero
Posts: 164
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:46 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Contact:

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by Valerio Trigari » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:34 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Thanks for the explanation Phil. I was expecting that the two techniques wouldn't yield significant differences, but I guess - as others suggested - it's all down to do my tests and see which one gives me the results I want! :)

Val
http://www.valeriotrigariphotography.com/

Proud owner of a Linhof Technikardan 45.

lostlandsuk
Posts: 87
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:15 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Location: Scotland

Re: Highly diluted vs Two Baths developers

Post by lostlandsuk » Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:38 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Yep - it's all about trying things out!
P

Post Reply