Adox CHS 50 film

[Matt_Bigwood]

I've recently bought a box of 5x4 Adox CHS 50 film, and having done a quick search here it seems that the emulsion is quite soft.

I'm going to be processing it in a Paterson Orbital processor using Rodinal - and advice on the best working practice, and should I use a pre-soak before the developer?

[Neil Barnes]

There's a huge argument about whether pre-wetting does anything - but I always do and it's for sure it gets an awful lot of blue anti-halation dye out! On the Adox page they suggest pre-wetting for sheet film but not the smaller formats, which presumably have a different substrate.

From previous experiments: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2699&p=15104&hilit=chs50#p15104

I think I'd move the film less; perhaps once a minute.

Neil

[lostlandsuk]

I always presoak film - it ensures even development. With Adox you really have to keep your temperatures for all solutions as close as possible, or you will find a slight 'rippling' along the edges of the film. It is fairly harmless though
The emulsion is very soft when wet, so please be careful how you handle it - certainly it is nothing like as bomb-proof as Ilford and Kodak.
Rodinal will get lovely results with it I'm sure - it certainly does with CHS 100.
Phil

[Matt_Bigwood]

Thanks very much for the information.

Matt

[lostlandsuk]

Matt - forgot to add that a lot of people recommend plain water or very weak stop bath. Apparently you can get pinholes with standard strength stop.
Phil

[Charles Twist]

Agree on that last comment - I use water rather than a stop and am far happier with the results.
It took me a while to work out how to get the film out of the bath without touching the emulsion; it's that fragile. But I like the look and it's cheap.
All the best,
Charles

[Neil Barnes]

I also use a water stop bath. I haven't found the emulsion all that fragile, but I develop in a combi tank so it all happens in the carrier.

Neil