Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Christer Almqvist wrote: ><Snip> > As you said, the more you agitate the more grain you'll get. But it is not > only a question of how long or how often you agitate, but also how you > agitate. > > Kodaks own instructions are interesting. For T-Max developer they say > "agitate vigorously", and for Xtol they say "agitate gently". They have a > reason for using different terminology. > > Try the following: lift the tank -gently- a couple of inches, then > -gently- turn it round its own axis, wait a second or two to let the liquid > settle in its new position, then -gently- turn it back round, (wait a > second or two and repeat turning as you wish), and then -gently- set the > tank down. It makes a difference to the grain if you do it this way or if > you shake the tank like a bar tender. > > -- > christer almqvist Christer! I also agitate once per minute as recommended decades ago but getting pretty rare. And the first whole minute. Every other minute cycle I roll the tank on the sink surface once for about two feet in each direction not too fast. Why? Because it feel it is what the film wants to do rolled up like that. It is asking for it. And it's fun. But it is not generally recommended because you'll get more density on the outer few shots of the reel. They are traveling faster. And I've had that happen to me. Until l I started alternating. Every other time even things even out quite a bit. With a longer 8 roll tank the agitation you get with inversion I find suspect. So I do both techniques one on the odd minutes the other on the even...for about 15 years. Mark Rabiner