Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/26

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Subject: [Leica] Yikes (D76 & TX)
From: Johnny Deadman <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 23:00:46 +0100

Another darkroom post.

Found myself processing three rolls of TC (@320asa) today. Did two in my 
standard

D76 stock      3m        5s/30s agitation
1.5% Kodalk    3-4m      No agitation

...but since we'd been talking about HCB, I did the third in his standard 
D76 1+1 for 10 minutes to check the difference.

Holy moly.

It looks HORRIBLE compared to my standard dunk (IMHO). Little shadow 
detail, blocked highlights a gogo, general unpleasantness. Definitely 
inferior to, say, D23 1+1 for the same time. Maybe I put too much stock 
on shadow detail and overall printability, but this was not nice.

Incidentally, I've only just begun to realise that seemingly *no-one* 
else uses standard D76 in a two bath process as I do above. For me, it's 
a great process - simple, cheap, tames the highlights, and brings the 
shadows right up. Grain is fine because of the concentration of 
developer. I guess acutance is probably not as good as D76 1+1 but it 
works for me.

Also, a very curious neg problem. Looked like bromide streamers from over 
agitation but that definitely wasn't it...consistent bands of slightly 
higher density emanating from the bottom of the negative where the 
sprocket holes weren't...but not on the top, so it couldn't be drag from 
the holes. Had me scratching my head for a while until I checked the 
leader... yup.... a light leak in the cassette which had propogated *via 
the sprocket holes*, effectively pre-flashing the film. Very odd. 
Hopefully a one-off!




Johnny Deadman