Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/27

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Subject: [Leica] Small format apartments
From: "Johnny Deadman" <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 22:41:21 +0100

>> > ZS is only a formal way of saying 'expose for the shadows,
>> > develop for the highlights' ...
>>
>> I have no control over development.  I can only control exposure.

Weeeeeell, I develop my film in a small London apartment with no darkroom.
Equipment:

S/steel 1 litre can
S/steel spirals x 4
Plastic beakers x 4
Thermometer
Funnel
Stirring rod
Timer
Changing bag
Chemical bottles (dev, alkali, stop, fix)

Total cost, I dunno, maybe $150? Add to the above a film scanner, and you
are home free. Invest in a bulk loader (<$20), and your costs will plummet
still further.

Er, that's it.

Did I mention how much faster and cheaper it is than sending it to some
shitty lab where they dunk every film, WHATEVER the rated speed, in the same
bath? I was horrified with the results I got back a month ago from London's
most famous lab. Just awful. Negs completely nuked, all highlights blocked,
all shadows gone. Er, that would be the pictures of my son's birth then,
that I didn't have time to process myself.

That's when I asked them about their bath, and got the answer I refer to
above. Yes, it's Joe's Basement in case you're interested.

Looked like N+1 to me...VERY zone system, I don't think.




There is nothing, NOTHING I say, to compare with the feeling of shooting all
day, then coming home and developing your film that evening.



- --
Johnny Deadman

"The secret of playwriting can be given in two maxims: stick to the point
and whenever you can, cut".