Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ted Grant wrote: , > > I like to get the film into the developer quickly, not pouring it in > through a little hole on the top and dumping the same method. > > Having the lid off in the dark allows me to drop all the reels in at the > same time, clock going, lid on, start agitation. Then turn lights on > during the develop time. > > The dumping is in the same manner, lights out, lid off, dump. re-fill > quickly with fixer. lid on, lights on. One can do it very well in total > darkness after some practice. > SNIP > In the dark with 6 reels on a rod, it's just "splooooosh!" and they're all > into developer in a fraction of a second and agitation begins. Similarly > when fixing. > > ted > This approach was the way I learned it when I did daily news. We did one thing differently which I still do today. I keep a deep tank (4x5 rubber tank with light-tight lid) loaded with fixer. Once I've dumped the developer I take the reels out on the reel hanger and then (obviously in the dark) plunge them into the fixer for one minute continuous agitation before putting lid on. Then, once or twice more agitate with lights off followed by lights on with a little more agitation, especially with TMAX films because of the anti-halation layer. From there into wash, hypo-clear, photo-flo, etc. - -- Carl Socolow http://members.tripod.com/SocPhoto/