[Leica] bulk loading

[TTAbrahams at aol.com (TTAbrahams@aol.com)]

In a message dated 7/2/2004 5:11:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
feli@creocollective.com writes:

> Kodak recommends KODAK D-96, for processing.I seem to remember them
> actually selling this in a reasonably sized bottle...I wonder how
> different D96 is from D76..

Feli,
the D96 developer is a soft working movie-stock developer and I find that it 
is too "flat" for still work. It makes sense that it is low contrast as the 
film is later copied on to a Positive film stock and the contrast can be 
boosted 
at this stage. It is easier to add contrast than to reduce it (at least if 
you want to keep details in shadows and highlights). With D76 you get a 
"long 
tone" Tri-X looking negative although the grain is somewhat rougher than on 
the 
TX. I just did 15 rolls of XX in PCK (Patrick Gainers Ascorbic 
Acid/Phenidone 
developer.) It gives a slightly finer grain than D76 and as it has no Sodium 
Sulphite in it, it also gives you a bit less "mushy" grain. My next run will 
be 
with a split Pyro-Catechol developer. It should work fine as the XX is quite 
rich in silver.
I don't know if the classic "Plus-X" is still available as a movie-stock, 
but 
it was a wonderful emulsion. I will ask my friend at the Cine Processing lab 
if it is still in the Kodak list.
 Agfa used to make a 250 ASA Pan film (AgfaPan 250) and it had many of the 
qualities of the XX stock. Years ago the local supplier gave me 8000 feet of 
it. 
They had a bunch of cans, mixed emulsion numbers, and it was supposed to go 
for destruction and silver recovery, but that meant it had to be shipped 
back 
east and I was willing to pick it up for free! There is still 1200 feet in 
my 
freezer compartment. Once I am through with the XX I will thaw out these 
cans 
and load them up in the cassettes.
 If you use movie-stock and a motorized camera, beware! The pitch on the 
perforations of movie stock is different from "normal" 35mm and occasionally 
you 
can have problem with the film jamming on the advance. It usually happens at 
around frame 25-28 as the cumulative effect of the pitch difference adds up. 
The 
noise that an F-36 drive on an old F makes when it jams is impressive! It 
also quickly fills the camera with small film-chips as the motor happily 
shreds 
the film. No problem with M's though.
 One film that I would like to try is an "Ultra-High resolution" duplicating 
film that Kodak makes. It purportedly has a 1000 lp/mm resolution. Only 
problem is that it is a wee bit slow - rated at 0,1 ASA! On the beach, in 
noon time 
bright sun you end up with exposures of 10 sec at f16 or around 2 seconds 
with 
the Noctilux at f1! Maybe a bit on the slow side for general work but that 
stock with my point source Elcan enlarger should give me the ultimate in 
print 
quality.
 Nice and cloudy outside, f8/250 so I am off to run some more XX through the 
cameras (M3/M2 and a Bessa T).

Best,
Tom A
-------------------
Tom Abrahamsson
Vancouver, BC
Canada