Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/07/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jeffery, I have been using Acros since 1999. Initially I got two rolls from Fuji's product manager in Tokyo - plain brown boxes and a cryptic note in Japanese "100 ASA - Ultra fine grain Film". Since that time I have shot about 500 rolls of the stuff. My primary developer for it has been the old and venerable Beutler that I mix myself. It also works well in D-76 1:1 for 9-9,5 minutes. The high dilution mixes (Xtol 1:3, Rodinal 1:100 etc.) tend to give you very thin negatives. There is still details in them, but they are too thin for my tastes. Speed seems to be right on, 100 ASA, although with the D76 1:1 I tend to rate it at 80. It is sensitive to over-agitation and will build up contrast quickly. I do 3 turns of the can (Paterson 5 reel tanks) every 60 sec and that seems to work. The Beutler formula is a classic one. It was concocted by Willy Beutler at Leica in the 50's as the means to get the sharpest possible negatives out of 35mm film. Easy to mix and it gives you eyeball cutting edges on the negs! It is a two component developer and you mix A and B just before you pour it into the tank. BEUTLER A Water ( 50C) 800ml Metol/Elon 10grams Sodium Sulfite 50grams Water to 1000ml B Water (50C) 800ml Sodium Carbonate 60grams Water to 1000ml Use 1 part of A, 1 part of B and 8 parts of water ( 20c/68F) for developing. I use 5 reel tanks so it is 150ml A, 150ml B and 1200ml of water for a Paterson tank. There is a formula that adds 0,001% of Potassium Iodide to the A solution. Supposedly it enhances the adjacency effect, but as Potassium Iodide is getting difficult to get (it is quite toxic) I have used it with or without it and there is no noticeable difference. The A and B solutions seems to last for at least 2-3 month in their bottles. TIMES ( all at 20C) Acros @ 100 7-7,5 minutes Delta 100 8 minutes EFKE 25 ASA 5,5-6 minutes Pan F @ 40 ASA 7 minutes Tri-X @ 400 12 minutes. The Tri-X in Beutler gives you very sharp and tight grain - and a lot of it too. It looks like shotgun pellets, but can be interesting as an effect. The Acros is better than Delta 100, grain is tighter and it has a bit more midrange tones. I also have a problem with the Delta 100. It "foams" heavily in the soft water we have here in Vancouver. It can actually pop the cap off the tank! This also means that agitation is affected as the foam prevents proper "sloshing" of the developer when you flip the tank. I have tried the Acros with a bunch of other developers too, but in my estimation, it works best in the Beutler and as a second choice, the D76 1:1. As most thin emulsion films, it is quite contrasty and you have to watch for that in exposures - err on the underexposure side of things. Fuji had the old Neopan SS, a "photo-school" film that was very forgiving, almost Vericrome Pan style but I think it is out production now. The best of these old emulsion was the Neopan F, a 40 ASA film with a 50's emulsion, silver rich and with smooth tones. They stopped production of it last year and I miss it. You could do 2x3 ft prints from 35 negs with amazing sharpness and tones - a Japanese version of the old Panatomic-X. I hope this helps. Best, Tom A ----------------- Tom Abrahamsson Vancouver, BC Canada