Darn! Ruined a whole roll of film today because my reel skills suck.

[fotohuis]

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I started film and paper development in 1967 and in the mean time I had all failures which you can only imagine. So in my experience  I have always an extra reel available, just in case ....

Working with  changing back is OK when you have all experience and can put a film within a minut on the reel. When it is going to fail people are getting nervous, a bit sweating and in 5 minutes the changing bag is a sauna and putting it then on the reel is a big problem, with most plastic reels impossible.

Diafine is a 2 bath developer where bath 2 is the accelerator in a high alkaline environment. That is why a water stop is advised cause theoretically there could be some Carbondioxide (CO2 gas) development on the film surface. Important is after it, you have to use an Acid type (rapid) fixer. 

For beginners it is important to have a more or less "foolproof"  workflow, hence my advice to mark the bottles and put on all bottles a piece of colored tape: Green = Developer, Red = Stop, Yellow = Fixer, Black = Wetting agent.

 

Most failures with 35mm is to cut the film in the perforation. In the reel it will bent somewhere near the end and your film is stuck!

Further bone dry plastic reels.

 

When using a film picker you cut the beginning leader strip and put the film in the first part of the reel. Then it is easy to have the film in the reel. It will take a minut. Cut the end just before the cassette. And ready!

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[chrism]

It is cheating, but there is a reel-less tank available if you search eBay patiently.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-276?do=findComment&comment=2845142

[rpavich]

It is cheating, but there is a reel-less tank available if you search eBay patiently.

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/205842-i-like-filmopen-thread/page-276?do=findComment&comment=2845142

Lol...you read my mind...I just bought one.

 

Also, it's good to know that it defeats the surge marks with monobath developer...that's killing me.

 

If you have a specific recipe that you like, or some good tips on using this; don't be afraid to let me know.

 

In the mean time, I just make sure that I leave the tail out of the roll, and start the plastic reels outside of the dark bag.

[becker]

When I started it was the same , its only a film not a big Salmon You lost ;-).  Now I have no such Problems at all, I have routine.

You can try under daylight condition, one Tip put the end of the Film into the Spool in daylight, so that the start doesnt  pains You,

twists Your nerves ;-) 

 

Good Luck

[fotohuis]

The Rondinax system is very old and most of them have a failure or are partial broken. Also with high dilutions you can not reach the minimum amount of developer concentrate for the total film surface necessary for a right film development. The system can scratch the film easily too: Antique.

Forget the Monobath, the results are far inferior of any regular film development.

Even Diafine is very limited because you can not control any contrast in development anymore. It works in a simple way because it is Panthermic but in fact suitable for maybe 5 actual film emulsions with speed enhancing and a real good result.

[rpavich]

The Rondinax system is very old and most of them have a failure or are partial broken. Also with high dilutions you can not reach the minimum amount of developer concentrate for the total film surface necessary for a right film development. The system can scratch the film easily too: Antique.

Forget the Monobath, the results are far inferior of any regular film development.

Even Diafine is very limited because you can not control any contrast in development anymore. It works in a simple way because it is Panthermic but in fact suitable for maybe 5 actual film emulsions with speed enhancing and a real good result.

That's strange you say this because I've been surfing lots of sites where folks are using these and aren't having any of these problems....no scratching, no mis-developing etc.

 

In fact, I'm very impressed by their success; many folks using them without incident for decades.

[chrism]

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I was referring to a Rondix, with no reel at all, not the Rondinax. I have no problems with either (nor the Rondinax 60 for 120 film), so Leitz and Agfa might just have known what they were doing when they made them!

 

While I agree that monobaths are of limited utility, I have enjoyed experimenting with them simply for the pleasure of proving to myself I could do it. I'd also add that Diafine definitely has its uses, especially if one plans to scan a film rather than wet print from it. Surely a good part of the fun we have is that we can find our own solutions to various challenges, no? 

[fotohuis]

You are correct in experimenting, whatever you want. I am normally not scanning but work for 100% in the darkroom so my negatives need to be carefully developed. With a scanner and P.S. you can even make reasonable good results even with a terrible film development. So my advises are for those who need excellent developed negatives, without scratches, stripes, drying marks,  dust, irrigular development and are printable without further external correction only the fine tuning of burning and/or dodging and some small MG filter correction.

[Jeff S]

That's strange you say this because I've been surfing lots of sites where folks are using these and aren't having any of these problems....no scratching, no mis-developing etc.

 

In fact, I'm very impressed by their success; many folks using them without incident for decades.

Traditional methods have worked without problem for far longer, for far more people, just requiring a bit of time to learn the techniques, which are not difficult.  Experiment in light....then execute in the dark.  Simple.

 

Sure there are options for folks to consider and try....but failure with the tried and true 'darkroom' approach (any clean, light tight space) is totally on the user.

 

Jeff

[ramarren]

On another forum a few months ago, chrism mentioned the Agfa Rondinax daylight developing tanks. I hunted around and got one. Tried it, liked it so much that I bought a couple more, and one for 120 film. Brilliant design, easy to use and makes processing a roll of film a twenty minute affair with no need for changing bag or darkroom.

 

My process with HC-110 (1:49 from concentrate, 200ml) @ 68°-70°F for all B&W films I use:

1. load film into tank - 20 seconds
2. developer - 8 min
3. rinse - in/out
4. fixer - 8 min
5. rinse 8x - in/out 8x
6. rinse with wetting agent - in/out
7. hang to dry 

That's it. 

 

I got one of the Rondix 35 tanks too ... It's an even simpler. 

 

G

 

[chrism]

I see you're trying "Godfrey's universal developer" recipe. Remember it's a rather loose approximation of the best times and temperatures for each film, and while a convenience, it ought to be compared with the recipes given on the Massive Development  Chart. 

 

Congratulations on joining the daylight tank brigade. I have a Jobo 2400 too, but getting the film started in that reel is quite awkward (little frail hooks to engage the perforations).

[rpavich]

I see you're trying "Godfrey's universal developer" recipe. Remember it's a rather loose approximation of the best times and temperatures for each film, and while a convenience, it ought to be compared with the recipes given on the Massive Development  Chart. 

 

Congratulations on joining the daylight tank brigade. I have a Jobo 2400 too, but getting the film started in that reel is quite awkward (little frail hooks to engage the perforations).

Anytime you want to unload that jobo 2400, let me know, I'll buy it.

[fotohuis]

I have two Jobo 2400 tanks which I am not using anymore. You can have them for free. Both are broken. A mistake of German engineering. Apart from the fact they need 450ml minimum volume for a 35mm film, 250ml for the 1510.

I have several 1510-1520 and 1540 tanks (using on a Heiland TAS processor). Also for my CPA-2 I have several 2523 tanks even some for 5 reels and paper drums till 40x50cm. They all work. I re-newed all tanks up from 1990. And sometimes new reels, 1501 or 2502. Hundred of rolls have been developed in the mean time. Not sure when Agfa Gevaert stopped making those Rondinax tanks but I think it was somewhere beginning in the 70's. Most is old crap.

[rpavich]

I have two Jobo 2400 tanks which I am not using anymore. You can have them for free. Both are broken. A mistake of German engineering. Apart from the fact they need 450ml minimum volume for a 35mm film, 250ml for the 1510.

I have several 1510-1520 and 1540 tanks (using on a Heiland TAS processor). Also for my CPA-2 I have several 2523 tanks even some for 5 reels and paper drums till 40x50cm. They all work. I re-newed all tanks up from 1990. And sometimes new reels, 1501 or 2502. Hundred of rolls have been developed in the mean time. Not sure when Agfa Gevaert stopped making those Rondinax tanks but I think it was somewhere beginning in the 70's. Most is old crap.

Are they both broken in the same way? In other words, can I take parts from one tank and put it with the parts for the other tank and have a working tank?

[fotohuis]

Unfortunately both are broken in the same way. Jobo 2400 was not succesful. The chance you will find a good one is very small. Even then a later Rondinax  product from Agfa is better if you can find a good one, however then limited in type developers suitable for it due to the possible dilutions.

[Wayne]

Excuse me if this is common knowledge, but I did not see it in the responses.

 

I was pretty successful with my first roll of hand developed film. One thing that made the whole process of winding the film onto the reel was the fact that it is possible to start the roll of film- on the reel- before putting everything in the bag. Once inside the bag, I would just pull the film canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film onto the reel, pull the canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film, etc.,.... until it was all out of the canister and onto the reel. Worked great.

[rpavich]

Excuse me if this is common knowledge, but I did not see it in the responses.

 

I was pretty successful with my first roll of hand developed film. One thing that made the whole process of winding the film onto the reel was the fact that it is possible to start the roll of film- on the reel- before putting everything in the bag. Once inside the bag, I would just pull the film canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film onto the reel, pull the canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film, etc.,.... until it was all out of the canister and onto the reel. Worked great.

Thanks Wayne, that's what I finally started doing and it really did help a lot. That's the hard part of the whole thing.

[Robert M Poole]

Excuse me if this is common knowledge, but I did not see it in the responses.

 

I was pretty successful with my first roll of hand developed film. One thing that made the whole process of winding the film onto the reel was the fact that it is possible to start the roll of film- on the reel- before putting everything in the bag. Once inside the bag, I would just pull the film canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film onto the reel, pull the canister away from the reel, wind the exposed film, etc.,.... until it was all out of the canister and onto the reel. Worked great.

I can't believe I didn't think of doing this...

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[Wayne]

For me, it was kind of like that line in Steinbeck's Cannery Row: "Into every mind comes at least one great thought....." Now that I have expended mine, I can go back to the never ending series of catastrophes that is the norm. The pressure is off.

 

Best regards,

[rpavich]

Now that I've been using the "thread the film before going into the dark bag" method, there is no fear of the dark bag.

 

Not only that, I found another great thing that saves time and makes spotless negs; the homemade film drying tube!

 

I got a piece of 4" PVC, taped a duct fan from Lowes to the end. Then taped a hepa filter to the end of that to keep dust from entering the tube.

After the Photo-flo rinse I put the film reel in a "Salad spinner" (the thing you are supposed to dry lettuce with) and spin it until the water is off the film as much as possible.

Then it goes into the film dryer. I put a space heater in back of it to warm the incoming air a bit to speed drying.

The result?

Negatives dry in less than an hour with no dust or water spots.

Now...the film has a longwise curl to it but for me, it didn't affect scanning at all.

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