B&W photography experiment
Moderator: DuncaninFrance
B&W photography experiment
Once upon a time...about 25 years ago I used to have the photography bug. I would develop my own B&W film and make prints with my own Beseler enlarger. Recently I got the wild hair to buy a couple of cheap off of ebay cameras that were more deluxe and more up to date than the half dozen or so film cameras I owned. In the process I wanted to also try an antique 120 film folding camera. And....I wanted to develop the film myself and use my new scanner to turn them into positives and view them. Well... got all said crapola cameras, chemicals and some Tmax 100 speed film together and started in to my second childhood.
Well... some problems. The Pentax Z 70 had a switch on the back with a switch that said "P" and a green rectangle as an alternative. The manual didn't mention what it was anywhere. Turns out the " P" is for panoramic and places the image to the right of the negative and crops the top borders. The idea is you swing the camera to the right and take another photo and the left and right negative match up....sorta. Surprised at some results I had that I suspect were caused by this feature. Then when I was developing, I mixed the D76 powder to the correct water to powder to temperature alright. I mixed the Fixer correctly. Both came as powders. Then I picked up the stop bath and didn't see anything on it saying it should be diluted. That was a mistake. That stuff should be 64 parts water mixed to one part yellow liquid solution. When I was younger I'd probably have been wiser. IN any case the worse it did was turn the developed negative strip into a curled up tube.
The 35 mm negatives came out alright... except for that decided roll to them.... and subsequent less than satisfactory scan.
The 120 was a total laugh. I developed them with the correct solution mix in every step. One problem was that the camera shutter was stiff and less than in time. The second problem was that there were a lot of light leaks evident on the developed negatives.
I've got plenty of chemicals left. I'm going to try the 35mm over again with some different cameras that I have more faith in. And.... dilute my stop bath dramatically this time.
Well... some problems. The Pentax Z 70 had a switch on the back with a switch that said "P" and a green rectangle as an alternative. The manual didn't mention what it was anywhere. Turns out the " P" is for panoramic and places the image to the right of the negative and crops the top borders. The idea is you swing the camera to the right and take another photo and the left and right negative match up....sorta. Surprised at some results I had that I suspect were caused by this feature. Then when I was developing, I mixed the D76 powder to the correct water to powder to temperature alright. I mixed the Fixer correctly. Both came as powders. Then I picked up the stop bath and didn't see anything on it saying it should be diluted. That was a mistake. That stuff should be 64 parts water mixed to one part yellow liquid solution. When I was younger I'd probably have been wiser. IN any case the worse it did was turn the developed negative strip into a curled up tube.
The 35 mm negatives came out alright... except for that decided roll to them.... and subsequent less than satisfactory scan.
The 120 was a total laugh. I developed them with the correct solution mix in every step. One problem was that the camera shutter was stiff and less than in time. The second problem was that there were a lot of light leaks evident on the developed negatives.
I've got plenty of chemicals left. I'm going to try the 35mm over again with some different cameras that I have more faith in. And.... dilute my stop bath dramatically this time.
- DuncaninFrance
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Re: B&W photography experiment
I neither have the equipment nor the patience these days Robert but keep it coming...........
Duncan
What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
- blackisler
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Re: B&W photography experiment
I never did develop my own as had no space to set up darkroom , its interesting to see how your experiment pans out , Like Duncan said Keep them coming.
Robert
Robert
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Re: B&W photography experiment
Tried it again today. Took a different camera. Canon EOS 620. 35-80 Canon EF lens. Tmax 100 Professional B&W. Everything went smoothly. No curled film edges this time when I developed the film.
- DuncaninFrance
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Re: B&W photography experiment
I like those Robert.............
Duncan
What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? -- W.C. Fields
"Many of those who enjoy freedom know little of its price."
You can't fix Stupid, but you can occasionally head it off before it hurts something.
Re: B&W photography experiment
Thanks, Duncan. That Tmax has pretty tight grain...but you can tell it's not the same as digital. And.... in a way... that's good.
- blackisler
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Re: B&W photography experiment
They are pretty good B/W pics
live life for today as tomorrow may never come