B&W photography experiment

I started this forum for any collecting hobby and it turned into my camera collecting and using forum. I use it mostly to keep a record of my photo adventures. Nobody but me seems to have photo adventures that visit here....but however. I have so many cameras now that I forget which is which and which ones work and which ones don't. If you have cameras and adventures you would be welcome to post here.

Moderator: DuncaninFrance

Post Reply
User avatar
Niner
Site Admin
Posts: 11522
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 1:00 pm
Location: Lower Alabama

B&W photography experiment

Post by Niner » Sat May 10, 2014 12:35 pm

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. :oops:

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.
Attachments
DSC02903.jpg
DSC02899.jpg
film hanging.jpg
35mm image
35mm image
35mm image
35mm image
35mm image
35mm image
120 negative
120 negative
120 negative
120 negative
User avatar
DuncaninFrance
Global Moderator Sponsor 2011-2017
Posts: 10936
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:08 pm
Location: S.W.France
Contact:

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by DuncaninFrance » Sat May 10, 2014 2:58 pm

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.
User avatar
blackisler
Moderator Sponsor 1911,12,13,14,15,16
Posts: 502
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:04 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by blackisler » Sun May 11, 2014 1:26 pm

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 :SCO:
live life for today as tomorrow may never come
User avatar
Niner
Site Admin
Posts: 11522
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 1:00 pm
Location: Lower Alabama

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by Niner » Fri May 16, 2014 5:30 pm

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. :loco:
Attachments
img471.jpg
img484.jpg
img486.jpg
img491.jpg
img476.jpg
User avatar
DuncaninFrance
Global Moderator Sponsor 2011-2017
Posts: 10936
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:08 pm
Location: S.W.France
Contact:

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by DuncaninFrance » Sat May 17, 2014 2:18 am

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.
User avatar
Niner
Site Admin
Posts: 11522
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 1:00 pm
Location: Lower Alabama

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by Niner » Sat May 17, 2014 9:22 am

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.
User avatar
blackisler
Moderator Sponsor 1911,12,13,14,15,16
Posts: 502
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:04 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: B&W photography experiment

Post by blackisler » Sat May 17, 2014 3:45 pm

They are pretty good B/W pics
live life for today as tomorrow may never come
Post Reply