Hi Paul ... Allow me to present another side of your suggestions, although they are good ones.
First, I'd recommend against HC-110 and stick with D-76 or ID-11 as the first developers, since they are, essentially, the benchmark by which other developers are measured. From there I'd experiment with other choices. The Kodak Darkroom Dataguide is a good book - I use it myself - but, of course, it's very Kodak-centric. So, I'd suggest supplementing it with The Film Developing Cookbook, which has both a broader and a deeper range. I'd also suggest using distilled water for mixing the developer and in which to develop the film. Your suggestion of distilled water for the final rinse is a good one, too. Kodak's Photo-Flo is no longer used here. Edwal makes what many seem to feel is a better, more economical product, Edwal LFN. Comments on the subject of wetting agents and rinsing and drying techniques can be found here: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000pE8 I'm posting this not so much for you, but for Gabe, the original poster, as the discussion there touches on a few aspects of technique. Us old-timers have our routines pretty well set. Paul Stenquist wrote: > > Hi, > Stop in at a good camera store and get yourself a copy of the Kodak Darkroom > Dataguide. It will list recommended developers and other chemicals needed to > process that Tri-X . It also provides good instructions. You'll see the book > includes developmeent times for the various films. If I were you, I'd try Kodak > HC-110 Developer (easy to mix), stop bath, and a rapid fixer. When you're > purchasing chemicals, you should also ask for a bottle of hypo eliminator (Orbit > is the most popular brand),. If you're water is less than pristine, get some > distilled water for your last rinse. If you use tap water, buy some Photo Flo > solution to add to the last rinse. Once you've had some experience, try different > developers. Kodak D-76 mixed 1"1 with water works very well for Kodak, as do a > number of products from other manufacturers. But the best way to start is to go > with the Kodak book and the Kodak chemicals for your first attempt. It's a much > more comfortable learning curve when you have that much help. -- Shel Belinkoff mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.earthlink.net/~belinkoff/ - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
