Another posting from yesterday which hasn't shown up yet....
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peifer, William [OCDUS]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 9:47 AM
> To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
> Subject: Home developing -- details, details
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Really enjoying the latest threads on home darkroom work. Hope I can
> trouble you all with a few questions....
>
> It's been ages since I've done developing at home. Back in those glorious
> ancient days, it was Tri-X 4x5 sheet film and tray development, with an
> occasional roll of 620 or 126 in a $3 plastic tank. An old surplus
> enlarger made prints up to 8x10 -- since that's how big my easel was.
> Negatives developed in Microdol-X; prints developed in Dektol -- because
> those were the only soups to be found at the local camera store. Haven't
> done any of this in a long time, but I'd like to get my hands back in the
> soup and start developing negatives again. Won't be doing any sheet film
> or tray developing -- just roll film and a tank. So I ask:
>
> (1) Do any of you have comments on the practice of presoaking roll film
> in water (or perhaps dilute Photo-flo??) prior to the developer? That is,
> load the roll on the reel, then immerse into a temperature-controlled
> water bath, and then tranfer to the tank. Apparently a water presoak -- a
> minute or so, IIRC -- was favored by Saint Ansel. The idea was that this
> would saturate/swell the emulsion, get it equilibrated to the temperature
> of the developer, and facilitate diffusion of developer into the emulsion.
>
> (2) Any comments on tranferring a loaded roll into a tank already filled
> with developer, rather than adding developer through the cap? Saint Ansel
> claimed this alternative gives more precise development. I can see where
> this would be important with a large tank containing ~many~ rolls, and/or
> with very short development times, but does anyone use this practice for
> small tanks containing only one or two rolls?
>
> (3) Finally, any comments on Microdol vs. D-76 vs. HC-110 vs. Microphen?
> My plan is to standardize on a single developer if possible. I imagine
> I'll probably use mostly Tri-X, but I'd like to try TMax 100 and 400 just
> for comparison. I can also envision using Delta 3200 for very-low-light
> stuff.
>
> Thanks in advance for your comments.
>
> Bill Peifer
> Rochester, NY
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