So... I've been developing my own black and white negatives for a little over a year now. I've probably developed a whopping six rolls or so, all using the powdered Kodak D-70 developer and Kodak fixer with results ranging from very good, contrasty negatives to extremely underdeveloped negatives. After much debate I have decided to switch to the liquid concentrate chemicals. Some of the pros include a longer shelf life (liquid chemicals in their concentrated form last indefinitely as long as they are stored in a way that minimizes their exposure to air) and more reproducible results. At least that is what I'm told.
I've purchased the chemicals but have put off developing any film for almost TWO MONTHS... I know, that's horrible, but I was hesitant to use my two rolls of vacation pictures as guinea pigs. Well, today I am deciding what the heck... I'm going to give it a shot. In my (limited) experiene, I have discovered that as long as you adhere to the basic directions (time, temp and concentration of chemicals) it is very hard to botch a roll of film so badly that you can't get a (mediocre, but usable) print from it. Hopefully today's experiment will not prove me wrong.
Here's a link to the technical specs for the developer (HC-110) and fixer (Kodafix) I'm using. The data for the fixer is next to nothing, but I think (hope) all I have to do is mix it in a 1:3 ratio at the right temp. Results to follow...
I definitely found that using liquid chemicals in my home darkroom made a difference. You can use them pretty far past the recommended time too if your not too picky. I suggest squeezing out all of the air in your bottles before capping to reduce exposure to air too. sigh.. I miss my darkroom!
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