Hi!

Do you have any developer recommendations for Agfa APX 100? I use Rodinal with good tonal range as a result, but very grainy. I have tried D-76, and it gave fine grain, but the contrast was a disaster. Totally different contrast in the highlights and the shadows. Very hard to print.

Please help me! I have 20 rolls in my fridge and want to use them!

-- T. Heimlich (tobias999a@hotmail.com), October 14, 1999

Answers

Did you try the D-76 diluted 1:1? I've gotten very good results with APX 100 - at least for a condenser enlarger - with D-76 1:1, but at less time than the standard recommendations: 9 minutes at 68 degrees with agitation at 1-minute intervals. (The times I've usually seen listed for this film/dev combo - 12 minutes, I think - would definitely overdevelop and wreck havoc with the contrast and grain.)

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), October 14, 1999.

Duh! I meant "wreak havoc" not "wreck havoc"... (Pretty dumb phrase, actually, isn't it?)

-- Michael Goldfarb (mgoldfar@mobius-inc.com), October 14, 1999.

Have you used the Rodinal 1+50? Mitch

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), October 14, 1999.

I use Ilford LC29 @ 1:29 for 10mins at 20c. Prints on grade 2 with nice puncy result.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@eisa.net.au), October 15, 1999.

Rodinal is not a crime with such a good film... 1+25 will do, but do not overdo it: right temperature, no underexposure, then 4 minutes should give you a super-neg. If not, a new enlarger !!

-- Folkert van Galen (fvangalen@aol.com), October 15, 1999.

"Totally different contrast in the highlights and the shadows."

I'm not sure what this means. Did you try adjusting development time and exposure to get the desired contrast and shadow detail." It takes time to get the feel of any film or developer, and any film worth its salt should be able to give decent results in D-76.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), October 17, 1999.

Not to sound like the Kodak promotion guy but, Xtol 1+3 is very nice with APX100. I shoot 4 X 5 and the results have been very impressive, much less grain and improved tonality. I recommend not derating the film as Xtol actually does provide about 1/2 stop speed increase.

-- kevin (kkemner@tateandsnyder.com), October 17, 1999.

I use Rodinal with APX 100, diluted 1:33 in my Jobo processor at 70 deg F. I get minimal grain. I also use it, same dilution and temp, with APX 25.

-- Zoltan Puskas (ZPuskas@prodigy.net), October 23, 1999.