What are your recomendations on this subject: - a good B&W film, to develop it at home, cheap enough for an Eastern European country salary, and also well known ( so I can find it in that country ) - the best solutions for the film above - imagine that I am an amateur that wants more from him and his camera

-- petre meca (raresm74@mailsurf.com), December 07, 2000

Answers

I don't know where the Efke films are available in Eastern Europe, but they are reasonably priced and of high quality.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), December 07, 2000.

A couple of great, cheap developers......

D-23

Water 750ml 125F

Metol 7.5g

Sodium sulfite 100g

Water to make 1.0L

D-76H

Water 750ml 125F

Metol 2.5g

Sodium sulfite 100g

Borax 2g

Water to make 1.0L

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), December 07, 2000.

CZ: Fomapan films, I used up a 30 m roll of T200, a good film or try 400 a more classical emulsion. In Prague I also found some chemestry, you'll need for D-23 or D-76. Fomapan also sells some developers, one is close to Agfa Rodinal. I like their baryt papers.

Hungary: Some very nice warmtone papers, I use the contrast variabel baryt one. I tested the Forte 400 film but is way too grainy for 35 mm.

Croatia: Efke 50 is quite nice and really small grain. Neither 25 nor 100 where available from their german distributor. Please note: these films are not sensitive to red light!

So, which country do you come from?

Regards,

Wolfram

-- Wolfram Kollig (kollig@ipfdd.de), December 08, 2000.

To John Hicks: I've heard many good things about D23 ( serious old photographers warmly recommend D23 ), but still , those substances can't be found in photo shops here, in Romania.

To Wolfram: In Romania, now I'm in Hungary, for a year ( studies ).

-- petre meca (raresm74@mailsurf.com), December 08, 2000.

I'm not sure on the films over ther but as for developers, Divided D76 (Bath A can be reused over and over and Bath B is is just a simple Borax solution), and then there is Diafine which can be reused also. With either one, when you get sediment, just strain through a coffee filter and keep going. Cheers

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), December 08, 2000.

Probably the best way to go then is to use Kodak D-76, Ilford ID-11 or an equivalent at dilutions of 1:1 to 1:3. Use about 1.4X the 1:1 development time as a starting point for the 1:3 dilution.

Just about every film will work well in D-76, and just about every photochemical supplier has something that's the same formula.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), December 08, 2000.