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Hello John. What is the shelf life of TF-2 fix?

I was playing some of your videos and added it to the queue and started it believing it at the beginning, somehow. We don’t do April fools here (we do it 28th december), you got me!!! 😂😂😂

ive lost so much sweat without this simple method

Hi! I'm new to film developing and I must say this is a great video! Quick question: How do I use this DIY stop bath? Should I dilute this before using? Or should I use this directly undiluted?

I'm wondering if you can please share more details on the construction of your glass frame holder for contact sheet printing? Alternatively maybe a short video explaining the construction? Thanks in advance

Thank you for this video. I started using Adox rodinal and did an experiment with 1:200 with Tri-X and Ilford HP5+ . I was pleased with the results. Now there is grain when scanned but oh gosh darkroom prints were beautiful (18x24cm and 24x30cm) lot of sharpness, beautiful tonality…

I can't wait for your next vidéo !

Hi, I happened to see the video about the development the Rodinal. Today it is no longer possible to find the original Rodinel , what would you recommend it as an alternative? And yes, I know a video from a year ago, but it's still worth watching.

Brilliant! Thanks!

Hi John. I prepared everything according to the recipe. I developed 1 film and unfortunately nothing appeared, completely transparent. I don't know what could be the cause. My Potassium carbonate is anhydrous. could this be the cause?

The beauty of analog photography is in the grain! If you want sharp and smooth photos, go for digital photography 😄

Grazie per lo splendido lavoro.

I'm confused. Here in Pt1, you chose to expose for the highlights by lifting 3 stops on your camera's lens yet in Pt3 you exposed for the shadows and closed down 2 stops (on your lens) - isn't the rule of thumb expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights. Respectfully, why then do you not consistently expose for your shadows (and develop for your highlights in development)?

How would you define the difference between gaining film speed with a developer and pushing a film? To me they just sound the same. In other words: how do you know that you did not push it to 200?

I can't choose between this or Ilford DD-X for scanning; I use Ilford Delta's serie 99% of the time... Do you have any suggestion?

Thanks for so generously sharing your knowledge with us.

Great video as always, John. What agitation regime do you recommend when using 1+1 dilution?

Just learned through this video that I had been using stock solution to develop all my photos 😬 meaning that when I put my development times into massive dev they've been at 1+1 times. whoops! But hey ive shot a ton of photos and some are print worthy in my eyes so you live and learn. Now im more fascinated to use d76 more and try more stuff!

So ive been using D76 for awhile but I got nervous about reusing it and I mixed it with my fixer or vice versa and got a blank roll. So im upgrading to using Rodinol! One shot is a big plus for me and its such a versatile developer. So thank you for this series 😁

I have developed an experimental roll of 35mm FP4+ as you presented at 12:30. This is my 22nd roll I have ever developed and the more experienced I get the more demanding I get, meaning I constantly raise the bar. Most of the pictures were of high contrast taken in the garden in daylight with patches of sunlight. Well, the 6ml+600ml, 1+100 Rodinal dilution with 14 minutes dev time at 20 degrees C worked ver well. This is my first ever roll when I am satisfied with the tonality, i.e. my scans do not beg for software editing since finally I have got a roll when the blacks are black, the whites are white and there are plenty of nice tones of gray. What makes me most happy is the fact that FP4+ in this case generated nice dark grey tones that are not muddy and ugly (sorry for the strong word) as usually. So, thank you for your input and inspiration. This experiment is a corner stone on my photo-journey and I am grateful for your pieces of advices.Brgds,Istvan

Sir, I have 10 rolls TriX 400 120 expired '92. Suggest me a developer for them.

Respectfully, you state @ 04.40 that you don't want to crop an image however @ 09.44 you say, you're only going to print - a crop area of the frame. Can you please clarify? Thank you sincerely for your depth of knowledge with all your content.

I love this. Such a clear explanation. Thank you. I have been getting acutance with a minimal agitation scheme with 1:50 as well. 3 minutes between agitation seems like it could be enough rest for the effect to take place.

Hi John I did try to mix Pyro 510 after watching your procedure - you make it look so easy!. Despite purchasing all fresh chemicals from a reliable source in Australia (Gold Street Photographic Studios) the result was a complete failure. I am using a Jobo CPE2 and developing FP4 sheet film for around 7 mins - slowest rotation speed @ 20 deg C. What I get is a heavy general pyro stain - but no image! Siver reduction is not happening.......... What should be clear film edges are also stained - which suggests heavy oxidation taking place. It points to either the Vitamin C or Phenidone not working????? The film was exposed @ 64ASA. Linhof 5x7 210 lens…… In desperation I have tried the the Zone Imaging pyro 510 and it works fine using 1:100 and the Jobo processor as above. I have just watched your Pyro, Pyrocat Tips video and wonder whether the 80 deg C use to initially heat the TEA has killed one of the ingredients? eg Vitamin C. You mentioned in that video to keep temperatures to “warm” Rather than hot……. Advice appreciated. PS for anyone using 510 make sure you mix it really well into water before use- 2 minutes min.

PS I purchased your book which I regard as one of the very best I have seen. A great read because it eloquently traces photographic history whilst highlighting the best developerss. I would encourage anyone interested in analogue photography to buy this book.

Great informative video - I watched this because my Pyro 510 attempt was a complete failure. Pretty sure I followed your directions on the associated video - BUT recall the temperatures you used in that video were much hotter! The failure may be due to excess heat that has killed one of the ingredients? All chemicals were purchased fresh so I’m completely miffed. In desperation I purchased commercial Pyro 510 - and it does indeed work very well. TIP: The 510 concentrate MUST be really well mixed into the water solution - it needs 2 minutes of constant stirring otherwise your neg will be thin.

I never would have thought. I’ve always removed the tape thinking it might be bad for the chemistry. And never removed the paper first. So then I’m always struggling to tear it off with the film mostly in the reel at the end. AND I can see how the tape would make it a tad stiffer, therefore easier to start. Brilliant! Thanks!!

When you learn to draw, you learn 3 axis perspective. For of course in a natural perspective everything that is farther away seems smaller, also in the height. As you rightly stated, wide angle lenses exagerate perspective, and it shows most clearly when it comes to heights. But to "straighten these converging lines" up, ignores the 3 axis perspective. When you look up at a tower from a close distance the top is not as wide as the base. In your "corrected" picture the two outer posts seem actually to go outwards, because in a natural view we actually expect them to get narrower to each other the higher they get. This is a common error of overcorrection. Plus: What you cannot (and therefore didn't) correct is that the top is still not level and skew because it was photographed from below (look at the line over the left tower window in this example). Instead of a natural perspective which one can get when drawing a building, you created what is sometimes called "photography perspective", owing to the use of a distorting lens...

Another great video, John. Thanks. Do you make your own FX55? I would love to see a video on the use of your Zonemaster!

Hi John. Is two bath necessary if I'm only printing a dozen or so prints in a session with freshly mixed fix?

Hi John, is it possible to replace sodium metabisulphite with the potassium salt? I think this releases less sulphite into solution so I'd have to add more? Thanks a lot in advance, Stan..

Is it possible to get a variety of grain characteristics in the negative? For example, rich, thick grain in shadows and finer grain in highlights?

I would love to learn how to shoot and develop and print black and white film.

one tip, some meters, like the Minolta Spot meters have a button or mode which calculates this for you (S/A/H on the Minolta), which allows std metering in zone 5, but tells the meter you are 'shooting' a shadow or highlight, S\H buttons, thus shifting these back to the zone 3 or 8 which they are, so not making a silhouette of a grooms tux, when metering a brides white dress, or visa versa. The A or Average function of these meters takes these outliers and combines them, into one reading, for setting a camera, so ALL tones lie in this dynamic range of the film, and accounting for the contrast range of the scene, so they are not crunched into a flat image, but a vibrant one.

great video, never knew that specular highlights where zone 10; and you are right about them at 3:23 as most ND \ND grads and polarisers deal with this zone, one would assume this is where the 1/2/3 stops of ND originate from, this "lowering" of Zone 10 to a detailed zone 7/8 where we want them.

First: thank you very much for the video Second: why isn't enough to take a look a the negatives? If the film isn't actually as sensitive as it should, wouldn't the first negative (the one after the hand shot) be as transparent as the lenscupon+fog one? In fact, its noticeable in your negatives, that the "supposedtobezone1" frame, is already distinguishable from the lenscupon one! Which means, i thought that the zone one was actually achieved successfully, therefor the film iso is the one actually claimed. ...heeeelp!!!

For maximum control, would it help to cover the back side of the paper also? Would the bleach soak up through the bottom of the paper?

Can you advise how long it takes to sufficiently stop the development using a 2 percent vineger solution and what agitation method is used? Also do you prepare your development solutions using tap water or distilled water, and would you find a different result using one over the other? Thanks! I love your content!!!!

This is OK for 35mm but I've found that it pays to be careful when developing 120 size film in a tank. I have had a problem where I agitated too vigurously and the action actually unwound the film off the spiral due to it being much wider than 35mm. The film ended up stuck to the side of the tank and ruined. I now make a point of noting which way the 120 film is on the spiral and twisting gently in the opposite direction to the direction the film is loaded onto it. The force of the film entering the end of the film then doesn't push the film out of the spiral!

I end up getting bromide drag every time I do stand development with homemade PaRodinal. Can't quite figure out the cause though.

Hi, very much enjoy your videos. They are becoming a go-to in this area for me. Just a question about your video which I couldn't easily find the answer to on Google - what is cooking a print? Thank you,

I found this video very informative. I did not realize I had to agitate solutions (water & a rinse aid) in a film tank prior to washing. I used Photoflo in the past and I was obviously doing something very wrong because after the wash I could see muck all over an expendable negative I experimented on. I have a question for the uploader: Can I use this method to safely remove embedded dirt, debris or dust that is inside a film negative? Also, how do I prevent the washed negatives from curling?

Thanks you John Finch so much. Your tips were very useful for me.

What a brilliant tip. Would be happy to see many more photography tips from you, John!

John - I'm a film photographer on a budget from Calcutta. Cannot express how much I appreciate this channel. I will save up and buy your book soon. Keep making these and helping us out. Cheers!

Hero. ❤

Do the clothes pins not leave marks on the paper? The papers not sticking together? with RC if the papers touch when wet they usually stick and leave marks. The cloths pins too. Is FB different?

Always good advice 👍

I usually cut them 6 frames at the time from the bottom , scan and sleeve and so on until I reach the top.

I have been so inspired by your darkroom work the past couple days of watching your channel I pulled my Beseler 45M out of storage and set up my darkroom again. 🎉