Preparing Powder Developer

Today we mix one liter of stock solution of Ilford Microphen, though the process is identical for ID-11 and Perceptol. When you see dilutions given in developing instructions as "Microphen 1+3" it simply means one part stock solution, as we are mixing today, plus three parts water. In other words "Developer 1+3" would be 25% stock solution and 75% water. Similarly, "Developer 1+1" would be fifty percent stock solution and fifty percent water. It is not necessary to use distilled water for this part of the process. Ordinary tap water is fine.
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[@JoaoCarlos...]

Thanks for the video! It's simpler than I thought!

[@andrewthomasblanc1307]

Thank you for the insightful video. It is very helpful. Just one remark. You add 250ml to add up to 1l assuming you have 750 ml of liquid. However you have more than 750ml, because of all the powder that you added to the 750ml of water. The powder added to the initial volume of 750ml. Therefore, you need less than 250ml to obtain 1l. Maybe the difference is not that significant, but it seemed like a lot of powder especially from the second envelope.

[@bajusz994]

Thanks for the really informative video! Indeed, it is just as simple as making coffee. I'm sure people will save a lot of money when using powder instead of liquid developers.

[@Christian_from_Copenhagen]

Thanks! I appreciate the clear instructions in real time 👌

[@kyledarrenhanson]

Excellent video. I love the detail you put into showing the tools, techniques. Too many videos only talk about it and not show it truly hands on. So glad I came across your channel, looks like a pile of great content to consume!

[@BriansPhotoShow]

Thank you. It is my goal to have the highest meat-and-potatoes to bubble gum ratio on analog TH-cam.

[@kyledarrenhanson]

@@BriansPhotoShow well said. If you happen to have these cameras, I'd love to see a meat and potatoes video on how to use them. I don't use them but want to start learning how to, everything from loading the film, advancing it, how to use the lens for focus, aperture, shutter. Just on the chance you have them and don't mind making a video, I know it's time consuming. First is my Lubitel 166. The second is Mamimya NC1000. I love these cameras but just not comfortable how to operate them. I'm very comfortable in the digital side of things, just not yet with film cameras. Appreciated and looking forward to more of your content.

[@JeffBeairsto]

Harvey Studios in Fredericton, NB still selling photo developing equipment and supplies.

[@juancarlosguzman2827]

Thanks for doing this video, very helpful. I am going to do it for the first time, I got the FPP D96
Owner but is for 1 gallon, it should be the same process as you did. Thanks once again very easy to follow as you showed it 👍

[@BriansPhotoShow]

That's another reason I like Ilford. Their powder chemicals make one liter. I don't shoot enough to use a full gallon before it oxidizes.

[@donball9777]

cheers for the video.

[@VV-zh2zz]

thank you so much for the video. after the solution is prepared, how long does it last in the bottle?

[@Robb-jf7vg]

Do the "Instructions" specify distilled water? In the past, I've always used distilled.

[@BriansPhotoShow]

I've always used ordinary tap water for mixing developer and fixer. I only use distilled water as the final rinse.

[@photomaster1]

Currently your video is not playing via TH-cam..?

[@shawnpray4631]

Just curious what is the shelf life of microphen, or how many rolls can you normally process before its exhausted?

[@BriansPhotoShow]

According to Ilford's "Fact Sheet" on their powder developers, "stock solutions should last up to 6 months in full capped containers" and "one month in a half-full tightly capped container." I recently developed a roll of HP5 at box speed using four-month-old stock solution which was roughly about half full and the negatives came out fine. Nonetheless, I poured the remaining solution down the drain, as I personally get a little nervous if the stock solution has been sitting around more than 90 days or so. Working solution should be used within twenty-four hours of mixing.

[@stephendeakin2714]

I've always used liquid developer (DD-x these last few years) and put up with limited shelf life, have you ever tried mixing up powder whilst keeping it in two separate parts, mixing it only when required and if so do they have a long shelf life prior to mixing together.

[@BriansPhotoShow]

I've never tried that. It simply never occurred to me.

[@randallstewart175]

The specification for 1 liter of finished stock solution includes both the water and the dissolved volume of the powdered chemicals. This mixing technique does not do justice, although the resulting error in the mix is usually trivial. A better plan would be to mix the first three steps, water plus A plus B, giving a volume representing the water plus chemicals dissolved. then pour off 500 ml of that solution into the storage bottle. Then add enough water to the measuring cylinder to top it off to 500 ml, and add that to the storage bottle. (If you use hot water here, you will dissolve that residue he had left, which improves the mix a bit.) You should not use the storage bottle to measure "1 liter", because they have somewhat differing volumes and always hold somewhat more volume. (The exception would be those bottles which allow you to see the contents and are themselves graduated.) I prefer amber glass bottles, which in a 1 liter size can be had on-line for as little as $3, compared to the $10+ charged for those plastic bottles. Additionally, the plastic bottle cannot practically be cleaned of the residue and by-products which adhere to the inside, whereas glass is always easiest to clean. The worst are the accordion plastic bottles, which can never be cleaned and which also pass relatively large amounts of oxygen (through the plastic) to accelerate spoilage of your chemicals.

[@orion7741]

or you could just FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS on the package, just like he did in the video......... You seem to pop up on a lot of camera videos and you always have a "opinion" about things that always comes across like you are the "all knowing, all seeing, greatest of all people"....... the biggest problem with that is the fact that your comments are always riddled with false information that you are trying to pass of as facts.