Gimme some Grain!

[Stevopedia]

Originally Posted by germar

Since this is now a grain/development thread, I'll ask a follow on.....

I see TONS of lab gear on my local craig's list. Is it cool to buy used tanks and reels? Or am I better off buying new stuff. Take it for granted I probably don't want to by second hand chemicals... but I might be able to save a bit on hardware, if it's a good idea.

What say you all?

germar

AFAIK used stuff should be fine, as long as you rinse it thoroughly, as you don't want whatever was the last chemical to be used in the tank to contaminate what you put into it--especially if it's a different process.

I would not be surprised if the stuff we use to develop was as old as the photography program itself (at least five years now). Granted, it's all black and white, but it sees heavy use.

Likewise I would not be afraid in the least to use my dad's old processing gear, which is all at least from the '80s (he had a complete working darkroom way back when.) That said I would be sure to rinse it thoroughly, as he did lots of color slide stuff (process E-6) and I'd be using it for black and white.

Also, as a general tip: Verify each chemical before you pour it in your tank. I've heard horror stories of people pouring in fixer before developer, which naturally removes the undeveloped silver from the film... which would be ALL the silver in this case! I haven't had the misfortune of doing it myself.... yet!

You can't dump expended fixer down the drain because it's full of silver. It's an environmental hazard. But the are silver reclamation machines that can pull the silver out of the fixer, and you might even get money for it. Sometimes college darkrooms have them.

[titrisol]

Craiglist is quite good, I got a full darkroom for less than $50
BUT chemicals, is best to buy new

Normally used stuff is not bad, I'd be more worried about metal developing reels than plastic since those can be bent out of shpae.
If you buy either washing them thoroughly is a good idesa, plastic reels can be wahsed with baking soda and the mom-in-law toothbrush. With only a few drops of water to make a paste and then let it stand for a few minutes

As per chemicals it is always good to keep a sequence, fix before developer happens many-a-times It is not a disaster... it is a character-building-experience

PS. depending on how many time you use your fixer it maybe safe to dump it down the drain. I prefer to use it less times so that there is little silver in there
Otherwise use jerry cans to collect your fixer, and put steel wool at the bottom. Then the Ag will stick to the iron and you can drain the liquid and take the sludge to a facility

[KungPOW]

Originally Posted by germar

Folks:

I find that one of the most attractive things about shooting film is the wonderful, organic quality of the grain. While digital filters can come close, it just doesn't match the "real thing" of film emulsion. There's something "right" about it to my eye. I've played with Kodak 200 and 400 Gold, and I just love the results from my film scanner. I want more grain, please!

Due to living limitations (wife) I do not have the ability to set up a processing lab, so I'm locked into what I can get from the Walgreens or Target labs. What films (both B&W and color) should I try to get the most grain texture from my negs? Is there anything in-the-camera I can do to enhance the effect?

Thanks!

germar

Germar,

Your question and this thread was the push I needed (Thanks Titrisol!), and I developed a roll with caffenol! If interested here is the thread:

Can I get Caffenol at Starbucks?

Yup. It made some grain!

Eric.