development times (exposed 125 @ 400 ASA)

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I'm a beginner photographer in need of a little help. I accidentally exposed a roll of Ilford 125 film at an ASA of 400. I usually develop for 6 minutes, any hints on how to change development time to make sure the exposure is correct? Thanks in advance... Janie

-- Janine Carol (JCreporter@aol.com), April 14, 2001

Answers

Janine, Exposure won't be correct no matter how you develop your film. The best some pushing can do is raising the contrast from shadows, probably very weak due to under-exposure, to medium and higher values. As a beginner, you may not be quite sure about your metering thecniques, so I'd suggest you a 50% increase on development time and light a candle for some "superior help". Don't be sad anyway, for these accidents sometimes bring real good pictures. Good luck!

Cesar B.

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), April 14, 2001.


I would go for about 20% more.

-- Nigel Smith (nlandgl@unite.com.au), April 15, 2001.

if you like you can clip a little bit off the start of the roll and guess a time . all you will do though is increase the contrast. try about five times longer than usual. try rating 400 speed at 200 and process normal, 100 at 50 etc. most b &w film appreciates over exposure a little. just try all different ways to come up with somthing that noone else know about.

-- justin mcmaster (justinmcm@hotmail.com), April 16, 2001.

You might try processing in Acufine Developer. The exposure indices are higher for that developer than for conventional developers.

I dont have a can available to give the exact values & times but they should be on the can (available at most stores than sell photochemicals).

-- Ron Gratz (rkgratz@mtu.edu), April 16, 2001.


Too damn late to help the enquirer I know, but for those in a similiar predicament I have successfully used another technique that offers least possibility for error. In my case FP4 and Tri-X have been processed with D76/ID11 as follows: Take the full strength solution and dilute 1+4 at 20C. Agitate continuously for the first TWO minutes and then leave untouched for five times the recommended development time at full strength. This can be 45 minutes, or longer! It is difficult to overdevelop because the undisturbed solution exhausts quite quickly in the most exposed areas whilst continuing to function in the underexposed parts. This technique does inevitably produce some degree of tone compression, but nothing, in my experience, which can't be effectively counteracted at the printing stage.

-- Chris(topher) Burton (cfb22@hermes.cam.ac.uk), August 08, 2001.


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