Hello!

I took some very nice landscape photos with my Rolleicord yesterday! BUT I overdeveloped the film a little. It takes time to get used to new developers (Agfa 14), you know.

Now I want to use a reducer to get a neg that is easier to print, but I have no experience with reducers. I have many books with recipies for photo chemicals, and one reducer, Agfa 706, seems interesting. (1000 ml water, 2 grams potassium permanganate).

What do you "oldies" here think about this recipe, and do you have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), May 26, 2001

Answers

Patric, I hope you're shure about over-development, not confusing with over- exposure. In the first case, reducing can be dangerous to shadows, even if this formula is meant for reducind contrast. If, as you say, it's only a little over-developed I'd think twice before trying, prefering instead to deal the extra contrast in the dark. But if you insist, anyway, make shure to work with well fixed and washed negatives. Be also aware that any faults on density uniformity may come even more noticeable. Good luck.

Cesar B.

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), May 26, 2001.

Thanks Cesar for the advice. However, I have two negs that are almost indentical, one taken with aperture 22 and the other at 32, so I can try the reducer precess with one of the negatives and leave the other like it is. The paper I'm going to use is Emaks K883, matte, grade 2, and the paper developer Ansco 130. I guess I can overexpose the paper and dilute the developer some more (1+2).

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), May 26, 2001.

I tried the Agfa 706 reducer, and had the negative in the bath for 1 minute, and that was enough! After that I had the neg in the fixer for one minute, HCA and rinsed for five minutes. The result was great! The neg is now much easier to print!

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), May 30, 2001.