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[OM] Re: Efke

Subject: [OM] Re: Efke
From: hiwayman@xxxxxxx (Walt Wayman)
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:51:12 +0000
Matthew,

Being of the habitually undisciplined persuasion, I'm sort of a hack and often 
make things up as I go, but here's basically how I process the Efke films.  In 
addition to 35mm and 120 KB25, I also shoot Efke PL100 sheet film, but I handle 
it all pretty much the same way, using Nikor tanks and reels.

Efke recommends that the film be prewet for one minute, and I do so.  I wasn't 
sure why to begin with, but then I saw that the water comes out with a 
pinkish-purple tint, so it must be doing something in there.

As I think I said in my original post, I often shoot KB25 at ISO/ASA 20.  I do 
this because it's a fairly high-contrast film.  Depending on the subject and/or 
the lighting, 1/3 stop over-exposure and a commensurate amount of 
under-development makes for happier negatives.  My normal development time at 
ASA/ISO 25 in 1:40 R09 at 68F/20C is 6 minutes.  If I shoot the stuff at 20, I 
cut the development time to 5 minutes.  With Neofin Blue, I'm still fiddling a 
little with the time, but I've been getting good results dropping back from 7 
minutes to 6.

After development, I just give it a quick dose of one-shot Kodak Indicator Stop 
Bath, followed by fixing in plain old Kodafix for two or three minutes past the 
time it takes to clear, and then a 30-minute wash.

As an addendum that might be of interest to some, my newest darkroom gadget, 
which I find to be a most convenient tool, is the 10-year-old Sharp microwave 
oven I inherited when my wife decided it was time for a new one in the kitchen. 
 I have found that, on high, it will raise the temperature of 32 ounces of 
liquid one degree Fahrenheit in exactly 10 seconds.  For those of us too cheap 
and ill-equipped to have one of those fancy mixing faucets, this has made life 
in the darkroom much easier.  Makes me even think about going back to souping 
my own E-6 now.

Walt

--
"Anything more than 500 yards from 
the car just isn't photogenic." -- 
Edward Weston

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Matthew Born <mborn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Hi Walt,
> I've been very interested in trying out that Efke and Neofin Blue. I'd
> probably try out the 120 in my 645. Do you prewet the film when you develop
> it? What kind of fixer do you use? Any other details you want to share would
> be greatly appreciated...
> 
> Cheers
> Matthew Born
> http://www.bornphotos.com
> 
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