Amateur Photographer & Cinematographer (1933)

August 9th, 1933 The AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER s & CINEMATOGRAPHER a DEVELOPING FILMS. The Editor is not responsible for the opinions of his correspondents . A NOVICE’S GRUMBLE. Sir, — I am puzzled over the contradicting reports concerning film (roll or cut) development. I use Azol, 100 minims to 6 ounces of water (the makers give 20 minims to the ounce, so that I am a shade more diluted). I develop at 6o°, Kodak Super-Sensitive, cut or roll — and find that with six minutes my negatives are perfect for enlargement. This is about half the makers’ time. I abominate dense negatives ; to any worker in chloro-bromide dense negatives are anathema. I do all my development in pitch darkness. I receive spools of film from a son of mine in British North Borneo, and find that tropical conditions speed up develop¬ ment, so that I now invariably desensitize them in pinacryptol green and develop by a Wratten III safelight. — Yours, etc., L. LONGFIELD. Sir, — I have read with interest the various views of your correspondents concerning development of fast films. In my own case, using both Isochrom and Verichrome films, I have always found it necessary to carry development farther than with ordinary emulsion. The reason is not hard to find. Super-sensitive emulsions contain a greater compound of ammon. bromide than do the ordinary speed coatings, and ammon. bromide is a resisting agent. It follows that de¬ velopment is retarded unless a suitable counteracting developer is employed. Those made up for the slower emulsions will not counteract this restrainer, and prolonged development is essential. — Yours, etc., F. H. SMITH. Sir, — In a recent issue of your valuable paper I saw a letter from a reader reminding advertisers of the Prince of Wales’s speech and his advice to " Wake up.” May I further emphasise this. The principal manufacturers of plates, for instance, hardly ever price their goods, and only advertise one, or at most two, grades. Film manufacturers rarely give speeds and prices of their better class films. None show how their pan. and ortho goods give a better rendering, and how to use them. We are not all born with a knowledge of photography, and it should be new business they want. They all make other things besides, but in some cases never mention them at all. Don’t they want to sell ? I have written to three firms recently for particulars of some goods I wanted, the average time of reply was ten days. Un¬ fortunately, in every case I did not mention prices, so they none of them sent any. They evidently thought price was of no object to me. They sent just what I asked for ; perhaps they did not make anything else that might interest me. Another article I would like is a supplementary lens ; but I cannot find any details beyond price in any catalogue. Do they think I want to buy a pig in a bag? Why don’t plate manufacturers make it as _easy as possible for their customers to use their goods ; for instance, making tanks, etc., at a reasonable price, holding a reasonable quan¬ tity, say four plates at a time, and without having to use about half a bucket of developer ? Who but a professional wants a tank holding twelve and twenty-four plates at a time ? — Yours, etc., “ NOVICE.” MINIATURE PORTFOLIO CLUBS. Sir, — As a Leica worker I have been very interested in the recent correspondence in “ The A.P.” Whilst membership of a Postal Miniature Portfolio is better than nothing at all, it is not half so good as membership of a Group in a Photographic Society. It may interest your readers to know that the Hammersmith Hampshire House Photographic Society Cine Group has now extended its activities to miniature camera work (we have in the society already a number of Leica workers). In a miniature group one can have personal talks, inspect other members’ negatives, see them demonstrate their methods, and in short, build up a proficiency in miniature camera technique quicker than in any other way. Added to this personal contact and advice is the fact that the club rooms are not open only one night a week, but are open all day every day and most of Sundays, and this for a subscription no more than most of the other societies. As secretary of the group, I shall be very pleased to hear from other miniature camera enthusiasts, especially Leica workers, who would like to join a live photographic society, one which does not exist merely to provide lantern lectures for the weary. — Yours, etc., J. RADFORD, Hon. Sec., Cine and Miniature Group, H.H.H.P.S. an Experience with miniature films. Sir, — Your correspondent F. G. B. appears to have been unfortunate. After using the particular camera referred to and having exposed close on four hundred feet of 35-mm. cine film, also of various makes, I have found no special trouble from spots and marks. When I first used roll film, forty-three years ago, it was necessary to take the usual precautions against dust and airbells in developing. Users of plates do likewise. Until one has actually used cin6 film one does not realise the enormous advantages it possesses over ordinary roll film, film packs and plates. I suggest your correspondent carefully studies the cameramakers’ very complete instructions again and pays attention to what may appear trivial points. A clean-working fine-grain developer is essential, and perhaps one of the best is metol, with a very large proportion of sodium sulphite. — Yours, etc., G. P. M. FILM SPEEDS. Sir, — May I ask for the hospitality of your columns to con¬ tinue the protest against the leading film manufacturers’ attitude in not publishing the H. & D. or Scheiner speeds of their products. It is about two years ago that a correspondent wrote to “ The A.P.” on this subject, and still the better known manu¬ facturers are silent. Since J. E. S. in “ In the Shop Window.” article in “ The A.P.” dated 28/6/33 assures us that the “serious worker” does exist, the lack of enterprise in this direction on the part of the manufacturers is all the more reprehensible. Since the introduction of the so-called “ double-speed film,” 1 am told by very many D. & P. concerns that over-exposure is even more prevalent than under-exposure. The only leading manufacturers who have condescended to give us any information are Gevaert, who clearly mark their Express roll film in Scheiner degrees and in H. & D. speeds, both in their advertisements and on the carton, and Agfa, who have lately indicated the speed of their “ Superpan” films. The other manufacturers are silent. Why ? In their advertisements no useful information about the speed of their products is given, except that we are advised to use the ordinary film on fine days and the double-speed film on cloudy days, and one manufacturer has given a rough exposure chart for a few subjects. I hope that this matter will be taken up by other amateurs who are readers of “ The A.P.,” and who, like myself, consider themselves “ serious workers.” — Yours, etc., CHARLES H. ARNOLD. MOTTLED NEGATIVES. Sir, — Amongst the readers’ questions answered in “ The A.P.” recently there is one about faults in negatives, from K. B. (Winchelsea). I should suggest that the “ mottled character of the sky ” is due, not to “ not rocking the dish during development,” but to not rocking the dish during the preliminary process of desensitising. Using Tabloid desensitiser and not rocking the dish during the process, I often got a mottled marking on my negatives. — -Yours, etc., J. D. SHAW. 137 21