Caffenol-C-H works

[Ezzie]

Hi Andy

I've only tried TMX and TMY-2 so far. My next film will be Acros 100. Go to Http://Caffenol.blogspot.com They've done some tests on Rollei retro films if I remember correctly

[Ezzie]

Testing Acros 100 will take longer than first estimated. My Mac went belly up, the leaf shutter on my favourite lens decided to pack it in (ruining a few films). I have been able to scan a couple of negatives though, and post-processed one in Gimp on my Asus Eee 7" 702!

Acros 100, EI 100, Caffenol-C-M, 12min @ 20C


Skoger gamle kirke by Eirik0304, on Flickr

And my first impressions are none other than very impressed! The grain is different to TMX and more pleasant to my eye. On 120 film it makes for a very smooth, yet sharp negative. The midtones are even better than TMX. I've 7 more rolls in the fridge, I must get hold of more. This film is stunning.

[Ezzie]

More Acros. This time re-used soup. Once first roll was out of the tank, another put into the same mixture. Added one minute to my normal development times, and one teaspoon of instant coffee. Forgive me if you´ve seen these in another thread already.


A slight moon and thick fog makes for interesting lighting. 2 minutes metered and exposed:

Moonlight: The pier by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Same conditions, but lesser moon. Pure guesstimate metering, 20 minute exposure.

Moonlight: Abandoned house by Eirik0304, on Flickr

No moon, 2 minute exposure:

Darkness at the edge of town: House by the sea by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Midday fog:

Fog forrest by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

Now up to three rolls of 120 in the same soup, and it works. Developed in succession, adding 1 minute to the timing for each film.

Flexaret Va, TMAX100 in Caffenol-C-M @16+1min. Epson scan @2400dpi, 16b/greyscale

+1 minute development as this was the second roll through the same batch of Caffenol.


Church door knocker by Eirik0304, on Flickr


A hint of Spring by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Zeiss Ikonta 523/16 w/Novar.

Acros 100 EI 100, Caffenol-C-M 12+2min @ 20C

+2 minutes development as this was the third roll through the same batch of Caffenol.


Totten II by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Dereliction: Old mooring by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

These were developed in juice where each of the components were diluted 4 months ago. When mixing prior to developing, the developer didn´t attain the right colour, the right smell (normally awful), but it worked none the less.


River in spring by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Kicking Horse, BC by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Headless soldier by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

Cheap Chinese emulsion? No problem. Read here for more info: GP3 in Caffenol-C-M (RS)


Hard Rock Cafe by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Grand Hotel by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

HP5+? No problem either. EI400, Caffenol-C-H (RSA), 13min @ 20C


Sande bay by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[John Robertson]

Originally Posted by timor

Hi guys ! I need a help. I mean HELP ! I live in Toronto, Canada, a place devoid of washing soda I guess, cause I can't get it. Nowhere. Also no pharmacist is interested in getting for me a pure vitamin C, for them I am nuts. And I just want to try caffenol by myself. Love the tonality. Please, someone help me.

Sold in harware stores here for cleaning drains.!

[John Robertson]

A developer can also be made from Paracetamol tablets!!!
http://shadecamerahack.blogspot.com/...fixer-for.html

[Ezzie]

Stand or semi stand in Caffenol? Oh yeah. In fact it works very well indeed. Rather like Rodinal the compensational characteristics of Caffenol are even more distinct than with regular agitated development.

I have not done much 135 film since I started using film again. Used to large 6x6 to 6x17 negatives and the lovely results these may give you, I thought I'd try to give the smaller format a fighting chance to prove itself against its bigger brother. For that I brought out low pH Caffenol, the C-L version championed by Reinhold over on the Caffenol.blogspot.com

C-C-L mixed by the book:
16g/l Sodium carbonate
10g/l Ascorbic acid
40g/l Instant coffee
1.25g/l Potassium Bromide

5 minute tempered presoak. Semi stand @20C for 70 minutes. 12 inversions initially, 2 inversions at the 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 minute markers. Let stand for the duration.

Pictures taken from a TMX test roll through the Royal 35-M, EI100 - no filter.

Henrik the crane by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Depot by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Another film I thought might benefit from stand development is the now defunct Rollei Retro 400 (this time in 120). Its reputedly rather grainy, so I thought I´d see what C-C-L could do. EI400

Same recipe and method, but this time for only 58 minutes @ 21C


L&M: Smoking Kills! by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Corn Silo by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

I may have found the ASA 400 film for use in Caffenol. Delta 400 proved to be very smooth and fine grained when stand developed in low pH Caffenol. It shone especially when conditions were contrasty.

Pushed one stop. My estimate is that this works fine for contrasty conditions, but for grey and hazy conditions it should be exposed at box speed.

C-C-L mixed accordingly:
16g/l Sodium carbonate
10g/l Ascorbic acid
40g/l Instant coffee
1.25g/l Potassium Bromide

5 minute tempered presoak. Semi stand @20C for 60 minutes. 12 inversions initially, 2 inversions at the 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 minute markers. Let stand for the duration.


Moss Docks by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[huntjump]

Nice Results Eirik. Ive been trying caffenol on my 35mm, i need some bromide to further experiment. Thanks for sharing

[pobe]

Here's some 35mm HP5+ sort of at 1600, Caffenol-C-L semi-stand, 75 minutes:

[TareqPhoto]

I just saw this thread now, but i was "i"ng long time ago on Caffenol, so i asked friends who are working on labs equipments sales and they are alchemists to provide me with the chemicals, so they brought me the NaCO3 and Ascorbic Acid [all crystals] and i will buy the coffee, they didn't find PB but i don't care, they may find it but i told them never mind, in fact i found it online and i may order it later, but once i get the chemicals soon [i told them i will take it when they will bring a better scale than what i can find markets] all together with coffee then i will give that a try.

[John Roberts]

This is most interesting and thanks to all who have shared their findings about Caffenol. I see that the emphasis is on negatives for scanning and the images here are exceptional. Has anyone tried developing in caffenol and printing the resulting negs in the darkroom on conventional papers?

Regards
John.

[pobe]

I've done some printing, all with caffenol developed film. I've only done a few prints with film developed in something else, so I can't really compare it - but it seems to work great. I've got some rolls of 400 film (TMax and Tri-X) that was developed without the potassium bromide and those negs are a bit hard to work with, but far from impossible.

Some scanned prints: (from a cheap scanner)

TMax 400:




Lucky 100: (cheap and bad film...)

[John Roberts]

Originally Posted by pobe

I've done some printing, all with caffenol developed film. I've only done a few prints with film developed in something else, so I can't really compare it - but it seems to work great. I've got some rolls of 400 film (TMax and Tri-X) that was developed without the potassium bromide and those negs are a bit hard to work with, but far from impossible.

Some scanned prints: (from a cheap scanner)

TMax 400:




Lucky 100: (cheap and bad film...)

These look pretty good to me, may certainly be worth a try.
Thanks for posting.
Regards,
John

[pobe]

Love to help when I can

[Ezzie]

Fruktansvärt vackert Pontus!

I too hope to be able to wet print sometime during the winter, it will be interesting to compare the results to the scans.

[pobe]

Tack så mycket

Right now I'm out of paper, but I can't wait to get back into the darkroom...

[Ezzie]

ERA 100, now an extinct emulsion, cheap and cheerful? Not too bad really. These were developed in Caffenol-C-M for 13:30 minutes @ 20C/68F. Camera used was the Royal 35-M with 2.8 Tominor, exposed at box speed, no filter.


House, outhouse, doghouse by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Lysjøen, take 2 by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Self portrait with white umbrella by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Bragernes torv by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

Last in the line of different films in Caffenol so far is Efke KB100


Spearhead by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Father and daughter by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Ezzie]

Agfa APX in Caffenol-C-H

Amsterdam in September by Eirik0304, on Flickr


Amsterdam in September #2 by Eirik0304, on Flickr

The latter of the two suffers from film curl when scanning. Hence the softness.

[Ezzie]

Legacy Pro 100 (135) - a.k.a. Acros. Very nice in Caffenol-C-M 12minutes @ 20C

At night and in the fog

Out of this world by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Winter morning sun

The long way home by Eirik0304, on Flickr

Winter midday overcast

Heddal stave church by Eirik0304, on Flickr

[Chrisrw]

Stunning shots Eirik. I just began shooting film this fall and soon afterwards learned to develop my own film using caffenol. I still have so much to learn, but your shots are inspiring. I've seen some of them before on Flickr. Thanks for sharing and posting your experiments. I'll be experimenting mostly with HP5+ because I can get it cheaper than anything else now. I imagine Caffenol C-L will be best.