coffee developer

Kodak BW400CN Processed in Caffenol C

by EveNSteve

The testing continues… BW400CN (C-41) by Kodak processed in my tweaked Caffenol C… the testing for this film is almost done… usable EI is around EI 50 – 400 / 800 all with the same processing time! Grain has a nice defined presence but not overpowering. A big advantage to this material beyond the flexability of the EI as mentioned above is the fact that is has fantastic reciprocity characteristics (no compensation required till 120 seconds) and it is very easy to scan on almost any scanner.

Below is a sample image shot with my Leica MP with a 28mm lens – the EI for this shot is 200. The dark barn board above the doors was placed at Zone 3… the light snow outside which has full detail is Zone 16!! This is a straight scan with minor adjustments in PS for contrast / levels… more soon.

Here is an example just for comparision of the same test shot on Kodak Tmax 400 processed in PMK using the technique outline here… instant coffee is looking pretty dam good!

Note: both shots were done using only natural light.

I Love Coffee: Caffenol C Developer and Fuji Acros, Test 3

by EveNSteve

Here is a test image that I shot this afternoon with a huge dynamic range … it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit- but anything for art! The image was made with my Rollei TLR on Fuji Acros at box speed, processed in Caffenol C. So, what do I see?… a very nice range of tones, very sharp and nicely defined grain. The dark barn boards were metered for Zone 3 and the white patch of snow in the background fell around Zone 9.5  and yes there is tone… the sky in between the branches is a Zone 7.5. Overall I am very happy with the results and the level of control this unconventional developer provided for such a difficult shot. The scan was done  on my Imacon… in Photoshop I did some standard black point and white point adjustments as well as a bit of a boost to contrast but not much more.  The negative has very much a Diafine quality with regards to the required photoshop “S” curve to increase contrast and is very neutral in that it could easily be adjust to many different visual qualities. Interesting…

Fuji Acros 120 Processed in Caffenol C
Detail Fuji Acros 120 Processed in Caffenol C

This detail crop would be from a 30″ x 30″ print and would represent a 4″ x 4″ area. Do you see the bent nail?… not bad for Coffee!

More soon…. Viva la Revolution!

I Love Coffee: Caffenol C Developer Test 2

by EveNSteve

The sample images below are my second set of test shots processed using Caffenol C… the first image is Ilford FP4+ and the second is Fuji Acros… the Acros in my opinion is quite amazing! The Acros has the lowest fog level of any film I have tested so far (8 films and counting in Caffenol) and has a good usable range and very nice fine grain. The FP4+ was processed using the time posted on Digital Truth with very good success.

Ilford FP4+ Processed in Caffenol C
Fuji Acros Processed in Caffenol C

I’m not sure if it reads on the screen but in the Acros image there is very good detail in the left side dark region… both images were shot with my Leica MP with a 28mm lens at box speed. The Acros processing time and technique will be discussed later…

Viva la Revolution