Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Introduction

GSD-10

GSD-10 is formulated specifically for slow, designer grain films like Kodak Tmax 100, Fuji Acros 100, and Ilford Delta 100, but produces excellent results with a wide range of films. GSD-10 exploits the unique characteristics of the developing agent, glycin to permit reduced agitation, and even stand development of state of the art, thin emulsion films, without streaking, mottling, or other development defects. GSD-10 produces negatives of excellent gradation, high acutance, extremely fine grain, and true speed increases of up to a full stop with designer grain films, whether developed for low contrast scenes, or high contrast scenes (expansion or contraction development). GSD-10 produces virtually no fog, even when developing to extremely high contrast and density ranges, which makes it as ideal for alternative/UV process printers as it is for 35mm and MF shooters. If you’ve struggled to obtain the maximum image quality potential of the new generation of films, GSD-10 will be a revelation.

Using GSD-10


GSD-10 is formulated specifically for slow, designer grain films, but produces excellent results with films ranging from slow document- type and ortho films, to IR and super-fast films. GSD-10 is a true acutance developer, and as such, very responsive to agitation as a development control. Unlike most true acutance developers, GSD-10 is compatible with rotary processing, but forfeits much of the increased speed, compensation and adjacency effects that reduced agitation encourages. Use 1:5 dilution for rotary processing with minimum solution volumes. Any agitation pattern from rotary to stand is practical, and will produce excellent results with the appropriate compensation.



Development Times for 1:10 dilution


TMX EI 200- 24:00/70F/*stand

Acros EI 200- 28:00/70F/*stand

FP4+ EI 160- 24:00/70F/*stand

TMY EI 800- 22:00/70F/ #1/3:00


* Continuous agitation for first minute, then stand for remainder

# Continuous agitation for first minute, then one inversion every 3:00

16 comments:

Mark Booth said...

Jay shared his formula with me a few weeks ago and I have been busy testing as much as possible in my free time, between work and projects of course! I plan to teach a photographic course in film development and basic formulary techniques this coming Spring 2007, and wanted to work with a new acutance and speed enhancing developer to potentially share with my future students. GSD-10 really fits the bill, and I have been pleased thus far with initial testing, in fact VERY impressed!

I have long appreciated glycin in both film and paper developers, but am only familiar with its use as a secondary reducing agent. What I like best about GSD-10 is its methodical application of maximizing one primary developing agent to its fullest level of potential performance, thus realizing excellence in quality. Each characteristic of glycin and its inherent qualities seems to be custom tailored for this developer category. Going back to my days in automotive mechanics and performance, I learned that one must do everything possible to squeeze horsepower out of the existing engine block and power train, before jumping to the next ancillary accessory. I was told, "you'll never know what you've got until you KNOW what you have under the hood and how it works".

As many know, Glycin displays the properties of not fogging under use, slow and hard working in energy potential, not streaking, which make it perfect for slow full stand development or minimal agitation processes. Glycin is somewhat legendary for its tonal attributes, at least in combination with such developers used in times past, and in many cases re-discovered. Many pioneers of modern photography realized such qualities, and used this agent as seen in the work of William Mortensen.

Many observations have been made suggesting that modern tabular crystal film structures benefit best by moderate to low concentrations of Sodium Sulfite. Glycin seems to also perform well in limited presence of Sodium Sulfite. GSD-10 utilizes just enough Sodium Sulfite to benefit but not induce over solvent activity. Glycin is reported to be best in use at temperatures at 68ºF/20ºC or above. For my work I use a solution temperature of 24ºC and utilize full stand development with initial agitation for the first minute. TMY processes very well for my use at 30 minutes with an EI 800, considering my exposure practices. While negatives at EI 1600 will print with this development duration, I find that shadow detail will continue to build by letting the stand development to continue for 1 hour. I have only used a 1:10 dilution thus far. Minimal shift in the mid-tones and highlights occur with this method, because of the extreme compensation by exhaustion in the high values. Perhaps the absence of overly complex constituents provides a more robust formula, and aid in the strong micro-contrast that I have observed? Amazingly, I have found balanced toe contrast assuring fine print qualities, even at the extreme ranges of use. My testing is on going and will continue with further reports as merited. I hope to provide more specific times and empirical support for my conclusions. ~ Mark Booth
Issaquah, WA. USA

jdef said...

Hi Mark.

Thank you for the comprehensive review. I can count the users of GSD-10 on one hand, so I really appreciate your contribution to the testing of this new developer. For my portrait work I find TMX at EI 200 a good fit. I can comfortably shoot handheld in available light, and get very sharp, grainless 8x10 prints with rich, glowing skin tones from 35mm negatives, which allows me to utilize fast lenses, and work quickly and freely to capture those fleeting expressions that reveal so much. GSD-10 seems to be very tolerant of varying lighting conditions, and I find very few frames on a 36 exposure roll that require much manipulation in the way of dodging or burning. TMY at EI 800 makes low light work very predictable and forgiving, with none of the watery thin negatives with empty shadows that I would normally expect. While GSD-10 performs remarkably well in contraction development of high contrast scenes, it is also capable of producing very high contrast, and has proven an excellent developer for LF negatives to be printed on long scale papers like Azo. The combination of TMY/GSD-10/Azo is superb. I look forward to trying TMY at EI 1600, and wonder how it will compare to Neopan 1600 at the same speed. Thanks again for sharing your impressions and development details, your experience is most valued.

Michael Sebastian said...

Jay, how well does the stock solution keep? I understand that glycin has a relatively short shelf life. Thanks, Mike

jdef said...

Hi Mike.

When people speak of glycin's short shelf lilfe, they're referring to the dry chemical. Solutions of glycin aren't directly oxidised by air, so they have a very long shelf life. Glycin paper developers like Ansco 130 are legendary for their keeping properties. I expect a solution of GSD-10 to last at least 6 months in a partially full bottle, or a year in a full, tightly capped bottle.

kmag said...

Hello Jay,
I have some tri-X that is exposed at an E.I. of 800.
I have used diafine in the past and although pleased to have the photos come out they don't usually come out great. This formula looks like a great alternative. Do you have recomendations for use with tri-X?
Thank you,
Kurt

jdef said...

Hi Kurt.

I haven't tested TX, but since GSD-10 compensates significabtly, and development times are long, there's a lot of forgiveness built-in. Try 1:10/ 30:00/ stand. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

Jay

kmag said...

Hello Jay,
I just developed some Tri-X exposed at 800 E.I. today and they look great. I have been using Diafine for such situations but these negatives look much better,less flat, than anything that I have ever gotten off of Diafine. They don't looked pushed at all.
I can hardly wait to look at them after printing.
Thank again,
Kurt

kmag said...

Hello Jay,
I just developed some Tri-X today exposed at 800 E.I. and they look great.
Much better, less flat, than when using Diafine as I used to do for this type of shot.
The starting off point worked well for me as well.
Thanks again,
Kurt

jdef said...

Hi Kurt.

It's wierd isn't it? Negs pushed a stop or two don't look pushed at all. I was also surprised by the negs that print best compared to the ones that looked most "normal". Negs that look very thin seem to print and scan best. I love the tonality I've been getting, and this developer is becoming a favorite. Thanks for posting, and email some images if you'd like me to post some.

Jay

kmag said...

Hello Jay,
I just printed a few photos tonight quickly and they came out great. Very subtle and it almost seems the less light the better. Of course it would work fine as a "normal" developer but I am very pleased with the results under push processing.
Kurt

Anonymous said...

In the GSD-10 formula what form of sodium carbonate is used?

kyle said...

I been wondering that too. I mixed my current batch with Anhyrous Sodium carbonate and everything has been fine.

jdef said...

I use monohydrate, but I think sodium carbonate is fairly hygroscopic, and I'm not sure what form of carbonate I'm actually using when I add it to my developer. As long as your developer behaves predictably, I wouldn't worry too much.

kyle said...

`monohydrate sodium carbonate is the most stable form so it probably still is.

I got great results with acros @ 400. I was out shooting with one of the students I tutor. I let another see my camera earlier. Apparently they had changed the setting so I thought I was shooting 400 til I took out the roll. The photos were taken on a strongly sunlit chicago downtown alleyways.

I decided to use GSD-10 for an hour to push it to 400. Everything came out perfect. contrast and grain looked no different in my eyes compared to when I process @ 100.

Thanks

jdef said...

Kyle,

Thank you for sharing your experience with GSD-10. I'm glad everything worked out for you, and I'd love to see some examples from your shoot. If you'd like to post images here, just send them to me at:

jdefehr@gmail.com

along with any text you'd like to accompany them, and I'd be happy to post them here.

nwlorax said...

I have been using Hubl paste since 1996 as a stand developer. It has excellent long term stability and I imagine that GSD-10 would be the same. 'll mix up a batch after I'm out of Hubl paste. I suspect that GSD-10 might be excellent for Delta 3200, if one shoots at E.I. ~800 or so.