DEVELOPMENT.
Film photography offers two methods of development. They are : The Kodak Tank Developer Method.
The Dark Room Method.
The tank method is comparatively new yet it has now proven its effi ciency and has fully demonstrated that it is not only more convenient than the old method but gives a larger percentage of perfect negatives.
When, in the summer of 19o2, the Kodak Developing Machine was first placed upon the market it was freely criticised, but after it had been a few months in operation its marked success became apparent and the photo graphic writers began to discover that it was correct in theory as well as in practice. The Kodak Tank Developer works upon a similar principle so far as the winding up of the film inside a light proof flexible apron is con cerned, but in the machine the film is kept constantly in motion during development, while in the tank it is simply reversed a couple of times to prevent streaks.
With the Kodak Tank method the dark-room is entirely eliminated.
The Dark Room method of film development is simple. So far as the operations go it is as successful with film as with plates, especially since the advent of the Eastman Non-Curling film, yet aside from the mere question of convenience the Tank method is preferable because, as has been proven, better results can be obtained by developing for a fixed time, in a fixed developer, than can be obtained under the old system of watching for the proper contrast and detail under the rays of the deceitful dark-room lamp.
The first question regarding tank development which will come to the mind of the skeptical photographer will assuredly be ; " When there are several unequal exposures on the same strip of film, how are all to be cor rectly developed, there being no opportunity for individual treatment?" The manufacturers, before experimenting, felt that the tank might fail under these conditions, but the praflical results show that within any reason able limits it does not. The remarkable " latitude " which Kodak film allows in exposure, combined with the peculiarly active properties of the Kodak developer powders and the entire absence of fog (ordinarily caused by the dark-room lamp) upset all theories.
If the film is properly exposed the tank will develop it properly. If it is not properly exposed it will never make a good negative, no matter how much it be manipulated.
Time and temperature are the two factors of importance that must be taken into consideration. With the temperature of the developer at a specified point, development is to be continued for a certain length of time. \Vhen the developer is warm (it must never be above 7o degrees Fahr.) it acts rapidly ; if very cold it acts slowly. It can be readily understood, therefore, that the operator must always have a knowledg,e of the temper ature of his developer, and time development accordingly, if he expects to obtain the best results.
As improvements calling for slight changes in the methods of manipu lation are frequently made in all Kodak apparatus, the operator of a Kodak Tank Developer should read carefully the manual accompanying the par ticular tank that he purchases.
The Kodak Tank Developer consists of a wooden box, a light-proof apron, a " transferring reel " and a metal " solution cup " in which the film is developed, and a hooked rod for removing film from solution. There is also a dummy film cartridge with which one should experiment before using an exposed cartridge. The various parts of the outfit come packed in the box itself.
Take everything out of the box. Take red apron and transferring reel out of solution cup.
Insert the axles marked C and D in the cut, in the holes in the front of box. The front will be toward you when the spool carrier in end of box is at your right.
The axle " D " must be pushed through the hollow rod of the transferring reel, and axle " C " through the smaller apron carrier to hold same in position.
The flanges at each end of the Transierriaz Reel are marked ''Y in the illustration.