Taking the next step.

The_Stranger · Post by **The_Stranger** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:13 pm

After making some nice holograms with the integraf kit (and a lot of help from here), and 30 more PFG-03M plates on the way, I am thinking about making it a bit more sophisticated. So instead of using a metal box, normaly filled with flowers, but now sand to hold the laser and plates, I am willing to build a small table (along the examples found on the great internet, with the innertubes etc.

The next thing I am looking at is an upgrade of the laser. At the moment I am using the integraf <5mw laser diode, but I am wondering whether a "better" laser would be a good step to make. Seeing the $1000+ prices on 10mw lasers puts me off though, that might be a too big a step. Am I really having to spend that much, or is there an intermediate step?
Buying some good used laser would be a solution, but living in the Netherlands makes it more difficult to buy from ebay, alongside the fact I do not have a lot of knowledge about which laser is suitable.

Next problem would be the developer/bleach. I am using the JD4, but being only available to buy in the States, it is very expensive with added shipping and customfees. An alternative would be useful. Would buying the chemicals seperately and making my own feasable?

Anybody can lend me a hand to decide where to go next without throwing away money on useless upgrades?

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:21 pm

a good buy is the old he-ne laser, priced quite low now as the guys with serious holographic intensions are using dpss lasers. in this forum under the "selling section" , Phil (142laser),is always very helpful and can do you good by purchasing thru him, as well as Ebay, just be sure its a working unit with a power supply.

when you are ready to switch to using film i have some fuji sheets up on ebay .........

The_Stranger · Post by **The_Stranger** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:05 am

The laser is hopefully about to be solved, thanks to Dave.

The remaining pratical question I still have is about the chemical part. On the holowiki there is a huge list of possible developers/bleaches for silverhalide film. Assuming I keep using commercial available film (slavich, much later on the BB's, or much much later on the ultimate film from yves Gentet) does it really matter which developer and bleach to use? Is it a matte rof personal experience and taste, or are there certain combinations of film-chemicals which work better then others?

Currently I use the integrafs JD4 with the PFG-03M plates, which works fine at the moment, but will that also work on other plates/film and can I just order loose chemicals (found several addresses which supply these) and mix the required liquids myself? (buying the premixed JD4 from integraf is no option, too expensive with added shipping and such).

I assume different film, sensitized for different wavelengths require different ways to process them, but am I right? Would that mean, when ordering a certain set of chemicals to mix a certain developer/bleach, I am stuck using the same kind of film, matched to that kind of developer?

Colin Kaminski · Post by **Colin Kaminski** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:40 pm

Film is just silver. You can develop silver with all of the processes. Some will work better and require different exposures but you can mix and match as long as you don't remove all of the silver from the film unless you are really brave and want to make SHSG.

The_Stranger · Post by **The_Stranger** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:52 pm

Colin Kaminski wrote:Film is just silver. You can develop silver with all of the processes. Some will work better and require different exposures but you can mix and match as long as you don't remove all of the silver from the film unless you are really brave and want to make SHSG.

No, that last thing is a bit too far...

I thought a specific brand of plate/film required a specific developer. But if I understand you correctly, with D19 (for example) you can develop all silverhalide film, although per filmbrand you might need different exposure energies and it might affect clarity/brightness a little bit?

So if I buy a lot of D19, I can buy also a lot of PFG-01, BB640 and whatever silverhaldie film I can get my hands on?

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:03 pm

The_Stranger wrote:So if I buy a lot of D19, I can buy also a lot of PFG-01, BB640 and whatever silverhaldie film I can get my hands on?

now you are getting the idea peter :shhh: too bad the Fuji film is all gone!

The_Stranger · Post by **The_Stranger** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:09 pm

dave battin wrote:
The_Stranger wrote:So if I buy a lot of D19, I can buy also a lot of PFG-01, BB640 and whatever silverhaldie film I can get my hands on?

now you are getting the idea peter :shhh: too bad the Fuji film is all gone!

I might be blond, but in the end I will get the idea

Time to visit some "real" photoshop in town, too bad the most only sell digital camera's and haven't got a clue about analog photography anymore...

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:30 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-developer-D-1 ... .m20.l1116

JohnFP · Post by **JohnFP** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:33 pm

I was told you can use any developer for "high contrast" films. D-19 is amoung them.

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:50 pm

dave battin wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-developer-D-1 ... .m20.l1116

i forgot to mention, i offered him $10 per bag and he sold me three!