Fine Grain Photographic Development

Abstract

The effect of different fine grain photographic developers upon the effective emulsion speed and graininess of photographic materials was studied quantitatively. Fine grain developers were found to be more effective in reducing the graininess of fast, coarse grain emulsions than of slow, fine grain emulsions. The effective emulsion speed of slow, fine grain emulsions when developed in an MQ borax developer was found to be at least equal to that of a fast, coarse grain emulsion when developed in an ultra‐fine grain developer which gave negatives of as low graininess on the fast emulsion as the MQ borax gave on the slow emulsion. Slight improvement in graininess can be obtained by using ultra‐fine grain developers on fine grain emulsions, but only at some sacrifice of effective emulsion speed.