[David Lyga]

Actually, to prove to myself that my usage of RA-4 was OK I bought the C-41 and use that as well for ongoing comparison. On this post I am referring to the C-41. But, you are correct, for film I do dilute a whopping ten times (with either C-41 or RA-4 for negatives) and add some sodium carbonate to bring back the energy. Few are prepared to believe me when I say that all is OK (and almost obscenely frugal!!!) And fewer are able to belive me that I can preserve these incredible dilutions forever with PET plastic bottles (found in the trash!). (Must be filled to the very rim with the developer.) I could never understand, by the way, why it takes about 2 cents to make a plastic bottle capable of not leaking and holding carbonation in soda and not even a twenty dollar bill can buy a film tank that does not leak!!!

Maybe theoretically you are correct Greg, but my prints do look fine. There is, however a (expected I guess) difference in the filtration needed for an optimal print between using C-41 or RA-4 for the negatives, but this is not so difficult to do. And, beware, that C-41 dev cannot be used for prints! With RA-4, for prints, I dilute 'only' five times the Kodak recommendation. (Full black (DMAX) is difficult to achieve otherwise.) For each liter of developer (either the 'five' (prints) or 'ten' dilution (negatives)) I add 10 ml (measured by volume, not mass) of sodium carbonate, mono (identical to washing soda).

I am reluctant to say all this here since I have no computer and cannot easily scan to offer 'proof' online. All this sounds fatuous because it deviates so much from what we are told. But my method does give good results: maybe not up to measured lab standards but, unquestionably up to most aesthetic ones. And I am fussy with quality. - David Lyga