Arista Ultra / Foma 200 / EI / Development

Just passing along my experience with Arista Ultra 200 8x10 film with regard to exposure index and development time. This weekend

I exposed two sheets. Bright overcast. I rated the film at iso 125, which produced good shadow detail. I developed one sheet in d76

(stock) at 68 degrees in a rotary processor five minutes, a 15% reduction of recommended 5-6 minute development time for the

rotary processor. Too much contrast (pale jeans showed little, if any, detail). Then I developed the second sheet, exposed identically

to the first sheet, in d76 (1+1) at 68 degrees in a rotary processor for 5-1/2 minutes, a 30% reduction of recommended 8-9

development time, 15% for continuous agitation in rotary processor and an additional 15% for reduction in contrast. This negative

looks good to me, with good shadow detail and good highlight detail.

<p>My experience parallels yours. I've used about 400 sheets of 8x10 Fomapan 200 (aka Arista Edu Ultra 200) at EI = 100 and a 25% reduction in Xtol development time. For general landscape work the negatives are predictable, easy to work with, without emulsion flaws, and I can't complain about the price either.</p>

Wow! 400 sheets. A friend game me a half dozen sheets (I have been using paper negatives almost exclusively). This past

weekend I exposed both film negatives (Arista 200) and paper negatives, same subject, same conditions, and I made contact prints

from both film and paper negatives. What a difference! This weekend the film won hands-down. Before ordering 810 film, Arista or

Ilford, I want to shoot the remaining sheets of Arista film in various conditions. Does your 25% reduction in development time include

compensation for continuous agitation, or does it include only compensation for reduction in contrast, if that makes any sense to you?

Thanks for your contribution.

<p>My standard time for Arista Edu Ultra 200 and 400 in the 8x10 format in Xtol (replenisher system) is 8min 30 seconds at 20 Celcius. I develop one sheet at a time in a tray with continuous gentle agitation. The time includes an allowance for an initial pre-soak to wash out most of the anti-halation dye. Rotary agitation is more vigorous than a hand powered tray so I'm not surprised your times are a bit quicker. The continually replenished Xtol I use is 7 years "old" and its activity is very consistent but slower than freshly mixed Xtol. That's allowed for too.</p>