Getting the most of Tech Pan

I ordered up a couple rolls of TP from freestyle (35mm), along with

the technidol developer. I want to give it a go, from what I learned

about the film on my last post. I plan to vary the kind of shots I'm

taking, ie macro, landscape, portrait, still life... and I wanted to

get a well rounded survey of the film and what its capable of. I

plan to shoot at 25 and develop 68F for 7 minutes (Kodak literature

says this will give a 0.58 gamma). Are there any hints from users on

the best ways I can put this film to use, in exposing and developing

technique? Thanks

Bracket! I've tried most of the different developers touted to work with TechPan, and Technidol seems to work as well (if not better) than any of them. You'll find that due to its increased red sensitivity you won't need to use much filtration (if any). Follow the Kodak recommendations for developing time and temperature, and especially agitation. It's not as critical as color film, but definitely demands respect. And to emphasize what I said before: bracket! bracket! bracket!

Thanks Bill. Now that you mention the red sensitivity, I was wondering earlier while reading about the effect of blue filtration, or green filtration during exposures. Do you have any experience with those colors?

Sorry, can't help you there.

Just one more thing. Take great care when loading this film onto your spiral. It is very thin and can fall out of the sprial's grooves. This happened to me. I have not used this film since.

My results using filters with Tech Pan were disastrous. In fact, even without filters, I have lost more good shots trying to use Tech Pan than with any other film. It is very unforgiving. When it's great, it's great, but my experience is that only about 2% of my shots come out well.

As mentioned above, this is a very thin emulsion so be careful loading it. In using the Patterson spiral reels, I had to take out the small bearings as they kept forcing the film out of the loop. Cost me my first roll, which I was very excited about. ARghhh...

Eric, I have shot this stuff for years both 35mm and 120 (not 4x5 because it is

to slow for me) and absolutely love it!!! As stated above, it is very thin and the

use of SS reels is warranted. You need to slow your agitation down to almost

stand developing because of it's ability to get "bromide drag" severly if usual

agitation is used!!!! When processing, I use SS reels and tanks and would,

after a short water bath (10 seconds), lower the reel into the waiting tank of TD

and would tap the tank to dislodge any bubbles and TWIST the tank 1/2 a

rotation, twice, and let it stand for 2 minutes. Twist 1/2 rotation, twice, every

minute after that until the time is out. I do expose it at 25 and the resulting

negatives are superb for what you are wanting with two cautions... It will show

EVERY flaw in a portrait and also if your lens is inferior or not. This is the

sharpest film and when done right, it is amazing. I have also had great luck

shooting it at 80 ASA with the use of Divided D76. Pota works well also but

you really need contrasty light with it otherwise Pota is to low contrast of a

developer.

Starting out, I would do a clip test to see if 7 minutes works for you. Other than

that, this film is really sweet.

Eric, one fact that I'm a little reluctant to mention (expect to get thoroughly flamed), is that my tests show TMax100 (a film which I despise), developed in Rodinal 1+50 is actually sharper than TMax, but of course much grainear.

You mean sharper than tech pan, right? Not sharper than tmax.

Eric,

 

You might like to try Ethol T.E.C Liquid Developer. (Manufacturer's quote) "A thin emulsion, compensating developer. The highest acutance developer in the Ethol line and possibly in the entire black and white field of compensating developers. Used by Leica Technical Institute in all its seminars. T.E.C may be used at a normal dilution of 1:15 and 1:30 for special films such as Kodak Technical Pan 2415. T.E.C. is a liquid one-shot developer."

 

Back when I was doing full-time photography I used it with Tech Pan (with an exposure index of 50) at a 1:30 dilution, developing time 6 minutes @ 70°. This gave me great negatives for use with my cold light head on a Durst M700. Using a number 3 paper I was able to obtain great (technical at very least) prints.I never used TEC at the 1:15 dilution, though I don't know why.

 

Unlike some others, I had no problems with the 35mm format and my developing reels. The 120 Tech Pan format gave me problems, including streaking no matter how careful I was lodding it onto the reels or taking care in the developing process.

 

Most good photographic stores should be able get it for you if they don't keep it as a stock item. Don't be forced into buying a whole case (16 bottles of 4 oz) unless you plan to do a lot of film processing.You do have to use this developer fresh. Any unopened bottle should contain colorless liquid!

 

I located it on the web at: http://www.bkaphoto.com/index.cgi?section=Black+White

Have Fun.

Eric, I have a lot of trouble getting shadow detail with technidol, even when I bracket. I would recommend using a more compensating developer like rodinol 1:50. Someone mentioned something called "crone additive" that was supposed to help with this problem, but I never located any. Like Ed said, this film is very unforgiving!

Look at the data sheets by Kodak. This film has a very wide latitude as to its contrast (gamma), which can be controlled by choice of developer. Here is a view from NJ towards Manhattan on Tech Pan developed to lower the contrast without spending a fortune on Technidol. (I prefer to spend that money on French cognac). A super proportional developer consisting of only 2 constituents: metol and Na2SO3 was chosen, development time was 20 minutes, shorter than normal of 25 to 35 minutes for this developer. Developer not on the Kodak list, but I rarely follow the manufacturers recommendations. Printed on grade 2.<div></div>

PS. I do not understand what you guys are doing. I studied the manufacturers data sheet, than separately shot 2 trial negatives and developed differently. They had harsh contrast, so I chosen the Metol and this is the third negative I ever shot on Tech Pan. I just keep the film until I know what exactly I want to use it for.

I have used it for portraits with success that seems way beyond my humble abilities. I shot with an old Bronica (120, obviously) and developed in Rodinal, 1:100; I have the time and agitation written down someplace. If you're curious, let me know. I remember I did very little agitation, intending to get as much compensating effect as I could. The prints were just amazing. I wish the film was cheaper though. It's over eight bucks for a roll of 120!

I'm going to shoot my first roll of TP soon on scenics and portraits.

Since so many in the past have recommended it, I plan on using TD-3 developer. Do any of you have experience with TD-3, and do you like the results?

BRACKET to the under side and follow the directions on the Technidol packets (or bottle) to the letter. This should give you decent, pictorial contrast unless you are a complete and utter moron. This film is only marginally more difficult to use than TMX 100.

 

The Rodinal trick works and delivers wonderfull grain at 1:100, but film speed (shadow detail) is less than Technidol.

I like Photographer's Formulary TD-3 better than Technidol. It actually gives you a means to at least n-2, something impossible in Technidol. Be warned however, that it gives a kind of strange curve, with huge toe and shoulder and not much straight line. Different exposures end up with very different tonal relationships. In Technidol it seems much straighter, with a propensity to blown highlights.

 

Also, in whichever developer, be careful judging negs just by looking at them. Tech Pan has both low base density and low blocked-up highlight density. A dead-on Tech Pan neg looks thin compared to normal films.

What Roger said.