dan_smith Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 In using Sandy King's Pyrocat HD developer I have seen that jobo rinse times that are short seem to result in negatives that don't have as much stain as negs given longer rinse in a normal neg rinse tub. Is it the time in the water that allows the stain to build more or is it something else? The friend who uses a jobo for his 8x10's experienced this & has not yet tried shooting two identical images, processing both in the jobo & then quick rinsing one while tray rinsing the other for a comparison. His job leaves him with time constraints. Anyone out there using this excellent developer found a difference in staining with longer rinse times in water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed b. Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 I haven't noticed anything like this, but that is probably because I always use the same procedure. You probably know that such additional stain is quite common with ABC Pyro, WD2D+, and other pyrogallol developers, though it isn't quite so noticeable with PMK (Hutchings claims that all the staining takes place during development, but then there is the after-soak to enhance stain). When I used an after-soak in used developer with Pyrocat-HD, I didn't notice an appreciable increase in stain, but I didn't have a densitometer available at the time to measure it either. This is something that bears further investigation. Perhaps Sandy will weigh in on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_caluori Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Greetings, I use Rollo Pyro in a Jobo and wash film for 20 minutes, with excellent stain. I do believe stain builds the longer it is in the wash at least that's what I've read, but I haven't tested it myself. All I do is change the water every two minutes or so and let the processor turn. I haven�t built a film washer yet, but when I do I�ll transfer the film to it so I can free up the processor. For ULF negatives, I periodically shuffle through a tray, changing the water now and then. Regards, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy_king Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Most of the additional stain that comes from extended washing is general stain that merely adds extra density in an equal amount in all areas of the film. In other words, it is just extra b+f. You can easily test the premise by developing two sheets of film, one with normal wash, the other with extended washing, and measuring the densities with a densitomer. This stain is quite unlike image stain which is a proportional stain, least in the shadows and most in the highlights. General stain does nothing to enhance the printing characteristcis of a negative, regardless of process. It merely increases exposure time. For this reason I don't recommend either the post-development treatment in spent develolper or extended wash times with Pyrocat-HD. I don't recommend them either for PMK and Rollo Pyro, but that is another matter I guess. Sandy King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_caluori Posted April 22, 2003 Share Posted April 22, 2003 Sandy's comments are interesting and something I'll have to test. I recently developed some 11x14's in ABC Pyro (Michael Smith's formula) and they appear quite different from either Rollo or PMK; hardly any visible stain. Free time is at a premium, so I haven't had time to print these, or check them on a densitometer; nor have I had time to give PyrocatHD a try, but it's on the list. Regards, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_smith Posted April 22, 2003 Author Share Posted April 22, 2003 Haven't done that much with it yet, about 130 8x10's and 45 5x7's over the past few weeks. But, I have made the pyrocat HD my working developer as a result. I can see the difference in the prints and that is my way of deciding if something new to me is worth using. A lot of stuff is excellent but in print no better than what one is currently using. This developer is better and the results as one looks at the finished print show it. Nice even stain. Not temperamental. Works well & is repeatable. Mixes easily & is just as easy to use. It is the closest thing to the ephemeral 'silver bullet' I have found in photography. Attached is an image shot a few weeks ago. Directly into the sun and I have held detail in the railroad ties, shadows & highlights very well. Good contrast in the contact. This developer & film combination works very well on Azo, Bergger grade 2 and Ziatype palladium prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_mcdonald Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Dan, Do you mix the Pyrocat HD from the Photographer's Formulary kit, or from scratch? If from scratch, do you use the phenidone, or the metol as a substitute? I am not sure how to measure .2g of phenidone accurately. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_chamberlain Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 For measuring out that amount of chemical you could measure out 2g and add to, say 50mL of water. Then dilute 1+9 and use 50mL, keeping track of the amount of water that you are adding into the end solution. This might only be practical if you you have something to with the other 450 of phenidone solution, which I've heard doesn't keep well in aqueous state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_caluori Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 Greetings, I just mixed some using 0.2g, which I measured on a calibrated Accu Lab Scale. Regards, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now