PMK and Technical Pan--suggested starting points

[shawn_gibson2]

I finally took the plunge and bought PMK Pyro. I asked this on photo.net, but since I may not be back at a computer for quite some time after today, I figured I better ask here, too; I've used my home email address for this message....HERE GOES: I bought Hutchings book, but there is no mention of Technical Pan in it. I would like as full a range (i.e., for pictorial results) as possible with this combination, for portraiture/fashion/etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone any reccomendations/agitation/times/non-stock dilutions/etc. for PMK PYRO and Technical Pan? Thanks in advance to help with an apparently unusual combination. I'll pray to the God of Gamma till I hear from someone on this...Shawn

[michael_fraser1]

I cannot recommend Tech Pan for full tonal photos. It is designed

primarily as a litho, line-art type of film. Kodak Tech Pan developer

is (was?) a very low contrast developer that forced the film to

produce nearly normal negs, but at a VERY low EI, about 12 in real

life. I have found that all the advantages of Tech Pan are available

from Ilford Pan-F+ without the excessive curling and other annoying

handling properties of Tech Pan. Expose it at EI:32. I develop it in

PMK for 9 1/2 minutes @ 68F. Good luck.

[ed b.]

I second all of Michael Frasier's recommendations. I have wasted more

film, time, and good shots trying to make Tech Pan work than it could

ever be worth. Plus, if you insist on using Tech Pan, PMK is not the

best developer to use with it.

 

<p>

 

David Kachel has evolved a technique of exposing Tech Pan more or

less normally, then placing it in a very dilute reducer BEFORE

development, which will give a normal tonal range. I have a little

information on this technique (and references to his original

articles in Darkroom Techniques) in an article on Latent Image

Bleaching at http://unblinkingeye.com. However, in my own experience,

it isn't worth the effort. I prefer Pan F for ease of use.

[john_hicks]

I know this doesn't answer the question, but I highly recommend C-41 developer for TP. About 9'/68F for EI 12, normal inversion agitation.

[brian_c._miller3]

I have used Tech Pan, and Gene Crumpler can give you an earfull on

using it.

 

<p>

 

If pictorial results are what you are looking for, use Technidol, and

nothing else with Techpan. Techpan has an inherent high contrast to

it, and I mean an extremely high contrast. Technidol is one of three

developers which will tame it, and the other is very dilute Xtol.

Follow the directions included with the Technidol developer, and

you'll have some nice negatives.

 

<p>

 

If you want to use PMK Pyro with a slow film, go with <a

href="http://www.agfaphoto.com/products/apx.html">Agfa APX 25</a> or

<a href="http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/bw.html">Ilford Pan F

Plus</a> (ASA 50).