techpan, low contrast

[aa2000]

Hello,

 

Does anybody knows how to develop Kodak Technical Pan in pictorial

mode (low contrast) by using other developer than Technidol?

 

I tried TMax (1+4, 6:30 minutes at 20 degree Celsius) and film at ISO

200, but I found the contrast to be still to high for my tastes. I

have no idea about the contrast index that I get in this way, but I

think is bigger that 0.5 (Kodak says that Techpan in Tecnidol at ISO

25 = contrast index 0.5).

 

Thank you.<div></div>

[roger_urban3]

I got low contrast with XTOL 1:5 at 68degrees, but don't remember the time. The density was little on the thin side too. The exact info is posted on some other thread here, somewhere. I was more or less experimenting trying to see what else worked with Tech Pan besides the expensive Technidol, trying XTOL at different dilutions and times.

[charles_dillon]

I have used rodinal 1:100 @asa 25 and found the tonality very unpleasing. However, I intend to experiment with it again in the future.

I have used diafine, and thought that it was too contrasty( the highlights were way up there even though I pulled the time in solution b. also, the shadow detail was no where near as good as with ethol tec)

I use tec Pan often and have found that the best results are obtained with ethol tec and technidol. Remember, you can pull developement with technidol to get less contrast as well (I usually pull developement time about 25% when using technidol) I have not yet used the photographer's formulary tec pan developer but I have heard good things about it at asa 50.

I use ethol tec at 1:30 asa 100 for 5--7 minutes (depending on contrast of the subject i'm shooting) The resulting negatives will be thin but will print well. However, keep in mind, your print times are going to be short.( I typically get 9 sec for an 11x 14") In addition, I find that printing on Oriental Seagul VC helps to keep my highlights from running away from me.

I am attaching a photo from my portfolio that I took with tec pan asa 100, which was developed in ethol tec. The scan is a bit more contrasty than the print so keep that in mind. Also, there area few more examples in my portfolio if youre curious.<div></div>

[donald_miller1]

In Ansel Adams book "The Negative" he has, as I recall, a formula for POTA developer for the use with Tech Pan for pictorial use. I have tried to locate my copy but can't come up with it now. Perhaps someone out there will be able to provide this formula to you. Good luck.

 

Regards,

 

Donald Miller

[geoffmead1]

Here's the Ansel Adams POTA formula

 

Sodium Sulfite 30 grams

 

1-phenyl-3-parazolidone (Ilford phenidone-A or Kodak BD-84) 1.5 grams

 

Water to make 1 litre

 

Dissolve chemicals in water at about 100 degs F,then cool to working temp and use immediately. Distilled water is recommended.

No time/temp or film speed is given.

 

Geoff

[scott_eaton]

'Direct Sunlight'

 

On what side of the earth was the sun shining at the time? Looks like shade or overcast to me.

[chris_waller]

Try rating Tech pan at 6 ASA (yes, six) and dev in Rodinal 1:200, 20 C, 16 minutes. Use 6 ml of Rodinal and make up to 1200 ml - I use a 4 reel tank to ensure that the dev does not become exhausted. Four inversions in the first 30 seconds then one inversion per minute after that.

[charles_dillon]

Scott...it was noon and the shot is a macro shot of a 2 inch long segment of a fallen tree that is rotting out.. I remember it was about noon because i used to shoot on my lunch breaks at the time...I remeber it was in diret sunlight because i kept getting angry at the sun for going in and out (ruining my spot meter reading) gee...i feel like i'm on trial here he he (kidding)

[charles_dillon]

someday i will learn how to type :(

[roger krueger]

Photographer's Formulary TD-3, depending on how you mix it, can give a variety of contrasts with Tech Pan, from medium-high to really low. Gives better film speed too (50-64), and avoids the abrupt highlight blocking of Technidol.

 

It is, however, a compensating developer, with a response curve that I'd bet doesn't have a straight section anywhere. Overexposed negs especially can have some pretty weird tonal things go on.

 

I've got one set of brackets that would lead me to believe there's a spot up in the shoulder that's darn near flat, followed by an area where density begins to increase again. Mind you, these are areas of highlight/overexposure that would just be blocked solid with Technidol, so it's not really a fair criticism; but it is strange.

 

In general I love it, and it gives long development times (15-22 minutes, agitation every three minutes), avoiding the uneveness problems people have with Technidol. The only thing I dislike is that they only give times for 68F, a pain in the rear in San Diego in the summer. I've gotten good results at 72F/18min, but would it have killed them to give more complete numbers?

 

On Kodak's old X-TOL datasheet, the one that still gives diluted times, there are numbers for using Tech-Pan at pictorial contrast, but at single-digit film speeds. I think at 1:4 you get to EI 10.