Efke PL100 8x10 Sheet Film and Wide Subject EV Range

[francis_abad]

Any experience (or suggestions) on how to deal with a subject EV

range of 9 (low EV reading) and 17 (hi EV reading) on Efke PL100

8x10 sheet film? Any developer and developing times recommendations?

[ole_tjugen]

An SBR of 8 shouldn't be too difficult? Don't go overboard on compensation - I got EFKE PL100 to handle a SBR of ~25 (solar eclipse) by using Windisch' Compensating Pyrocatechin.

 

For a "normal-wide" SBR I'd use Pyrocat-HD, or D23/Borax. But those are my most used developers anyway...

[jim_shanesy]

The 2:1:1:15 ABC dilution will also handle this with ease (and with virtually no base fog for PL100). You might also try highly dilute HC110 if staining developers aren't your thing.

 

I would, however, add 1/2 stop of exposure for each zone of minus developemnt you plan on giving the PL100.

[francis_abad]

Thanks for your replies. Any suggested times? I have two similarly exposed sheets of this particular scene.

 

And regarding SBR, my understanding is that this scene would have an SBR much greater than 8. I thought that something like an EV Range of 9-13 would have an SBR of 8. Or is it simply EV Hi minus EV Low = SBR?

 

Thanks in advance for your further replies.

[jim_shanesy]

I find that a normal negative runs around 11 minutes with the 2:1:1:15 ABC dilution. I'd start inspecting, therefore, at around 6 or 7 minutes.

[clayh]

in answer to your question about SBR, it depends if you took your measurements in

the shaded and highlighted areas with an incident meter. If so, the standard way of

calculating SBR is High reading minus Low reading plus 5. If you took the

measurements with a reflective spot meter, then it would depend on what print zone

you are targeting for each reading. If you place them on zones 3 and 8 respectively,

then the answer would be the same.

[francis_abad]

Thanks again guys.

 

I did use a spot meter and did place the low at Zone III and the hi at Zone VIII. SBR then in this case would be 13! Seems pretty wide but I shall give it a go with your recommendations and maybe one of my own design.

[christian_olivet]

I think there is some confusion here!

A scene in which you choose the shadows to be at zone III, and

up on checking the highlight end of the SBR you realize that it

falls on VIII, the total range of lighting that you are dealing with is

8 stops, not 13.

[francis_abad]

Christian, do you mean to equate SBR and Stops, that is, SBR (Subject Brightness Range) = stops. I am fairly sure that they are different.

[francis_abad]

To restate the queries so far: a scene which when spot-metered had a low EV of 9 and a hi EV of 17, whereby the Zone placements would ideally be Zone III and Zone VIII respectively, has an SBR of 13? 8? If Efke PL100 8x10 film were exposed to such a scene what are your recommended developers, dilutions, and developing times?

[philip_sweeney]

Francis: I think most folks define normal SBR to be 7 where zone VIII minus Zone 1 = 7. If your metered values place an EV=9 in zone III then your EV=17 ends up in zone XI and this would be N-4 if you want your resultant XI to be a zone VIII value in the negative. If you want the high value to result in zone VII then its N-5. N-4 or 5 is a tough situation! Whatever developer you use I'd suggest you wait to develop that negative until you have done a couple of tests! As pointed out your shadow values may suffer if you have not given additional exposure for the N- development needed. What are you going to print on? If you are using AZO or pt/pd maybe development by inspection is in order?

[francis_abad]

Thanks for your reply Philip. I will be looking to use this negative for PtPd. Developer ideas and times I have yet to decide but some ideas are: TMax RS 1:15, 13 mins; PF's TFX-2, 14 mins or PF's Modified POTA, 15 mins. I made 4 shots of the same scene just in case I came up with several ideas. I intentionally shot this scene in order to test (1) how Efke PL100 handle such extreme ranges with (2) compensating developers and/or different dilutions of TMax RS. I shall use two or three of them as labrats.

 

As an aside, the exposure was f45, ½ sec, no filter, 240mm Apo-Symmar. I am convinced I have given enough exposure to capture enough shadow detail (tree bark). The highlights were mainly sunlight reflecting brightly off the water surface. I want to keep enough detail there to show such brilliance as sparkles and not just white space.

[philip_sweeney]

good luck, by the way my math was wrong I should say it was N-3 or N-4 depending. I use pyrocatHD 1-2-100 for AZO, but for an N- as you describe I would use it 1-1-100.

[francis_abad]

Hi Phillip. I just received my shipment of Pyrocat HD and looking forward to giving it a try. I saw somewhere a suggested time of 8 mins for a 9 stop range and 5.5 mins for an 11 stop range using a dilution of 1.5:3:100 @ 75F. Is this a good starting point for N-3 and N-4 respectively?