paul2

Scott,

Thanks for that info.

-Paul

I just acquired a Beseler 45MXII. It does not seem to have the scale to

indicate what distance should be set between the negative carrier and the

condenser. I gather that when enlarging 4x5 film the condenser should be close

to the negative and when enlarging 35mm it should be set close to the farthest

distance. What about with medium format? I will be using it for 2.25x2.25 inch

and for 4x5. Can I just wing it? Will it be obvious if I have it set wrong?

Thanks.

I have been using PMK for a while and am fairly pleased with it. I

like the PMK look. However, there are times when I find that I cannot

easily obtain the contrast I need for palladium printing (I know, the

stain should be great for this). Does anyone have experience with

other pyro developers (W2D2, ABC, etc.) that produce less stain?

Thanks,

Paul

Do those with experience using PMK and divided D76 have a preference for one over the other in terms of its ability to produce a good long scale negative with adequate highlight separation?

<p>

I ask as I am considering D76 as an occasional alternative to PMK.

<p>

Thanks,

Paul

In the Film Developing Cookbook Anchell and Troop recommend 12

minutes in PMK (1+2+100). No recommendation for XTOL.

I wonder what grade of AZO folks "standardize" on. Since it has a

longer scale is grade 2 AZO realistically comparable to an average

grade 2 enlarging paper? Has anyone enlarged and contact printed the

same neg on grade 2 AZO and a grade 2 enlarging paper with similar

results?

<p>

I ask as I too have had a bit of trouble with flat prints using AZO

grade 2. It would be nice if there were a way around the contrast

issue that did not require frequent use of grade 3 AZO, as it is not

as convenient to obtain as 2 and it seems pricier as well. Perhaps it

just requires a denser negative than I am used to making?

<p>

Paul G.

You should be able to get Tri-X to reticulate. I have only done this

by mistake, so I cannot describe the exact method. Try developing at

normal temperatures, then alternate a hot stop bath, normal temp fix

and a hot intitial rinse. You will have to figure out how hot too hot

is.

<p>

-Paul

Hi,

<p>

Does anyone know of a source for a Kodak #3 dark green safelight

filter (or the Ilford equivalent).

<p>

Thanks,

Paul

I was wondering if anyone has experience contact printing with enlarging papers as opposed to Azo. I am playing with Azo at present, but am curious to hear what others may have experienced with graded and variable contrast enlarging papers. A specific question that comes to mind is the usefullness of variable contrast papers for contact printing a pyro neg. I know that the stain of a pyro developed negative is supposed to mimic the action of a mc filter, especially in the highlights. I wonder if this holds true when contact printing (without any filters)?

<p>

Thanks,

Paul G.

As for coverage, while I do not have the numbers in front of me, I

can tell you from practical experience that the 305mm has more than

enough coverage for 8x10. In fact, it is the only lens I have. I have

never run into a situation where coverage was a problem, and I have

used some absurd combinations of movements just to test it.

Here's a good start:

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http://danbeauvais.com/photo/nh/

Michael,

<p>

I am no expert, but I have been down the same road. AZO is slower

than enlarging paper, so you would do best with a light source that

is brighter than your enlarger. I have used (with good results) a

cheap aluminum reflector with a 100 watt bulb about 3 feet above the

negative and paper. (At Home Depot such a reflector costs about $3.)

I had trouble at first finding the appropriate wattage and height,

but you can figure this out with a bit of experimenting.

<p>

As for dodging, you probably want to get your exposure times to be

long enough (30 seconds?) so that you can do work carefully. Adjust

the height or wattage.

<p>

For some reason, I think that dodging and burning a contact print is

easier than an enlarged projected print. This may be because you can

lay whatever you are using to dodge right on the glass and not have

to worry about making the right size shadow puppet.

<p>

Take a look at the "Darkroom: Printing" archived threads. There are

some good contact printing discussions here.

<p>

Have fun,

Paul

For the amidol users: what do you regard as a standard (or starting point) dilution for amidol, and what is the range of results one can expect by changing dilutions. (If it matters, in my case the Amidol would be one of those available from Photographer's Formulary, and it would be used with Azo.

<p>

Thanks,

Paul

Thanks for all your responses. I had a feeling that there would be

strong feelings about this. As suggested, I think I will give it a

try and see for myself.

<p>

Thanks,

Paul

Perhaps this has been discussed in a previous thread, though I have not come across it. I would be interested to hear opinions on development by inspection -- both from its practitioners and detractors. What are the tricks? Does it work better with some film/developer combinations than with others (I assume it does). Just how accurately can one monitor densities, etc.

<p>

Thanks,

Paul