J and C Pro 100 Film

Hi all,

I have photographed with j+c pro 100 120 roll film (about three rolls or so...) and have processed in both Rodinal and Kodak's HC110.

The Rodinal gives positive results however the HC110 resulted in 'pinholing'.

Anyone out there who would like to share their experiences with their choice of developer?

I now have 200 sheets of 4x5 - arrived yesterday - and Im interested in hearing about reviews concerning this film, or personal experiences and advice by the users of this film. Im hoping to make this film my main ISO 50~100 film.

What other developers would you recommend?
What other hints or tips do you have concerning this film.?

Thankyou in advance.

Enrico

I get good results with the developers you mention as well as Microdol-X 1:3. My first thought is that if you're using an acid stop bath, it may be mixed too strong. Try a water rinse instead.

Enrico,



I've used A49 (Atomal), Rodinal, and D76 with all 3 of the J and C films (100, 200, and 400). I like D76 the best...



I rate the 100 at 50 and develop in D76 1:1 for 15 minutes (all at 68° F). I've also been thinking about trying XTOL and Rodinal combination on the 100 film just for fun.



A local guy told me these films do good in pyro developers, but I haven't tried that yet. He said he uses Pyrocat HD from photographer's formulary and the prints do look nice.



I've used all 3 of these in 4x5 and the J and C 400 in 120. In my opinion it seems you have too give these films a lot of exposure for them to do well and you can't make the mistake of underdeveloping them (which I often have).



For the record, I like the Efke PL100 better - however it's twice the price.

Enrico,
unfortunately, I don't think that the pinholes you're seeing have anything to do with your developer, and everything to do with your film. The fact that you might not see them on every roll/sheet just creates confusion. I have seen the pinholes (which show up as black specks on my prints) in 120 and 4x5 films, in a variety of developers, without an acid stop bath. John at J&C Photo is aware of the problem, which is a factory/coating problem, and has related the problem to the manufacturer, who replied essentially; "what's it worth to you, for us to fix it?". Aside from the coating problems, I really like the film, but I won't waste anymore opportunities on it until the coating problem is solved, which will likely be marked by a 2X+ increase in price, which would bring it into line with the other films in its class. I've switched to Ultrafine Pro 125 (FP4+) from Photowarehouse for my 100 speed sheetfilm (only $2 more/25 sheets 4x5), and I'll probably switch to the same film in 120, for consistency, even though I really like Edu 100 (Forte 100) from Freestyle, in 120( same price as J&C Pro 100). I remain hopeful that the Chinese manufacturers of J&C Pro 100 can find a way to solve their coating problems, and remain a "bargain" film, but I'm not holding my breath.

Jay