I tested POP paper for contrast with a step tablet. The low contrast of the pape r requires a zone VIII density of 2.60 on the negative to get a clean white, wit h just a touch of detail. I have tried strong developer at high temps and long t imes, but I cannot reach this density for zone VIII. My film is HP-5+. I am thin king of trying Dektol, D-19, or D61a (similar to DK-50) straight. Any suggestion s?
William,
Switch films. HP5+ is difficult to get up to high contrast levels because it begins with a heavy base fog and then keeps a strong shoulder. FP4, Kodak TXT, TMY, and Delta 400 all are better candidates for long scale negatives. BTW, you may be trying for too much: a "clean white" should come in at zone IX or X, a zone VIII value should still be showing some tone or even a bit of detail. If you must use HP5, try TMaxRS developer, or a pyro formula.---Carl
I am not sure that 2.6 is the right value for zone VIII. I printed a step table on POP paper. I used .20 density for zone I (to increase contrast in the shadows, since POP compresses shadow contrast). What appears to me to be Zone III is two stops over Zone I. What looks to me like Zone VIII (a light gray tone) appears at a 2.6 density on the step tablet. The difference between Zone III and Zone VIII on the step tablet is 6 stops. Maybe I just need an N+1 development to decrease the range from zone III to zone VIII to 5 stops. Is this right?
William,
I use a POP from Chicago Albumen Works, both as a primary contact printing paper and as an inexpensive way to "proof" negatives I intend to ultimately print on Platinum or Palladium papers. As you know, both types of papers (POP and Platinum/Palladium) require negatives with similar density curves.
For developing these negatives I use a two part developer from The Palladio Company, #2400, 200 Boston Ave., Medford, Ma. 02155, 800-628-9618. (They apparently don't have a web site or e-mail address.) Contact them and ask them to send you their free catalogue/instruction manual. It has an excellent discussion of negative development to achieve the necessary densities for printing on these papers, and also which films and developers (times, temps, procedures and agitation methods) will satisfactorily achieve these higher densities. They also sell the two part developer for this purpose which works quite well.
Also, Chicago Albumen Works, PO Box 805, Front Street, Housatonic, Ma. 01236, 413-274-6901, sells an excellent POP paper, and other materials (at least they did the last time I ordered from them). They're really nice folks and would likely be happy to share their experience with POP papers, density curves, etc. with you.
Good luck, Sergio.
For developing these negatives I use a two part developer from The Palladio Company, #2400, 200 Boston Ave., Medford, Ma. 02155, 800-628-9618. (They apparently don't have a web site or e-mail address.)
The manual from Palladio is superb-almost a textbook in itself. The developer referenced is Divided D-23, one of the most inexpensive, easy to formulate and use, and quality develope
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