Page 4 of 17 FirstFirst ... 2345614 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 40 of 164

Thread: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

  1. #31
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    2,960

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    I was thinking about Sandy's VC Mag article on 2 baths. He had a photo of a sunporch or porch (or something similar) with a super broad contrast range. Based on my recent experience, I think that with continuous agitation I would have to use an N- B bath as described above for a scene like that, but Sandy did not have to (and he used continuous agitation of some kind for the photos in the article).

    So, I am thinking, could it be:

    1. You can make adjustments in Photoshop to handle this much easier than you could handle it in the darkroom.

    2. Perhaps the rotation speed has an impact on contrast, and slower rpms might help.

    Any thoughts on this, or any other potential causes?

  2. #32

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Sandy -

    Your recommended development time of 5 minutes in each solution, is for 1:20 dilution, at 75 degrees Fahrenheit... no ?

    If we wanted to pinch pennies and use even less developer, could we increase temperature, or extend development time ? Or would this introduce problems ?

    Would the same be true with other developers, like Divided D-23 ?

  3. #33
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    2,960

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    For those who are interested, here are some other threads touching on Pyrocat as a 2 bath developer:

    http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ht=bath+dilute

    http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/6...yrocat-hd.html

    These both have helpful information.

  4. #34

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Excellent - Thanks !!

  5. #35

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Well I'll be a monkey's uncle !

    TMY at ISO 250, Divided Pyrocat HD, 5 min, 75 degrees, 1:10.


    I placed the wood on the chair on Zone II - III, and let the rest go where it may. The inside walls fell on Zone V, the grass in the yard outside fell on Zone XI ! The clouds in the sky fell on Zone... XIV !


    Another interior with deep shadows and full window-light from outdoors. The statue on the table, I placed on Zone III. The carpeting on the stairs fell 8 zones higher, and the white paint on the steps another 2 zones beyond that. Zone 13 is way beyond what any sane photographer would waste a sheet of film and still expect to capture useable texture. I didn't know that the film could hold that many zones.

    Foreground in the shade, clouds lit by full sun. No filter was used. The fence was placed on III, and the clouds fell as high as Zone XI. So what ? Maybe a yellow filter would have made the clouds look more dimensional, but the brightness range was irrelevant.

    All of these negatives scanned so easily, I had to increase contrast to make them feel like light. The amazing thing to me, is that there was no need for stand, semi-stand, flash, dilution, HDR merging, blending, multiple exposures... no incantations or rituals of any kind !

    Watching the development process with an Infra Red monocular, this process looks like Pt/Pd: the images just pop out when you place the film into bath B. I haven't had this much (photographic) fun in a long time !

    Next time, I will give more continuous agitation: these negatives have a slightly mottled look. Five minutes isn't a lot of time, especially when you tray-develop a lot of sheets at the same time as I do. I will increase the dilution to 1:20, and lengthen the time a bit in each developer.

    Thanks so much for sharing this technique ! It's been around for a long time, but it took me until now to pick it up.
    Last edited by Ken Lee; 5-Sep-2018 at 17:17.

  6. #36
    Dave Karp
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    2,960

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Great Ken. A fun experiment. It is amazing how well the 2 baths work.

    We really do owe Sandy a debt of gratitude. Before he started his experiments and wrote his VC Mag article, most of the commentary on 2 bath developers was that they did not work very well any more, that they were appropriate only for the films available in the old days. The experts were always steering interested photographers away from 2 baths.

    For your next experiment, try shooting one sheet each of a few different films, and develop them all together. Just what the doctor ordered when coming back from a trip where you used multiple films.

    I think I am going to order some Pyrocat MC in glycol from the Formulary tonight.

  7. #37

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Actually, Infra Red viewing devices makes it possible to develop different films - even different sized sheets - at the same time, if you're careful enough. But having only one time/temperature for all films... now that's outrageous !

    I ordered some Metol from Artcraft Chemicals, so I can try some the Thornton version of Divided D-23 next. I'm so spoiled by the affordability of 1:100 dilution of Pyrocat, it's hard for me to use it at 1:10. It feels like using a $50 bill to light a 50-cent cigar ;-)

  8. #38

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    5,505

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Lee View Post
    Actually, Infra Red viewing devices makes it possible to develop different films - even different sized sheets - at the same time, if you're careful enough. But having only one time/temperature for all films... now that's outrageous !

    I ordered some Metol from Artcraft Chemicals, so I can try some the Thornton version of Divided D-23 next. I'm so spoiled by the affordability of 1:100 dilution of Pyrocat, it's hard for me to use it at 1:10. It feels like using a $50 bill to light a 50-cent cigar ;-)
    Bear in mind what David mentioned earlier. Tw bath D-23 is different from two-bath developers like Diafine and Pyrocat-HD. With two bath D-23 the first bath is very similar to straight D-23 so some development is taking place in Solution A. With Diafine and Pyrocat-HD there is no accelerator at all in Solution A and all of the development takes place in Solution B.

    BTW, I know that a 1:10 or 1:20 dilution of Pyrocat-HD uses a lot more of the developer than a 1:1:100 dilution. However, if you look at the acual amount of chemistry in two-bath D-23 and divided Pyrocat-HD you will see that they are quite similar so if you mix both developers from scratch cost won't be that much different.

    BTW, I have not used two-bath development with tray development of sheet film, but I think it should work fine if you keep the sheets of film separate, as in individual trays or in some type of slosher type device.

    Sandy King

  9. #39

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Thanks for the heads-up. I thought that the Thornton variation was different, but apparently not. Oh well, one can never have too much Metol around... isn't that what they say ?

    I have grown accustomed to the convenience of Pyrocat in Glycol HD, from Photographer's Formulary. I guess I could easily mix the non-Glycol based formula myself. Why not ?

    I am still puzzled about the approach of using divided developers all the time. Having seen the results under extreme lighting, I will try some photos under normal conditions.

  10. #40

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    5,505

    Re: Anybody using Pyrocat-HD or MC as a Compensating Developer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Lee View Post
    I am still puzzled about the approach of using divided developers all the time. Having seen the results under extreme lighting, I will try some photos under normal conditions.
    I only use two bath development all the time with MF roll film. When using sheet film I keep notes as to exposure and usually develop according tlo BTZS testing. However, two bath development of sheet film is a viable option in situations where careful notes were not kept during a shooting session.

    Sandy King

Similar Threads

  1. Hypercat vs Pyrocat MC
    By Jay DeFehr in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 50
    Last Post: 2-Aug-2006, 14:21
  2. Extreme compensating developer for TMY
    By Ron Marshall in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 91
    Last Post: 10-Jul-2006, 13:18
  3. Old Formulas : Film
    By Paul Fitzgerald in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 19-Mar-2005, 21:31
  4. Pyrocat HD or other developer for drum processing
    By jonathan smith in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 27-Sep-2004, 14:40
  5. Developer shelf life
    By Neal Shields in forum Darkroom: Film, Processing & Printing
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 22-Jul-2004, 09:43

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •