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View Full Version : Polaroid 55 - Can we increase sensitivity ratings with longer developing?



andrea milano
6-Oct-1999, 04:11
Dear friends and collegues, I have never tried this but a student of mine asked this question and I couldn't answer. Can you rate the polaroid 55 at higher values increasing the developing time? Give,please, some sensible answers and not criticism without having tried the th ing yourself, it might hold potential for good result or just experimental techn iques. Thanks!

Ellis Vener
6-Oct-1999, 04:43
no. I have tried it and it doesn't work.

mike rosenlof
6-Oct-1999, 12:01
Agreed. In his (out of print) book "Polaroid Land Photography" Ansel Adams states that increasing the development time does not change the negative, or positive in any appreciable way as it develops to completion. (paraphrasing)

I've been shooting a fair bit of T55 lately. I love the instant feedback. Too bad about the speed, but I'm living with that, and my photos tend to have a representation of time passing rather than time frozen. Sometimes that's a good thing.

Adam D. DeKraker
11-Oct-1999, 14:22
One thing I have noticed about Type 55 is that it performs much better when rate d at iso 20-25, rather than the indicated iso of 50. Shadow details are much richer (naturally), but the highlight density also goes up, as there is no control with development. I usually rate it at 25, develope it for the recommended time, and then plan on adding 15-25 yellow (dicro head) when printing on variable contrast paper. (When printing on grade 2 Portriga, the contrast of th e film usually matches perfectly!) Just my personal observations. :)

tom meyer
13-Oct-1999, 00:54
Adam, since you're increasing exposure, why don't you try minus development to control highlight density?...t