My observations after using PYROCAT HD for a year

[photobymike]

I have been using Pyrocat HD Glycol for over a year and here are some my observations.

1. Use pipettes to measure. This stuff is so concentrated that being off a small amount effects your out come.

2. I presoak for 5 minutes at development temperature. I change out the water 2 or 3 times for the presoak. It is needed to wash away the halation barrier. This has always been important... use distilled water... the PH is slightly acid which is ok... tap water who knows what it is.....

3. Use rubber gloves when handling this substance. If you use it a lot, it can accumulate in your system and be toxic.

4. Use distilled water for mixing. I use distilled water for all of my photo chemicals anyway.

5. The negatives scan really well with my scanner V750 epson. I seem to have a longer dynamic range by at least one stop.

6. I use a Beseler roller for development... but it seems to like stand alone tank with moderate agitation...twirl the reels in my paterson tanks.....4x5 always are rolled....

7. Dilute your Stop Bath... to strong and you get pin holes. Use a stop bath to get the film ready for the acid in your fixer.. i use alkli fixer especially for T-grain films.. for an extra 3 minutes.

8. When you get ready to mix your developer. Roll your bottles of concentrate before using... there seems to be some separation and precipitate on the cap after sitting for a couple of days. Do not shake but make sure concentrate is mixed.

9. Because of the tanning (hardening effect) of the developer it seems the emulsion needs more washing than normal film.... i use very strong hypo clear (Orbit) for 2 minutes each in 2 baths with vigorous agitation.

10. I take the film off the reels and soak for 30 secs in Photo-Flo. Most important; I use distilled water to mix Photo-Flo. If you use regular water or tap water you will see a sledge or slim on your finished negs... The i use a very clean sponge to wipe away the excess Photo-Flo.

I do all of this and what i end up with is beautiful chocolate colored negatives that scan really well.

Any thing to add to these observations, or maybe some questions.

Regards michael

[Ari]

How about showing some examples?
I'd love to know why some swear by this stuff.

[photobymike]

86073

This is a 35mm KODAK Tmax 400 ...Canon F1N camera ...cannot remember the lens sorry...scanned with an Epson V750. The original scan was 6400dpi ...504 meg file, the equivalent of a 26 MP digital camera.

Notice you can see the detail in the clouds..... depending on the mix and time..... i can get at least one stop maybe two stops more in the dynamic range from Kodak Tmax films.

[Ari]

Nice!

[photobymike]

The grain is a little more pronounced with Pryocat HD with Trix and Tmax 400

Little better with Tmx 100 like the 2 below...

8607886079

Pryocat HD really shines with 120 film or larger. I am scanning some 6x6cm now and will update with examples.

D76 and Rodinal are still the "right" developer for 35mm although Pyrocat still does a great job.

[photobymike]

8608886089

images for the above comment

[Ari]

8608886089

images for the above comment

Now that's smokin'! Never mind the grain, those two pix really shine.

[Jim Noel]

Eliminate the acid stop bath and you wil eliminate the pinholes. Use 2 - 30 second rinses in plain water.

[Bruce Osgood]

Eliminate the acid stop bath and you will eliminate the pinholes. Use 2 - 30 second rinses in plain water.

And, if you use a TF 4 type fixer you can eliminate the hypo.

[IanG]

I've found the quality of Pyrocat negatives exceptional with almost all films from Foma 100 & 200 through to HP5, all the negatives are very easy to print and they scan well as the OP says.

Choice of fixer's not so important Hympam or Ilford Rapid fixer work fine and the stain's the same as a neutral fixer.

Ian

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

What exactly do you mean by your statement that you get an extra stop of "dynamic range"?

[photobymike]

The clear part of the negative.... there is detail in the shadow or toe area of the negative .... extends the toe area just slightly ... i dont have physical evidence of densitometer but just a feeling compared to other negative developed in other developers. I scan 300 to 600 negatives a week .... and am seeing this in my finished scans. Detail where before there was none. In my histogram view of my negatives it is wider with detail....... i do not know really how to explain this better... shadows have detail where before it was just black. Also am seeing more highlight detail.... i usually ignore this but i am scanning detail in the clouds that i never got before. Am currently experimenting Fomapan 100 ... boy this is a nice film.....

LF thread on dynamic range http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?28651-B-amp-W-Film-Dynamic-Range

[Steve Smith]

This thread has just reminded me that I have some Pyrocat somewhere. I must try it.


Steve.

[evan clarke]

I have been using Pyrocat HD Glycol for over a year and here are some my observations.

1. Use pipettes to measure. This stuff is so concentrated that being off a small amount effects your out come.

2. I presoak for 5 minutes at development temperature. I change out the water 2 or 3 times for the presoak. It is needed to wash away the halation barrier. This has always been important... use distilled water... the PH is slightly acid which is ok... tap water who knows what it is.....

3. Use rubber gloves when handling this substance. If you use it a lot, it can accumulate in your system and be toxic.

4. Use distilled water for mixing. I use distilled water for all of my photo chemicals anyway.

5. The negatives scan really well with my scanner V750 epson. I seem to have a longer dynamic range by at least one stop.

6. I use a Beseler roller for development... but it seems to like stand alone tank with moderate agitation...twirl the reels in my paterson tanks.....4x5 always are rolled....

7. Dilute your Stop Bath... to strong and you get pin holes. Use a stop bath to get the film ready for the acid in your fixer.. i use alkli fixer especially for T-grain films.. for an extra 3 minutes.

8. When you get ready to mix your developer. Roll your bottles of concentrate before using... there seems to be some separation and precipitate on the cap after sitting for a couple of days. Do not shake but make sure concentrate is mixed.

9. Because of the tanning (hardening effect) of the developer it seems the emulsion needs more washing than normal film.... i use very strong hypo clear (Orbit) for 2 minutes each in 2 baths with vigorous agitation.

10. I take the film off the reels and soak for 30 secs in Photo-Flo. Most important; I use distilled water to mix Photo-Flo. If you use regular water or tap water you will see a sledge or slim on your finished negs... The i use a very clean sponge to wipe away the excess Photo-Flo.

I do all of this and what i end up with is beautiful chocolate colored negatives that scan really well.

Any thing to add to these observations, or maybe some questions.

Regards michael

My Brother in law was QC manager at GAF/ Anitec and QCd around 2 billion, 400 million running feet of coated paper and film. He says unequivocally that pinholes are emulsion defects..Round ones are sub bubbles and oval ones are emusion bubbles..

[photobymike]

My Brother in law was QC manager at GAF/ Anitec and QCd around 2 billion, 400 million running feet of coated paper and film. He says unequivocally that pinholes are emulsion defects..Round ones are sub bubbles and oval ones are emusion bubbles..

Give me some known good film and i can cause pin holes to appear .... If you do not use a presoak and pour your developer into your tank and do not "tap you tank". Little tiny bubbles stick to the film and can cause this. Also alkli and acid mix equalizing on the film surface can cause bubbles on the film from the gas discharge. That is the two ways i know that can cause pinholes on the emulsion besides bad film. Oh and there can be fungus or bacteria in the emulsion ...then it is bad film.