Pyrocat-HD and scanning

[tim atherton]

well, some of the pyro nuts have persuaded me to try Pyrocat-HD (Efke 100 rotary processed for now)

Are there any problems/issues with scanning film developed in pyro (or benefits for that matter)?

I'll be contact printing some, but also scanning and printing as well.

[Ken Lee]

One of the advantages of Pyro developers is that they give comparatively normal contrast under visible light, and higher contrast under UV light.

So for scanning, Pyro negatives appears comparatively normal - except for the effects of the stain, which is reported to help with graininess and local tonal separation.

[Steve Hamley]

I've scanned many pyro negs without a hitch - other than my own errors of course...

Steve

[Paul Butzi]

In a direct comparison I did, comparing TMS developed in XTOL, TMAX-RS, and a pyrocatechol formula given to me by Denny Wagner, I found the pyrocatechol two part developer gave the best results in terms of sharpness and noise when scanned at 1800 dpi on my Microtek 1800f scanner. XTol 1+3 was a close second. Tmax-RS was the worst.

The results were pretty clear but the test was informal and contrast, while close, was not strictly controlled, so you might want to take those results with a certain degree of skepticism.

-Paul

[j.e.simmons]

After getting contrast under control (I was getting too much contrast even for Azo) Pryocat HD and PL l00 now produce negatives that scan very easily.

juan

[sanking]

"In a direct comparison I did, comparing TMS developed in XTOL, TMAX-RS, and a pyrocatechol formula given to me by Denny Wagner, I found the pyrocatechol two part developer gave the best results in terms of sharpness and noise when scanned at 1800 dpi on my Microtek 1800f scanner. XTol 1+3 was a close second. Tmax-RS was the worst. "

I want to mention that a friend of mine, who has also been scanning with a similar two-part developer (a split version of Pyrocat-HD ), gave me a similar report. He reported that in prints up to 40X50" in size the sharpness and grain from the split Pyrocat-HD negatives was at least as good, if not slightly better, than from Xtol negatives.

I have personally scanned many stained negatives, both PMK and Pyrocat-HD, with excellent results.