PQ Universal for HP5+ and/or Pan F+

[pkr1979]

Hi there,

Did anyone use PQ Universal for HP5+ and/or Pan F+? If so, what was your dilution, temp and time? And overall experience? :-)

Cheers
Peter

[Vaughn]

Sorry, I have not -- I have used it only with sheet film (FP4+, Tri-x, a few others). Ilford does not recommend it for roll film, probably so people won't complain about the grain.

I use it 1:9 to boost contrast for alternative printing...seems to be very nice with FP4+, which is my main film. I could not get HP5+ to expand as easily as the FP4+, if that is a concern. Ilford recommends FP4 and HP5 when used at box speed and developed at 1:9, 4 minutes (68F). If the SBR is only 5 or 6 stops, I'll bake mine for 8 to 10 minutes at 72F (74 if the room is colder...temp drift) -- not recommended for scanning or silver printing.

I had students in two workshops in the last two weeks use the above combo for negatives we then printed in carbon. We got a wonderful tonality on a blocked-up looking highlight, but not the kind of negative one wants for any other process. So a lot depends on the process you will be printing with and what you want your prints to look like, YMMD.

PS -- I developed a student's 4x5s for him from our field trip -- he thought he had ASA 125 -- he had Tri-X 320. So...over-exposed and about 100% more development given (3006 Expert drum). We still got a fine print from one we tried and close with another...print exposures were a bit long.

[Pere Casals]

Ilford recommends FP4 and HP5 when used at box speed and developed at 1:9, 4 minutes (68F).

Vaughn, this should be 1:19 , I guess

https://www.digitaltruth.com/devchar...=C&TimeUnits=D


I used it for reversal processing to obtain BW slides, when following ilford reversal recipe: https://www.ilfordphoto.com/reversal-processing/

________________

About grain, PQ contains Sodium Sulphite (https://www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-co...7-44-10027.pdf) like many fine grain developers...

My guess is that as development time is so short then the solvent action is lower because there is not time enough for the sulphite to make the the work on grains, if one wants finer grain then a possibility would be lowering concentration (beyond 1:19) to extend development time and adding more sulphite to keep the same sulphite concentration than at 1:19 regular dilution.

PQ is an interesting developer, if one likes Rock&Roll !

[Vaughn]

Nope -- 1:9

Aye, that's the danger -- the figures are for reaching a target density range. The Ilford tech sheet puts these figures for a target of 0.80 Gbar, whatever the hell a Gbar is.

If you use 1:19, then your target is a Gbar of 0.62, again, whatever the hell is a Gbar.

I am looking for a Density Range of 2.8, give or take a few tenths of whatever unit a DR is. Exposing and developing this way gets me great prints whatever the units are or what one calls them.

But in the end, I prefer PyrocatHD, but I did not want to mess with it on workshops. The PQ is in a easy liquid concentrate; 100ml PQ and 900ml water, mixed and into the Jobo 3005

[Pere Casals]

Nope -- 1:9 If you use 1:19, then your target is a Gbar of 0.62, again, whatever the hell is a Gbar.

Vaughn 0.62 should be normal contrast, 0.8/1.3 = 0.62 aproximated, GBar IIRC is "Average Gradient", so Contrast Index averaged in the considered exposure interval.



So for a N development it should be used 1:19 if 4min development, of course if alterneative printing requires more contrast then 1:9 may be ok, but 1:9 - 4min would deliver a high contrast negative for silver prints.

[Jim Noel]

Pere - Vaughn indicated was talking about negatives for CARBON prints, not silver.

[Pere Casals]

Pere - Vaughn indicated was talking about negatives for CARBON prints, not silver.

Jim, yes...

I guess that the right answer to OP is 1:19 / 4min for Normal contrast, but 1:9 if he wants higher than normal contrast.

It's nice to see that Vaughn is using PQ to make negatives for carbon printing, it's a process that I want to learn. I want to avoid digital negatives...

[Mark Sampson]

My experience with other 'universal' developers is that they don't do film very well. Compared to film-specific developers, sharpness is likely to suffer, and graininess will likely increase.
I have no experience with the Ilford product, though. I would shoot some test rolls, and process them using Ilford's recommendations for your films. And then share your results with us!

[Vaughn]

Vaughn 0.62 should be normal contrast, 0.8/1.3 = 0.62 aproximated, GBar IIRC is "Average Gradient", so Contrast Index averaged in the considered exposure interval.

So for a N development it should be used 1:19 if 4min development, of course if alterneative printing requires more contrast then 1:9 may be ok, but 1:9 - 4min would deliver a high contrast negative for silver prints.

Thanks. This film/developer combo was recommended by the late Terry King for producing negs for platinum printing as it gives excellent mid-tone separation -- I definitely like my pt/pd prints using it, so extended its use for carbon negatives, also. However, PyrocatHD is my preferred developer but did not want to use it on the road for workshops.

http://www.rps.org/news/2015/april/terry-king-obit

[Pere Casals]

Thanks. This film/developer combo was recommended by the late Terry King for producing negs for platinum printing as it gives excellent mid-tone separation -- I definitely like my pt/pd prints using it, so extended its use for carbon negatives, also. However, PyrocatHD is my preferred developer but did not want to use it on the road for workshops.

http://www.rps.org/news/2015/april/terry-king-obit

I guess that I understand it... with Pyro (as stain blocks more UV than visible) you would require less density, but with silver negatives an energic developer like PQ it is useful to reach such densities...