efke pl-100 in hc-110?...anyone?

[d.s.]

Hi all,
I'm looking for times and dilution info on developing efke pl-100 in HC-110. I use a beseler 8x10 print drum on a unicolor uniroller.

Has anyone done this that can share some start-up information?

dee

[Eric Rose]

I found HC110 not to be an optimal developer for PL100. I have tried HC110, Rodinal, D76 and Xtol with PL100 and finally settled on PyroCat, semi-stand. Natually this only applies to my way of taking and printing, as they say YMMV.

[Chris Jones]

Check the massive development chart. I find these times a good starting points.

I am finding HC-110 to be on the contrasty side used at 1+50 with 10 seconds agitation every two minutes for Shanghai 100. Rodinal and ID11 are giving me better results although I will test HC-110 more carefully.

[erie patsellis]

I use HC110 dil G or H with R100, I'll have to dig out my records, haven't shot it in a while having been on an HP5 kick lately. You do need to do EI and CI testing, regardless of what developer you use, as the EFKE/Adox EI ratings are optimistic, to say the least. With a good testing methodology, R100 can deliver startling good images.

[d.s.]

Thanks everyone, I just got several boxes of pl-100 and I have lots of hc-110. Of course the first thing I'll do is testing...(fun). I'm using a Uniroller and drum and was looking for a ballpark starting point using this process.


The massive development chart gives me something to extrapolate from.

Erie, I use dil. H often. I'd be interested in your info if you can find it.

Again thanks to all that responded,
dee

[Chris Jones]

dee, I would be interested in your results if you get a chance to post. HC-110 is something I only recently have encountered. It has a straighter curve which it seems to me can explain that contrasty look I am getting. This seems to me to worth following up since I can use this look.

1+50 for 14 mins for Shanghai 100 with slow inversion on a HP Combi tank for 10 secs every two minutes seems to give this contrasty look. As for continuous agitation, I would guess minus 20 percent of this time. I have read that HC-110 is very sensitive to different agitation.

[d.s.]

OK, Here's the results of my testing for zone I.

Film:EFKE PL-100M, 4x5, emulsion # 810645, expire date 07-2010.
(and I just noticed the box says "Tropical", I don't have a clue what that means.)

Sheets exposed for zone I at ASA 64, 80, 100, 125.
All four sheets developed at one time in a Unicolor drum on a model 352 Uniroller base.

Prerinse 5 min. @71°f.
Dev. HC-110, (5 ml. syrup, plus water to make 300 ml.) @71°f, for 8:28.
Stop. Water, 350 ml. @71°f, for 30 sec.
Fix. 10 min. @73°f, (old fixer so I went longer.) (temp is that of under counter storage.)
Wash. 5min. @71°f
Hypo clear. 4 min. @73°f. (stored next to fixer.)
Wash for 10 min. @71°f
Photo flo and hang to dry.

ASA: :B+F: :Z-I net density:
125: :0.08: :0.03:
100: :0.08: :0.05:
80: :0.08: :0.07:
64: :0.08: :0.1:

All water used was tap at the temp that it comes out of the tap. It may have varied to +.5°f by the time I got to the end of the final wash.

For develop times I took the time from the Massive Developing Chart which was for dil.B, 6 min. @68° f. I used dil. H. Only instead of 4.7 ml., I used 5 ml. as it's easier to measure with the equipment I have. I then added tap water to make 300 ml. (It's sort of dil. H+). The time is twice that of Dil. B. I then reduced the time by 20% for using the rotary process.

For the development time conversion from 68°f to 71°f I used the formula: New time = Old time × exp(-0.045 × (New temp °F - Old temp °F)).

I was hoping to get a higher speed than 64 and I may redo the test at minus 10% for rotary, and without pre rinse to see if speed comes up to 80 but not til after I do zone VIII time test. I have some negs from the same box that I shot at 80, no pre rinse; before testing and they look contrasty but might be what I need for cold light (V-54) head.


Comments and suggestions are welcome!

dee

[Greg Blank]

I hated Efke PL 100 when I tested it several years ago. The base fog should be in my opinion something no higher than .05 for HC110 and a 100 asa film. I got a BF around 1.00 with HC110 and D23. Any clear developer- non staining should be producing BF much lower to truely be a 100 asa film. You could compare the BF with Tri-X and the Tri-X will be lower.

Tropical means it can be used and developed in warm weather locations.

OK, Here's the results of my testing for zone I.

Film:EFKE PL-100M, 4x5, emulsion # 810645, expire date 07-2010.
(and I just noticed the box says "Tropical", I don't have a clue what that means.)

ASA: :B+F: :Z-I net density:
125: :0.08: :0.03:
100: :0.08: :0.05:
80: :0.08: :0.07:
64: :0.08: :0.1:
Comments and suggestions are welcome!

dee

[d.s.]

Do you think the base fog would be lower if not rotary developed? Good to know about "tropical". It does get warm here on the OBX.


dee

I do have some old EFKE that does have base fog of .17

[Greg Blank]

I think its a inherent problem, though I could blame the manufacturer, I could also blame US customs. Any imported photo sensitive material is subject to scanning at port. When a container comes in, it is subject to scanning. Ilford and Fuji don't seem to have these issues with thier older formula emulsions, of course they have more money to insure their containers get a lower dose of gamma radiation <g>

Acros and HP5-FP4 don't exhibit the level of BF that Efke PL100 does. FWIW Efke 25 has a lower BF- So it makes me wonder. Any non staining developer should not produce a BF beyond .05 on any film "IMOP". My final judgement was taking unexposed sheets and developing them and still you will get higher than a .05BF with PL100. In truth I wanted to like the film given the cost.

Do you think the base fog would be lower if not rotary developed? Good to know about "tropical". It does get warm here on the OBX.


dee

I do have some old EFKE that does have base fog of .17