35mm roll film in Ilford PQ Universal ?

[DannL]

Just curious if anyone had used this with good result? Ilford doesn't recommend it for roll film, but says it's fine for sheet. (Why?) Thanks.


Dann.

 

[eumenius]

Well, P-q is a paper developer - it would give too much grain and contrast on a film sizes smaller than sheet. Frankly, I don't think it would be good with sheet film except for cases where you don't need much halftones, like line art reproduction. But if we play with dilution... maybe, maybe. P-Q is a highly alkaline developer, and it's recommended for sheet film because it's fast - and that's important for tray processing, also its higher contrast is sometimes beneficial with sheet film dedicated to contact printing. What's interesting, it works very clean on any film when you don't need a picture it produces - I mean reversal processing, P-Q with hypo added is recommended by Ilford as the first developer. The darkest places in the resulting slide are not bleached away.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Contrast is totally controllable, you can obtain completely normal gradation - PQ Universal is very like the tank developers that studios used when LF was standard for everything:
Here are some times:
http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.html
Ilford does not recommend PQ Universal for 35 mm films because it assumes you want fine grain. It will give sharp visible grain, a bit like Rodinal, but not screamingly grainy pictures - modern films are too good for this.

 

[titrisol]

I don't see why not.
PQ is a developer and it may work fine on film, grain maybe noticeable and if that is not a problem you could give it a try.
My guess is that sulfite could improve the grainy part.

When I was in high school I used "universal" developers, the one you may find a reference was AGFA's metinol. By changing dilution you could use them in paper or film, with decent results.
IIRC some sulfite (about 1 teaspoon per 600ml) use dto be added to minimize grain with these developers.

 

[Ian Grant]

Ilford used to publish info many years ago, May & Baker published extentsive data about their equivalent Suprol.

Actually you get great results but you need quite high dilutions, 1+39 seems to ring a bell, and then Kodak brouht out HC110 and Ilford Ilfotec HC, and an amateur version Ilfotec LC.

Really it's down to the accuracy of measuring very small amounts, Agfa & Rodinal assumed you could and Kodak & Ilford thought you should make up an in-between strenght first with HC110 and Ilfotech HC.

Perhaps its worth adding a half way dilution of PQ Uninversal wouldn't have a good shelf life unlike HC110 or Ilfotec HC

Ian

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi !
There was time when every film supplier had such an Universal dev. on it's list.
I own a Gevart Manual of 1946 vintage, and they speak about a universal dev. for plates and papers.
Same thing in my Lumière Agenda from 1932.
Also, in Agfa chemical booklet pre WWII.
The Ilford manual of 1950 has, IIRC 2 or 3 formulas...
Tha major issue with roll film is uneven dev because time is short, and the next issue is grain... But some times it can be fun with slow films (do not try this with Delta 3200 ot TMZ 3200)
Try it and enjoy !