a cry for help

mitch brown · Nov 13, 2006

as a relative new comer I am all for learning experiences however I am about to shoot myself over this so please be kind and help me if you can. I am changing how I process my film so I needed to do a film speed test. here is what happen so far. I am using hp5+ pmk @70 10 -20-1000 for 12min in a slosh tray from PF i start with vigorous agitation for the first 30 sec then lift one side of the tray every 15 sec changing side each time then 1min stop bath in plain water then 1min in tf-4 fixer then 2 min in used developer. I am shooting a white towel in even light using zones 3 thru 8. I developed a unexposed sheet to use for a proper proof using the above method. I then print each neg using the time determined by the proper proof. I started with a film speed of 400 for the first set and the zones were off by 1 stop, ie no texture until zone 4 and paper white at zone 8 so I then re shot the zone and developed the same way and printed the zone again this time I got zone 4 at zone 2 and zone 8 at zone 5 what gives ???? is this a developing problem a shutter problem a combination .help.
mitch

JBrunner · Nov 13, 2006

wager123 said:
as a relative new comer I am all for learning experiences however I am about to shoot myself over this so please be kind and help me if you can. I am changing how I process my film so I needed to do a film speed test. here is what happen so far. I am using hp5+ pmk @70 10 -20-1000 for 12min in a slosh tray from PF i start with vigorous agitation for the first 30 sec then lift one side of the tray every 15 sec changing side each time then 1min stop bath in plain water then 1min in tf-4 fixer then 2 min in used developer. I am shooting a white towel in even light using zones 3 thru 8. I developed a unexposed sheet to use for a proper proof using the above method. I then print each neg using the time determined by the proper proof. I started with a film speed of 400 for the first set and the zones were off by 1 stop, ie no texture until zone 4 and paper white at zone 8 so I then re shot the zone and developed the same way and printed the zone again this time I got zone 4 at zone 2 and zone 8 at zone 5 what gives ???? is this a developing problem a shutter problem a combination .help.
mitch

Sounds like an exposure or printing issue, if your development is the same, temp and all, and you are using the PMK one shot, as intended. One thing that you can do is drop the after fix developer bath. It doesn't seem to do much except increase overall stain density, which runs from benign to detrimental in its effect. From what I understand GH concurrs.
Do not shoot yourself. Thats the chicken way out.

MurrayMinchin · Nov 13, 2006

Hi Mitch,

Where did you get your information on how to find your personal film speed? As I understand it, (there's MANY theories about this topic!!!!!) film speed tests are done on Zone I, and Normal development time tests are done (after finding your personal film speed) at Zone VIII or VIX.

Also, could you tell us how you do a 'proper proof', as this could be adding more wrinkles to things.

Murray

mitch brown · Nov 14, 2006

the methoid i am using is from john blakemore's b & w photo workshop. my proper proof is done in the regular way of exposeing a test stip in 2 sec int untill min time for max black is found in this case the enlarger is at the hight for a 11x 14 print @f16 2sec exp liford 500 head mxt enlarger.grade 2.
mitch

Papa Tango · Nov 14, 2006

Mitch, when you say that you are a relative newcomer, do you mean to photographic processing, or to APUG? The reason that I ask the question is that if you are new to photography, the system you describe is awfully complex and fraught with variables. JMHO, but it is best to simplify a process in order to learn "stock" characteristics of film and developers in order to branch off to more exotic methodologies. Much easier to learn nuances as practice expands than to be doing half a dozen things and trying to determine which is causing an effect or issue.

Have you tried the "step" exposure method using a common developer yet to see how the film behaves in general? What is your reason for PMK; such as contact printing, etcetera?

mitch brown · Nov 14, 2006

i have been using pmk for the past 2 years. i was taught using a 3qt tupperware containe , putting the film in a yankee film holder using pmy 15 - 30 1000 @ 80 for 11 min w/hp5+ i was trying the slosh trays as possibly a simpler methoid.. so far its a nightmare. i am trying to turn this into a learning experence .
mitch

lee · Nov 14, 2006

I think Murray may be on to it. Personal film speed tests are generally exposed to a Zone I exposure (four stops under your meter reading). That zone should probably print as black also (Zone I) it is hard to determine Zone I using this visual method. If you could get use of a densitometer you could make some exposures and when you find the film that is .10 above film base + fog you have found you personal film speed.

lee\c

MurrayMinchin · Nov 14, 2006

wager123 said:
my proper proof is done in the regular way of exposeing a test stip in 2 sec int untill min time for max black is found...

Sounds right so far.

wager123 said:
...in this case the enlarger is at the hight for a 11x 14 print @f16 2sec exp liford 500 head mxt enlarger.grade 2.

2 seconds 'proper proof' exposure? Was that a typo?

Murray

mitch brown · Nov 14, 2006

it wrote in 2 sec intervals (int) proper proof time is 16sec
mitch

MurrayMinchin · Nov 15, 2006

16 seconds @ f16 sounds better than 2 seconds at f 16.

Testing film speed using Zones III to VIII and not Zone I is a new one on me, so I'm afraid I can't be of any further assistance.

Murray

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