Developer for long tonal scale on e.g. Fomapan 200

[koraks]

For the record, dev time for Fomapan 200 at box speed in PC-512 Borax 1+50 is about 5.5 minutes at 20C. Which is pretty short already. I personally find it a bit hard to get repeatable results below 5 mins.

Sure, but this means my starting time would be 11 minutes. I don't want normal development for this purpose. I need N+{insane} development.

@Vaughn and @Andrew O'Neill thanks, these things would indeed help to get a slight contrast increase on negatives that are already well-cooked. I'll keep them in mind!

 

[relistan]

Relistan I'd love to try out your developer, any reputable sources for the chemicals needed in Ireland or the EU?

Hey, great. The best source for real photo chemistry in Europe that I know of is Fototechnik Suvatlar in Hamburg, Germany. He doesn’t have a website but his price list is on Wolfgang Moersch’s site. You can then email Suvatlar and he’ll put stuff in the post.

https://www.moersch-photochemie.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Preisliste-online-2023.pdf

His email is on the last page. He’s very reliable. Good luck!

 

[relistan]

Sure, but this means my starting time would be 11 minutes. I don't want normal development for this purpose. I need N+{insane} development.

Ok, sorry apparently I didn’t understand. I thought you were saying you needed something like density range of like 0.4-2.6. If so, that seems achievable in fewer than 11 mins. Would guess more like 7.5-8. The time I used for 5.5 mins was about max density 2.2. But I haven’t tried it longer and yeah you might need restrainer and then more time. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t need restrainer.

 

[koraks]

Ah thanks, that does sound promising indeed!

 

[DREW WILEY]

Foma 200 is a poor film choice for expanded development, I'd say, anything more than N+1. When the late Michael Smith was seeking a substitute for discontinued Super-XX, he described this limitation of Foma 200 to me over the phone using certain bold expletives I can't repeat here. He was, of course, a well known contact printer who standardized on Gr 2 Azo, and needed contrasty negatives.

If you get too much lift of toe density when attempting expanded development, an option or supplement to KBr restrainer would be a minute or two in a mild solution of Farmer's Reducer, followed by re-fixing.