Developer for pinhole negative

[MSchuler]

I've just put together a 4x5 pinhole camera and am wondering what developer to use for the film (Ilford FP4). Since it is large-format, I'm assuming that grain shouldn't be a problem, so a fine-grain developer is logically not necessary. Since the negatives are inherently fuzzy, will a high-accutance developer have any value? Typically I do Pan-F+ in Rodinal or Tri-X in D-76, so I'm at a loss here.

 

[Ryuji]

I think the best is to go by the desired tonality. If the negative is already fuzzy like in the case of pinhole, accutance developer is not going to make a noticeable difference in the actual image accutance. (It does have same influence on the shape of the grain, provided taht you'll blow up by the same factor.) It's probably more useful to get the tonality and latitude ends covered. If you need radical sharpening, that task is better served in digital editing anyway, but before saying that, you should've used modern optics for that purpose anyway.

 

[Ray Heath]

g'day MS

your logic seems sound to me

but i'd consider why did you use a pinhole? to get a different result? if so, go with how you normally develop and print and let the inherent differences show

 

[Jim Jones]

Grain is not an important consideration in much pinhole photography. There tends to be a loss of contrast in photography with an optimal size pinhole. Boosting the effective film speed somewhat reduces long exposure. An active developer fits these conditions. I sometimes use print developer with a prewash for maybe 3 or 4 minutes.

 

[asaphoto]

The best pinhole negs I have gotten were with Kodalith film developed in Bromophen in the darkroom just like i would paper. It is Orthochromatic and slow speed so you don't have to worry about the safelight if you are quick. It worked well for me.