Efke 25 vs Pan F+

[Snapper]

I've been using Efke 25 quite a bit recently, but have got a bit fed up with it. As well as being fragile, difficult to handle, the 120 rolls being a bit on the short side and a bit leaky around the edges, I have also found that I'm getting staining on the negatives which look a bit like drying marks but seem to be in the negative and show up markedly on the print. I have fixed/washed for the usual time - does Efke require extra fixing/washing? Has anyone else experienced the stains (I develop in Rodinal)? Don't get me wrong - the results from unstained negs are great, but there seem to be too many drawbacks.

So I tried out Ilford Pan F+ and compared them (non-scientifically!). The prints look very similar and the grain (what little there is) looks the same at 9x9 under the finder, but the film handles well and develops easily.

Any comments on how similar these films are and the pro's/con's of each?

 

[noblebeast]

Hi Snapper,

I went from Pan F+ to the Efke after hearing so much about it and after working with a few rolls in 120 and 35mm immediately got online and ordered a bunch more Pan F+. I didn't experience the stains you are talking about, but the fragility of the Efke is a pain. And no matter how careful I have been handling the film I still end up with small bits of emulsion missing. I also found that the Efke was not nearly as sharp as the Pan F+, and I was not all that pleased with the tonality. I know other people here have gotten very pleasing results with Efke, and based on that I might experiment with it some more, but for the important shots I'll be sticking with the Ilford - I've used for landscapes in all sorts of light and with studio portraits and have yet to feel let down.

Don't know if this answers your question, but I was just so happy to find a topic that I had some real-world experience with...

Joe

 

[k_jupiter]

If they made PanF+ in 4x5 I would use it. They don't, so it's Efke25 in 4x5 and PanF+ in 120.


tim in san jose

 

[noseoil]

Snapper, are you doing a presoak with your Efke 25? If not, this may be the cause of uneven development. Try 2 minutes.

Try it with PMK and see what you get for sharp prints.

 

[Snapper]

Please, please, someone give me some timimgs for Efke 120 in pmk - I can't find them anywhere.

Will try the presoak next time.

 

[clogz]

Hello Snapper,
I have never used any Efke film myself but I remember reading the following advice in the Fotoimpex brochure: the film speed on the box is the real speed, temperature of dev. is critical, do not overdevelop and a hardening fixer is strongly recommended.
Hope this helps. www.fotoimpex.de
Hans

 

[noseoil]

Snapper,

Try Efke 25 at asa 12. Use a 2 minute presoak in distilled water or tap water if it is filtered and clean. Use an "N" time with PMK and 1:2:100 dilution at 7 minutes (actually, add 30 seconds to this "N" time for presoak compensation, so you will have 7:30 total time). Do your first 30 seconds with continuous agitation. Next, do two inversions (rollfilm, not sheet film) every 15 seconds for the duration of development (about 5 seconds every 15 seconds). Water stop bath with agitation for one minute. Use an alkaline fixer (don't add hardener, no acid please).

Do not use the PMK afterbath. Wash in clean water for 10:00, hang and dry. Be careful with your handling of this film, it will scratch with careless technique.

Find a shot with plenty of contrast (I enjoy lots of chrome on motorcycles as a good test of contrast) and just meter off of your gray card. Try different lighting to get an idea of this film's abilities on a test roll and tell us what you think. Best luck. tim

 

[Snapper]

Thanks for the info. I'll give it a go - I still have 10 rolls of the stuff left before I switch to Pan F+!

What fixers are alkaline - I usually use Ilford fixer?

Is distilled water essential for the pre-soak? Will good old UK tap water be ok?

 

[RAP]

Pan F+ in Rodinal is a great combo. Very sharp and fine grain. I shoot ASA 12 to 25 and process dilution 1/100, about 8 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 inversions/30 secs. Personal times may vary.

EFKE I have never tried.

 

[Doug Bennett]

Snapper,

Perhaps the most commonly available alkaline fixer is Photographer's Formulary TF-4. It's now my only fixer, and I highly recommend it, especially if you are using fiber paper. No more hypo clear, no more long wash times. For film and paper, I simply use developer, water stop, and TF-4. Makes life easy.

 

[Flotsam]

I've never compared them side to side but I use Efke 50 120 in D76 1:1 and Pan F 35mm in FG7 and I love them both. The has a wonderful tonal range under artificial lights and I haven't had any problems with physical damage.

 

[wdemere]

Please, please, someone give me some timimgs for Efke 120 in pmk - I can't find them anywhere.

Will try the presoak next time.

See Ed Buffaloe's article at:

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Developers/Times_PMK/times_pmk.html

 

[noseoil]

Snapper, as an afterthought, since you are shooting in the U.K. and may not have as much sun as I do here in Tucson, consider an N+1 development if there is a very overcast sky or flat light. If you add about 22% to your times, you will be very close to N+1 with Efke 25 and PMK. I use this in landscapes here in the desert if there is no real white in the scene. A yellow filter and N+1 development will help with that extra bit of contrast you may need in some shots. The hard part with this development is that you are using roll film and not sheet film. In 4x5 or 8x10 it is much easier to control development on a shot to shot basis.

Please let us know how things go with your trials and tribulations.