First time using Pyrocat HD - A little help

[hblad120]

I just processed my first rolls of film using Pyrocat HD with mixed results. Before I go into detail let me give you some background of the equipment I shoot with and enlarge by.

Cameras: Rolliflex, Zeiss Icon, Leica M3
Film: Tri X and Verichrome (120), HP5 and Efke (35mm)
Enlarger: Omega D2, Cold light, V54 lamp
Paper: Ilford VC WT and MG IV

I am still in the process of learning how to process my own film and generally speaking I am pleased with my results thus far, though I admit to having lots to learn. I processed about have of my film until my Rodinal ran out. I use small tanks, distilled water, and semi stand development. Although my negs were slightly underexposed I still had a lot of detail in most negs and was able to get good, strong prints using either a #3.5 or #4 filter.

Now that I was out of Rodinal I decided to swith to Pyrocat HD after some researching information on APUG and the Unblinking Eye. Based on my research and considering the equipment I use I started processing my Tri X at 10 minutes. This takes into consideration my use of a small tank and the fact that I print using a cold light. I was shooting for a CI of .58 using Sandy King's chart.

Nice looking negs. However, I found that I had to stop down my enlarging lens to F11 in order to get a print time of 8 seconds. I was still using the same filters as before, but my prints were the best of the lot. Great detail in the mid values in particular. What can I do in the future to get my prints to develop using a #2 or #2.5 filter?

The Verichrome yielded different results. I used the development times suggested by Ed Buffalo in the Unblinking Eye. My mid values were all compressed into a battleship grey on the print. There was absolutely no mid value detail at all on the print (it was there on the neg) and I could never get any separation at all even when I used a number 5 filter. The grain was very soft and never really snapped into focus using a grain focuser. Is Verichrome not a good choice for this developer or do I need to make an adjustment in my times? I have a few more rolls to process but I don't want to ruin them.

 

[Claire Senft]

I use Pyrocat HD almost exclusively. I do not use any of the films mentioned.
I have a couple of sugesstions.

Set up your 35mm camera outside in light that is relatively typical of you 'normal' scene. Load your camera with a 35mm film. Shoot the entire 36 exposure roll of film at the same settings. I would advise setting the fim speed on your exposure meter 1/3 stop higher than what you used previously. Mix your Pyrocat HD as you did previously. In the dark take your film from the cassette. Snip off a portion that would be approximately the leader amount.
Hold the roll of film and double it up Cut it in the middle. Take your two pieces of film and put one over the other. Cut them in the middle again. You now have four pieces of film each with approximately 9 exposures each.
If you have a tank deep enough to take four reels: Load a piece of film onto each reel. Follow you previous method. If you had originally used 10 minutes of time then start at 12 minutes. After 12 minutes remove one reel. At one minute increments remove another reel. Put each reel into a mild stopbath
and fix them all the same time. If you can only do one reel at a time then do four runs. Use your developer one shot. Now you have film that has been
developed at 12, 13, 14, and 15 minutes. This should be enough to get you to a lower numbered filter. It should, I would guess, move you from a 3.5-4 filter to a 2-2.5 filter. Print each negative. Which gives you the best scene rendition? This of course is also dependent on what is pleasing to your eye.
How do you like to see the world? You could do something similar with your 120 film and cut it into pieces. For 120 film perhaps two rolls and cutting each roll of film in half would work best.

In doing this work I would recommend that if you have an incident light meter that you take 2 readings of Your scene. 1 in the sun lit area, 1 in the shadowed area. From my experience, which is mostly scenics in the city, I find a difference between lit and shadowed areas to be about 2.5 to 3 stops of difference. For your exposure settings take your shadowed reading at double the normal film speed and use that setting for determing your exposure. The exposure meter should be held with the dome pointing to the camera. If your camera is in the sunlit area you could take the reading in your shadow with the dome pointed at the camera. If you do not own an Incident meter the take reflective readings from a gray card. It is very important that you know the difference between sunlit and shadow readings.
When you have done your tests and are going to take new photos the difference between lit and unlit areas will tell you whether to increase or decrease your development time for that scene. I would recommend for best control that you bulk load short rolls of 35mm about 18 inches is enough for approximately 6 erxposures. For 120 I would recommend using 1/2 roll for each scene. Of course I am almost always using a tripod photographing static subjects. Your methods may be entirely different. You may wish to use a single development time for a group of many different scenes on a single roll. Pyrocat HD will do this as well as any other developer.

Suggestion number two would be to go to a lighting store and buy an inline bulb dimmer..$12.00 approximately. I do noy know how well this will work with your cold light unit. It works very nicely with a regular bulb for a condenser enlarger. The bulb will allow you to dim your light so that you can use an exposure time that is to your liking. If the dimmer does not work well with your coldlight unit then you will need to get an ND filter. If you use a polyester filter if could be sandwiched with your VC filter. From what you described an ND .6..2 stops of density.. filter should allow you to use 5.6 @ 8 seconds.
You also could use a glass filter that would screw into your enlarging lens instead of using a filter with your VC filters. If you prefer an exposure time longer than 8 seconds an ND .9 would put you into the 11 second area and and ND 1.2 filter 16 second area. Since you are using premium quality cameras I assume you are using a premium quality enlarging lens. A top notch enlarging lens for 35mm will work better for you at 5.6 than at 11.

If it sounds to you as if I have given you a big homework assignment I would just say that what I have reccommended is the minimum amount of work necessary to get where you want to go quickly.

Best of luck.

 

[avandesande]

Dimmer will not work with a florescent bulb, which is what's in a cold light.

 

[lee]

I have a coldlight Aristo VCL 4500 that has a dimmer on it. Came from Aristo.

lee\c

 

[mgb74]

Most of your "typical" household light dimmers will not work for fluorescent bulbs. There are special dimmers that will work with fluorescent lighting - not sure if it will work with a coldlight.

 

[vet173]

For semi stand development, I use 1.5:1:200 with Fp-4 23 min @ 72. CI: .70