High Constrast B&W Film

[hortense]

Since Kodak no longer makes Tech Pan 4 x 5 film, I was wondering if anyone has any experience using Arista APHS Ortho Litho Film? The purpose of my mission is for my next trip where I will be photographing pictographs and petroglyphs that require very high contrast film to properly capture. However, Arista states that this film should be developed in "A&B" chemicals (whatever this is?). My experience has been that good old HC110 works for about everything?
Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[KenS]

However, Arista states that this film should be developed in "A&B" chemicals (whatever this is?).

Lith A/B was (is?) the standard Kodak lith developer

My experience has been that good old HC110 works for about everything?

HC110 Dilution A, D19 or Dektol should provide a high enough contrast.

Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

Other than Lith film you should be able to get a reasonably high enough contrast with Plus x or even Pan F in D19

Ken

 

[Donald Miller]

Since Kodak no longer makes Tech Pan 4 x 5 film, I was wondering if anyone has any experience using Arista APHS Ortho Litho Film? The purpose of my mission is for my next trip where I will be photographing pictographs and petroglyphs that require very high contrast film to properly capture. However, Arista states that this film should be developed in "A&B" chemicals (whatever this is?). My experience has been that good old HC110 works for about everything?
Any help and suggestions would be appreciated.

I have worked with this film in masking applications using Dektol in dilutions ranging from 1-10 (sharp masks) to 1-30 (unsharp masks). This film has the capability of producing continuous tone negatives with that developer. A&B developer would have the capability of producing very high contrasts with this film...perhaps higher then you want for pictorial applications. I would think that this developer application with this film would dump the midtone values.

I believe that Jim Galli uses this film in camera. You might want to check with him on his procedure. I understand that most rate it at between EI 3 and EI 6 when used in camera.

 

[noseoil]

Hortense, you might give Efke 25 a try in 4x5. It builds contrast readily and will work with regular developers. I've had good luck with both PMK and Pyrocat. It isn't sensative to reds, so depending on your background color, it may or may not work with the petroglyphs. Here's a link to the data which shows a curve for development giving plenty of contrast. Try running it fairly slowly to kick it up off of the toe, no problem with premature shouldering, as it has enough on top to build contrast. tim

http://www.jandcphotography.com/efkedata.htm

 

[Donald Qualls]

Kodak Imagelink is available in 4x5 sheets from J&C Photo. It's a microfilm very similar to Tech Pan except for lacking the extended red sensitivity. It can be developed to pictorial contrast using a low contrast developer (J&C sell a couple sutable ones, though I've found HC-110 G and Caffenol LC to work well with the 16 mm version), but in a strong developer it will easily get to 1000:1 contrast. Pictorial speed is about EI 25 to 32; high contrast speed is probably very similar to what you'd expect from Tech Pan in the same process.

 

[hortense]

Don
Thank you for the reply and the Jim Galli contact. It sounds to me that this Ortho/Litho film would work. I'll try it and see if I need to dilute it if neccessary to avoid excessive contrast.