Looking for Delta 100 / PyroCat-HD dev times

I have already looked at the massive development chart and that is probably a good starting point however I want to see what our members are doing with this combination.

Please don't suggest I do my own testing, I've done plenty of that with other films and I just don't have the time for this project.

I only develop my 4x5 negs using hangers so times for tubes are of no use to me.

Thanks for your help.

Eric

Eric,

I've not used hangers but might try 12 minutes @ 24ºC dilution 1+1+100 as a starting point.

Tom

Have you looked at the Unblinking Eye web site, I believe there might be a time listed, or try www.pyrocat-hd.com for more info.

I found Delta 100 times really hard to nail down with Pyrocat and standard starting points did no good. (Basically I'm telling you to do your own testing.)

domaz said:

I found Delta 100 times really hard to nail down with Pyrocat and standard starting points did no good. (Basically I'm telling you to do your own testing.)

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Some difficulty in achieving consistent results with Pyrocat-HD in a Jobo partly contributed to my decision to use D-76 1+1. Pyrocat-HD working strength solution does seem to suffer from reduced activity rather quickly which can be a challenge when trying do run the Jobo while conducting other darkroom tasks. However more recently Sandy King has recommended running Pyrocat-HD as a two bath developer which can be reused within a few hours (i.e. a darkroom session); and I suppose this technique may reduce oxidization issues.

Tom

Yes I had looked at the unblinkingeye but nothing specific to my combo. I have used this combo in the past for night photography but the SBR's are way different for landscape.

Tom Kershaw said:

Some difficulty in achieving consistent results with Pyrocat-HD in a Jobo partly contributed to my decision to use D-76 1+1. Pyrocat-HD working strength solution does seem to suffer from reduced activity rather quickly which can be a challenge when trying do run the Jobo while conducting other darkroom tasks. However more recently Sandy King has recommended running Pyrocat-HD as a two bath developer which can be reused within a few hours (i.e. a darkroom session); and I suppose this technique may reduce oxidization issues.

Tom

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I think it has more to do with Pyrocat with Delta 100. I just could not get a decent time to work consistently. However FP4 works great. Maybe the T-grain films are trickier.

domaz said:

I think it has more to do with Pyrocat with Delta 100. I just could not get a decent time to work consistently. However FP4 works great. Maybe the T-grain films are trickier.

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I experienced some inconsistencies with T-Max 400 in the Jobo as well. However a roll of semi-stand developed 35mm FP4 Plus worked very well.

Tom

Eric, I have 9:00 for 2:2:100 @20C for tray processing.

From experience, 1:1:100, I would 11:00 as a trial, this for silver printing.

I am attaching some H-D curves that I measured with Delta 100 in Pyrocat HD. The details are:

Exposures made in a camera
1+1+100 dilution
120 film in a standard tank
5 min presoak in water
Constant agitation during the first minute of development
5 inversions at 3 min intervals

The curves represent the density with white light (visible). Using the blue channel of my densitometer, the contrast increases to:

10 min: gamma = 0.51
12.5 min: gamma = 0.59
15 min: gamma = 0.67

I have been using 12.5 min with an EI of 100. But, I am using an alternative enlarger with a computer between the lens and the paper, and so I can't say anything about the suitability for silver printing.

Hope this helps,
David

Thanks David that is really awesome. I'm not up on reading the graph, something I guess I should learn I suppose. For my Efke 100 I have it figured out what asa to rate the film at and it corresponding development time all the way from an SBR of 5 to 12. With your wizardry can you come up with something like that??

Eric Rose said:

Thanks David that is really awesome. I'm not up on reading the graph, something I guess I should learn I suppose. For my Efke 100 I have it figured out what asa to rate the film at and it corresponding development time all the way from an SBR of 5 to 12. With your wizardry can you come up with something like that??

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Oh my! I don't really think that you want to start that discussion. For more than anyone (sane) wants to know, see this recent thread:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

But, here is a bit of explanation of the graph that should help. Log(exposure) = 0 represents the metered exposure off of the surface that I used for the test exposures, with my meter set to EI=100. In zonespeak, that would correspond to Zone V; -4 on the graph is Zone I, and +4 is Zone IX. For the middle curve, a SBR of 9 would lead to negative densities from about 0.05 to 1.15, which I think that most people would consider pretty close to "N". If you want more density (and contrast) in Zone I, you can reduce the EI a bit. (I am leaning towards that, myself). The other curves should give you an idea of how much the contrast changes with development times.

David

P.S. All of this depends on the meter used and the person aiming and reading it. I actually think that this is something that is very hard to pin down and makes a lot of the heated arguments of questionable significance, in my opinion of course.

I use Delta100 @64, PyrocatMC 1+1+100 semistand 24minutes, initial agitations 60s, after that each 8 minutes for 15s agitations, got the sharpest film in PMC

I ran some Delta 100 at box speed in Pyrocat-HD 1+1+100 14 mins @20c 3 minute presoak, 30 second initial agitation with 10 second agitation every minute. The negs appeared a tad thin, but print very well. I am going to use 15 minute development next roll to see if I like it any better.

Well Rick, we don't do the whole densitometry thing in the UK, practical testing yes, but similar to yours.

My times for Delta 100 in Pyrocat HD are 15mins @ 80 EI, no pre soak, inversion agitation 10 secs every minute @ 20° C are 15 mins for N (normal) development.

Ian