Pan F in PC-TEA

[mongo141]

Well, a search of various archives has not provided an answer so maybe someone here will have a clue. I need a start time for Pan F roll films in PC-TEA @ 1:50. Anyone care to venture some info? All of a sudden I seem to have about 1000 ft of the stuff in 35mm. Thanks, Dave

 

[Lee L]

I've had several recommendations to do most films in PC-TEA at the same times as D-76 stock, but also had a note from another member here with some experience that Pan-F is a little contrasty at straight D-76 times. Maybe starting at the recommended times for D-76 (or ID-11) straight, with a time shortened to something like an N-1 would be a good place to start.

I haven't done the combo myself, although it's on my to-do list. Let us know what you find.

Lee

 

[mongo141]

I've had several recommendations to do most films in PC-TEA at the same times as D-76 stock, but also had a note from another member here with some experience that Pan-F is a little contrasty at straight D-76 times. Maybe starting at the recommended times for D-76 (or ID-11) straight, with a time shortened to something like an N-1 would be a good place to start.

I haven't done the combo myself, although it's on my to-do list. Let us know what you find.

Lee

Hi Lee, Thats kind of what I have been thinking. I was going to start at 9 min. W /agitation for the first 15 sec and 4 flips every min. thereafter. Dave

 

[mongo141]

Hi Lee, Thats kind of what I have been thinking. I was going to start at 9 min. W /agitation for the first 15 sec and 4 flips every min. thereafter. Dave

Well maybe I got lucky. PC-TEA @1:50, 20C for 9 min. gave me some nice looking negatives. I haven't had a chance to print any but looking at them and an identical strip under the enlarger @ 8x10 enlargement with a grain magnifier look the same as a strip dev. in Xtol @ 1:1. Dave

 

[mongo141]

Dave, your impression of PC-TEA grain is in line with my own. I find PC-TEA to produce results very similar to, if a bit sharper than Xtol 1:1. All in all, very comparable.

Jay

Hi Jay, I really like XTOL but making up a 5 l. package of the stuff and properly storing it til its gone requires a lot of fooling around. By the time I get down to the last Liter of the stuff I am worried about it maybe having died so its test, test. I usually don't shoot anything smaller than MF but I have a LOT of Pan F 35mm on hand and if I can get nice 8X10 prints out of it I will be happy. Dave

 

[mongo141]

Hi Dave.

I also have tons of PF+ in 35mm, and my favorite developer for that film and format is 510-Pyro. I devedlop PF+ EI 50 in 510-Pyro 1:100/6min/70F with continuous agitation. Sharpness is excellent and grain is very fine. PC-TEA is an excellent developer as well, and more than capable of beautiful 8x10 prints from 35mm PF+ negs. If you have the ingredients to make up PC-TEA, you only need to add pyrogallol to make 510-Pyro. Good luck, and enjoy.

Jay

Hi Jay, I looked up your article on 510-Pyro and I think I will give it a try also. I am using a New Beseler 23 CIII diffusion VC head enlarger ( my first new enlarger in 20+ years) with a Zone Master II exposure meter so I am still climbing the learning curve that comes with a new piece of equipment. The thing has Blue/Green dial in filtering so using that with 510-Pyro might prove interesting. Dave