Perfection Micrograin Film Developer

Does anyone have any specs/info on this? I procured a bottle of 80 tablets -- to make "up to 7-1/2 gallons". It's purportedly for getting continuous tone out of high contrast films. the tablets look to be in good shape and I thought I'd give it a try.

Whooops --- it's PERFECTION micrograin .. I missed the P.

Title fixed.

Some decades ago there was a company which produced Perfection XR-1 developer which fits your use description. APAIK it was never supplied in tablet form. Many, many decades ago Burroughs & Welcome made a developer that was supplied in tablet form. Logical since they were also a drug manufacturer. Other than that I haven't a clue.

Perfection Micrograin was in tablet form, and per the bottle I have, was supplied by Perfection Photographic Products Inc., Beverly Hills, CA. I wish I had a formula for this stuff.

I checked my notes and Perfection XR-1 is similar to the two formulas given below which appeared in US Patent 4083722 assigned to William Alexander Annerman of Sun Valley, CA on Jan 17, 1977. The notes also say that XR-1 was the fourth developer marketed under this patent. So perhaps an earlier developer was supplied in tablet form. There should be instructions for other films on the web.

Distilled water (50°C) …………………………………………… 750 ml
Metol ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ……………………………………………… 30.0 g
Phenidone ……………………………………………………………………………… 1.5 g
Hydroquinone ……………………………………………………………………… 0.5 g
Borax ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.75 g
Distilled water to make ………………………………………… 1.0 l

Formula B

Distilled water (50°C) …………………………………………… 750 ml
Metol ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ……………………………………………… 30.0 g
Phenidone ……………………………………………………………………………… 1.75 g
Hydroquinone ……………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Borax ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.5 g
Distilled water to make ………………………………………… 1.0 l

Development Times

Manufacturer Film EFS Dil 30°C

Agfa Agfapan 100 400 1+3 15 min
Agfapan 400 1600 FS 20 min
Ilford Pan F 100 1+9 12 min
Kodak Plus-X 400 1+3 17 min
Tri-X roll 1600 1+1 15 min

Gerald C Koch said:

I checked my notes and Perfection XR-1 is similar to the two formulas given below which appeared in US Patent 4083722 assigned to William Alexander Annerman of Sun Valley, CA on Jan 17, 1977. [snip]

Click to expand...

The patent for this brew claims films can be pushed 3-4 stops, with good results.
Has anyone tried this?

Mark Overton

They look pretty similar to a standard POTA developer, with the added MQ, HQ and Borax in almost negligible quantities. That would increase a bit the film speed I suppose.

Gerald C Koch said:

I checked my notes and Perfection XR-1 is similar to the two formulas given below which appeared in US Patent 4083722 assigned to William Alexander Annerman of Sun Valley, CA on Jan 17, 1977. The notes also say that XR-1 was the fourth developer marketed under this patent. So perhaps an earlier developer was supplied in tablet form. There should be instructions for other films on the web.

Distilled water (50°C) …………………………………………… 750 ml
Metol ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ……………………………………………… 30.0 g
Phenidone ……………………………………………………………………………… 1.5 g
Hydroquinone ……………………………………………………………………… 0.5 g
Borax ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.75 g
Distilled water to make ………………………………………… 1.0 l

Formula B

Distilled water (50°C) …………………………………………… 750 ml
Metol ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ……………………………………………… 30.0 g
Phenidone ……………………………………………………………………………… 1.75 g
Hydroquinone ……………………………………………………………………… 0.25 g
Borax ………………………………………………………………………………………… 0.5 g
Distilled water to make ………………………………………… 1.0 l

Development Times

Manufacturer Film EFS Dil 30°C

Agfa Agfapan 100 400 1+3 15 min
Agfapan 400 1600 FS 20 min
Ilford Pan F 100 1+9 12 min
Kodak Plus-X 400 1+3 17 min
Tri-X roll 1600 1+1 15 min

Click to expand...

I think as well the examples are the actual working strength solutions, the concentrate would be 4 times the weights (for 1+3 dilution), If you diluted the the two examples 1+3 as they are you would have a very weak, slow acting, developers whereas the imes seem about right if they were used full strength.

Crawley published a few Metol, Phenidone, Hydroquinone developers, FX4, FX6, FX7, FX8 & FX15 but it's unusual for the major manufacturers to use 3 developing agents in the same developer.

Ian

Dear newcan1,

Here is a nice page describing XR-1. Not really what you're looking for but it did a great job pushing Tri-X. Maybe it will help you in your quest.

Neal Wydra

Ian, I think you are right. I have a package of XR-1 and it certainly has more chemicals in it than the formula indicates. I'll have to locate it and check its weight.
From the patent disclosure,

Using a Nikon 55 Millimeter Micro camera and 35 millimeter Eastman Kodak High Contrast Copy film, two groups containing 36 exposures each were made at each of the following speeds: ASA 12, ASA 25, and ASA 50. All exposures were made at a lens opening of f/11, and all were made outdoors on a bright, sunny day. Each exposure included brightly lit areas, areas including varying degrees of shadow detail, a number of signs bearing printed material of various sizes and colors and clear, blue sky in the background to examine and evaluate film grain. The two groups were developed in developers containing the following compositions:

INGREDIENT A B
1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone 1.50 1.75
hydroquinone 0.50 0.25
p-methylaminophenolsulfate 0.25 0.25
sodium sulfite 30.00 30.00
borax 0.75 0.50
water (distilled) to make 1 liter to make 1 liter

The ASA 25 exposures exhibited resolving power in the order of 90 to 200 linear lines per millimeter, an extremely high degree of sharpness, and the full scale of well-defined gray tones from absolute white to complete black. All colors were recorded in an appropriate shade of gray and were accurately reproduced. A contrast ratio was obtained which enabled prints to be made on Grade No. 2 enlarging paper. Grain was undetectable in prints enlarged to 8 by 10 inches in size. No sacrifice in quality was observed in prints measuring 20 by 30 inches, which represents magnification of approximately 20 times the original negative size. Similar results were obtained from negatives made from exposures at ASA 12 except for a slight loss on the highlight end of the gray scale and a one paper grade increase in contrast. Negatives made at ASA 50 exhibited a slight loss of shadow area detail and a one paper grade decrease in contrast.

Ian Grant said:

I think as well the examples are the actual working strength solutions, the concentrate would be 4 times the weights (for 1+3 dilution), If you diluted the the two examples 1+3 as they are you would have a very weak, slow acting, developers whereas the imes seem about right if they were used full strength.

Click to expand...

I checked with the article on unblingeye website and formula a was used at dilutions 1+5 to 1+7 with development times from 12 to 20 min depending on the film. So it appears that the formulas given are for a concentrate solution. The contributor said the formula gave very good results.

I found my package of Pefection and it is Micrograin. The foil package contains 4.5 oz of powder to make 1 gal and is manufactured in Beverly Hills, CA. The package says that it is intended for Kodak High Contrast Copy Film. No tablets for this version.

I would like to be able to produce a suitable developer for Kodak High Contrast Copy, Imagelink, andtechnical pan using chmicals I have on hand. I have a lifetime supply of metol and hydroquinone so would like to start there. I have borax, sodium sulphite, boric acid etc. I have a formula for "Burton 195" - would that be suitable for continuous tone from such films?

I would suggest either of the two Perfection XR-1 versions or the H&W Control formula. You will need to get some Phenidone but most of the suitable developers require this developing agent.

The Burton developer tends to produce a higher Gamma than is usually redommended for pictorial work. For a lower Gamma you need a developer which uses Phenidone.

Here's an XR-1 thread I started 10 years ago--

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

I experimented with it for a while, but settled on Acufine as my speed developer of choice.