Pyrocat-HD with Zone VI VC enlarger

I'm getting some really weird things happening when I enlarger my 8x10 negs that have been in Pyro-HD. When I check my shadow detail with the hard setting I get a very contrasty print. Okay thats normal, but when I do my soft test using max setting with my hard exposure first I get this very flat print. Example hard setting @ 7sec. then soft exposure @3 sec. came out very flat. change the soft setting to #F and .5 sec. still very flat.It seems any time i use the Soft setting it cancels the contrast. If I use just the contrast setting I get a contrasty pic which you should.

Is anyone having this problem with VC paper and pyro-HD?

I haven't experienced what you relate. It sounds as if you are split filter printing. Normally when I split print, I use the soft exposure (green light) first to arrive at the exposure I want for my highlights and then the hard exposure (blue light) to establish my contrast.

Are you new at printing? The reason that I ask is that your post seems to be addressing something that most printers with experience would know how to deal with. The soft light (green)will not kill contrast as you indicated provided you adjust your high contrast (blue) properly.

If you know this or know how to test for it, what is the density range of your negatives? If your negatives are of too low a density range to match the exposure scale of the paper that you have chosen then split filter printing will not work very well. Split filter printing is usually most applicable to negatives that have a slightly higher density range then the exposure scale of the paper that you are using.

Are you saying that this only happens with Pyrocat-HD negatives and that other negatives work properly with the head and VC paper?

Don,
I have been doing VC almost as long as it has been on the market. Second I have been doing split print for a long time. ( maybe longer than the the name that someone came up with). I have been trying reversing the process for the last several months to see if working it the way you think with your negatives would work. So far I have had great success. BUT I have no problem with a twin negative developed it HC-110. Just the pryocat. I was hoping to use pyrocat with Azo and Ilford VC paper.
I have read Sandy Kings articles on VC paper. But this is very different from that.

Chuck,
I think I anwsered your question above
Mike

michael9793 said:

Don,
I have been doing VC almost as long as it has been on the market. Second I have been doing split print for a long time. ( maybe longer than the the name that someone came up with). I have been trying reversing the process for the last several months to see if working it the way you think with your negatives would work. So far I have had great success. BUT I have no problem with a twin negative developed it HC-110. Just the pryocat. I was hoping to use pyrocat with Azo and Ilford VC paper.
I have read Sandy Kings articles on VC paper. But this is very different from that.

Chuck,
I think I anwsered your question above
Mike

Click to expand...

While I have no answers for you, I watching this thread. I have a ZoneVI enlarger with a VC head and just purchased some Pyrocat to start testing.

Ron,
I will let you know how some other negatives I have developed in pyro-cat turn out. I'm hoping it's # one of two other things.
1) contaminated paper developer to cause this type of thing ( since no one else has had this problem)
2) problems with the 8x10 VC head I have ( mostly with the soft settings)

When I get a chance I will print some other prints I have.

Mike