Question: Tips on how to use Ilford FP4+ roll film.

Ian Grant · Mar 11, 2013

Pyrocat-P

L Gebhardt said:
I'm not a chemist, but I imagine you could combine catechol with Rodinal. No idea what the results would be like. Let us know when you try it

Sandy King published a version of Pyrocat with p-Aminophenol which is the developing agent used in Rodinal.

Pyrocat-P

Stock A
Distilled Water at 120ºF 750ml
Sodium Metabisulfite 10.0g
p-Aminophenol 5.0g
Pyrocatechin 50g
Potassium Iodide 1.0g

Water to 1000ml

In practice Pyrocat HD is like Rodinal on steroids, I use if for all formats and B&W films.

Ian

StoneNYC · Mar 11, 2013

L Gebhardt said:
I'm not a chemist, but I imagine you could combine catechol with Rodinal. No idea what the results would be like. Let us know when you try it

Ok send me some with proportion instructions and I'll do it lol

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

StoneNYC · Mar 11, 2013

Ian Grant said:
Sandy King published a version of Pyrocat with p-Aminophenol which is the developing agent used in Rodinal.

Pyrocat-P

Stock A
Distilled Water at 120ºF 750ml
Sodium Metabisulfite 10.0g
p-Aminophenol 5.0g
Pyrocatechin 50g
Potassium Iodide1.0g

Water to 1000ml

In practice Pyrocat HD is like Rodinal on steroids, I use if for all formats and B&W films.

Ian

Thanks, but, you listed stock A

Is there more to this formula I'm not seeing? Is there a stock B?

If this us the final formula I'll collect the ingredients and give it a try, but I thought the pyro type developers all had 2 parts? That's why I DON'T like them, I prefer one "simple syrup" that sits in a bottle waiting for me

Any longevity info on mixed stock of this?

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

StoneNYC · Mar 11, 2013

Michael R 1974 said:
Stone - Ian only gave the formula for stock A because all the Pyrocats have the same Potassium Carbonate B solution (the alkali):

Distilled Water 750 ml
Potassium Carbonate 750 g
Distilled Water to make 1000ml

Developers containing Pyro and Catechol generally need to be kept or packaged as two-part developers, with the alkali as part B because those developing agents oxidize quite quickly in an alkaline environment - particularly at the relatively high pH of Carbonate (which is the most common alkali system used in Pyro/Cat staining developers). Adding to that problem is the very low amount of preservative in a typical Pyro/Cat developer, which is a requirement for there to be significant imagewise staining.

The keeping properties of the separate A and B solutions are usually quite good when dealing with the most well known modern staining formulas (PMK, Wimberley, Pyrocat). Usually part B will keep for a long time. Part A shelf life varies depending on storage and how full the bottle is. To increase the shelf life of part A, some people prefer to mix Pyrocat in glycol.

There are a few one-solution Pyro/Cat developers. I haven't used any of that type, but if you want to experiment you might want to try something like Sandy King's "Pyro Uno" which has one stock solution (in Triethanolamine or "TEA") you dilute for use:

TEA 75 ml
Ascorbic acid 1.4 g
Pyrogallol 3.4 g
Metol 0.4 g
TEA to make 100 ml

There is also Gordon Hutchings's "Simple Pyro", one of his early trial formulas in the eventual development of PMK. He wrote an article about it recently in View Camera. It is again mixed in TEA and diluted for use. The formula is not set in stone but the "stock" solution is just TEA and Pyrogallol. You dilute it with water and add a pinch of Sulfite.

OK I THINK I understand, thanks, I'll look further into this, I think I'll only end up with ONE trial developer right now, sometimes I wish I were more organized with this stuff, I've started a film for home made chems, but I'm not always at the computer and 90% on my phone so it's hard to keep track of stuff as the feeds keep scrolling... lol, totally an issue I take with society as it is now, but that's how it is, I need to adapt

TheToadMen · Mar 12, 2013

Michael R 1974 said:
I agree one trial developer is enough. And you can stick with whatever you're currently using. Pyro or Catechol won't do anything remarkable.

You're probably right. You made me thinking about my own plans.
I think - for now - that I limit myself to testing & comparing Ilford FP4+ in "regular" developers like Ilfosol 3, Rodinal, LC29 and Id-11 before I dive into the world of Pyro.
When I figured these developers out (and made my choice of preference) then I can expand to experimenting with Pyro developers.
First of all, Pyro developers don't seem to be available in The Netherlands (Holland) and I don't want to start my own pharmacy yet. And second, using Pyro will be a whole study & experiment in itself. And if Kodak Tri-X works well in Pyro also, I would like to test that in combination with Pyro first, since Ilford FP4+ is a new film to me. Too much new variables is never a smart thing.

For now I'll start with FP4+ in Rodinal and ID-11 at first (I think). Rodinal I've used before and ID-11 seems to be a benchmark.
I wonder if ID-11 will help me overcome my dislike of powder developers??
Is it wise to mix the ID-11 powder into a liquid developer one day before using it, so it can dissolve better over night?

DREW WILEY · Mar 12, 2013

It works for me far better in PMK pyro rather than 76. But either way, I rate it at 50 to get it off the toe
and acquire decent shadow gradation. It's a very versatile film, but a very different look than Tri-X
(which is gritty by comparison).

ivan73 · Mar 15, 2013

it s very nice in 510-Pyro full speed, beautiful tonality in Pyrocat-HD @50-100 (depends on the contrast) but really good is also in A49 (1+1 or 1+1,5 dilution).... I was never dissapointed.

Question: Tips on how to use Ilford FP4+ roll film.

Ian Grant

StoneNYC

StoneNYC

StoneNYC

TheToadMen

DREW WILEY

ivan73

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