Rollei R3 Film and Pyro; 8x10 R3 film

Mahler_one · Sep 21, 2007

With reference to Rollei R3 film, I wonder if anyone might have some answers to the following questions:

1. Has anyone used Pyro to develop Rollei R3 sheet film? If so, might you be kind enough to supply the parameters you used ( I have a Jobo CPP-2 and will use the expert tanks ) such as time and temperature? Also, might you be willing to share your observations as to the results versus results obtained with other developers and Rollei R3sheet film?

2. I can purchase R3 in 4x5 from several sources. Is 8x10 R3 still available, and if so, from whom?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Edwin

AgX · Sep 21, 2007

In their own price list from March the Mahn company (Maco) offers the R3 in two package sizes in 8x10.

AgX · Sep 22, 2007

Staining and tanning are side effects of pyro (correct me if I'm wrong).

R3 is a 3-layer film reported to be not workable with surface developing chemistry.
Wouldn't a tanning developer hamper the thorough development through all layers?

AgX · Sep 22, 2007

btw: why is this thread in the colour department?

Ian Grant · Sep 22, 2007

Yes, after all staining developer add colour to B&W negs

Yes staining and tanning are the reasons people use Pyro developers, rather than a side effects.

Needs a Mod to move it to the B&W section. Or a Council member to wake a Mod up

Ian

Muihlinn · Sep 22, 2007

Exposing the R3 as low ISO and developing in T&S developer as tanol is reported to work well in the technical documentation, but what's the point on it?

Mahler_one · Sep 22, 2007

AgX said:
btw: why is this thread in the colour department?

sorry....I must have misread the thread header.

edwin

Mahler_one · Sep 22, 2007

Muihlinn said:
Exposing the R3 as low ISO and developing in T&S developer as tanol is reported to work well in the technical documentation, but what's the point on it?

Precisely why I asked.

Thanks.

Edwin

Mahler_one · Sep 22, 2007

AgX said:
Staining and tanning are side effects of pyro (correct me if I'm wrong).

R3 is a 3-layer film reported to be not workable with surface developing chemistry.
Wouldn't a tanning developer hamper the thorough development through all layers?

Thanks for the clarification. Appreciated.

Edwin

Fotohuis · Sep 22, 2007

From the R3 data sheet:

This is where the special features of ROLLEI R³ come in.
By proper choice of the developer, the user has unprecedented control over the result.
Experience has shown that photographers first trials of Rollei R³ frequently were unsatisfactory.
This is why we would like to provide some basic information directed at both photographers and darkroom technicians:
The new ROLLEI R³ is a multilayer film. It therefore calls for comparatively strong exposure if it is to be processed in a professional laboratory instead of by the photographer.
In home processing, prewashing is essential.
ROLLEI R³ will give unsatisfactory results if development was too short in relation to exposure.
The following should therefore be noted:
Too short a development will give rise to very coarse grain and very thin negatives in short, an unsatisfactory result.
If development was within certain limits too long, however, no photochemical drawbacks will be encountered, except perhaps for steeper gradation and, as a result, minimization of the extremely rich tonal rendering.

We can just underline these remarks.
Best results I had indeed with the RHS/AM74 (1+7 - 1+9) and RLS/CG512 (1+4) developers.

PHOTOTONE · Oct 1, 2007

Uh, ALL modern b/w films (with the exception of Efke/Adox) are multi-layer emulsions, certainly Tri-x and T-max films, all of Ilfords b/w films, Fuji Neopan films, Acros, etc., they are all multi-layer films, and all of these do just fine in Pyro type of developer solutions. I know, I have processed most of them myself in my own darkroom. Why would the Rollei R3 be any different in its reaction to Pyro? I can't see it. While one may need to use "special" developers to gain some of the "features" advertised for the R3 film, the fact is, if it is a silver-based emulsion it will work with Pyro.

Muihlinn · Oct 2, 2007

IMHO, when you're buying a roll of R3 you're paying for a lot more than you can get out of it with pyro. I don't think that you can get a dense negative with it, if it is what you're looking for, and my own tests with this developer didn't lead to anything useful, althought it was useable.

AgX · Oct 2, 2007

About that layer issue: A third party photochemist was asked about the usefullness of one of his developers (which worked very well on those films Phototone mentioned above) on the R3 and he replied that the layer structure of the R3 makes it different from other films regarding suitable developers.

Rollei R3 Film and Pyro; 8x10 R3 film

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