Running out of HD, M or P?

[Amund]

Not much left of my 1 liter batch of HD now, and I need to order some chemicals. Should I make Pyrocat M or P? Anyone tried both?
I use mainly Efke PL 100 and TXP in 4x5 and 8x10. I develop in trays if I have many negatives, and use a CEP2 when I have just a few unprocessed...

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Not much left of my 1 liter batch of HD now, and I need to order some chemicals. Should I make Pyrocat M or P? Anyone tried both?
I use mainly Efke PL 100 and TXP in 4x5 and 8x10. I develop in trays if I have many negatives, and use a CEP2 when I have just a few unprocessed...

I have compared Pyrocat P with Pyrocat HD and the results ( with TMAX 100, 400, Efke 100 and Efke 25) were virtually identical - though the acutance may be slightly higher with the p-aminophenol version.

I just mixed some of the Gainer/King variant of Pyrocat M (Friday) and will develop some TMax 400 test film (tonight or tomorrow) The test film includes both densitometry and pictorial subjects with fine detail.

BTW, I found the Triethanolamine/Metol/Ascorbic Acid/Propylene Glycol combination quite easy to mix. Then I stirred in the 50 grams of Catechol and added sufficient Propylene Glycol to make 1 liter of stock solution A.

As a sanity check, I mixed 1 ml of Pyrocat M (A) with 1 ml B and 100ml water and used this solution to develop an exposed piece of 35mm Efke 25 - it turned black in a few minutes.

 

[john_s]

I have compared Pyrocat P with Pyrocat HD and the results ( with TMAX 100, 400, Efke 100 and Efke 25) were virtually identical - though the acutance may be slightly higher with the p-aminophenol version................

Tom, have you found the speed to be about the same as HD?

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Tom, have you found the speed to be about the same as HD?

Yes I have, John.