(What follows are my observations. They are subjective. They are the result of looking at finished prints. They have not been verified by 12 digit precision densitometers, electron microscopy, spectrum analysis, or corrected for quantum mechanical effects ...)
For the past 5 years or so,I have almost exclusively been using Pyrocat-HD/HDC developer mostly using stand/EMA agitation. I worked extensively on this to achieve best mid tone local contrast, best sharpness, controlled highlights, and emphasize edge effects. It worked pretty well, albeit the path to getting there was strewn with many failures.
But, as I've been proceeding with my workbook catch up project, I am coming into contact with negatives I have not looked at for decades. A good many of these - mostly various 120 or 4x5 films - were developed in PMK Pyro with agitation very 15 sec (to avoid streaking from PMK because it oxidizes so fast).
I was struck by how easy it was to print those old PMK negatives with a modern VC light source like my new Heiland. So... I decided to revisit PMK with Fomapan 200, 400TX, and FP4+ but this time in 35mm. I wanted to see how PMK did with the smaller negative since it is primarily thought of as MF/LF developer and has a reputation for being grainy. This was done with standard 1:2:100 dilution, again agitating every 15 sec.
As a point of comparison, I also ran some 400TX through Pyrocat-HDC but using conventional dilution of 1:1:100 and standard agitation and time.
The negatives in question were all silver printed on 8x10 Fomapan Variant 111 fiber paper. The results were ... not shocking, but surprising. PMK not only delivered consistently great negatives that were easy to print, they were consistently of low apparent grain. Even 400TX looks very good.
Most surprisingly, though, was that the PMK negatives were sharper overall than Pyrocat in any dilution or agitation scheme. It's not night and day, but it's noticeable. These negatives begin to approach the sharpness I've only every seen with D-23 1+9+ lye - something I would be unlikely to use with 35mm.
I am thus increasingly of the opinion that Pyrocat or D-23 stand/EMA make sense when you have a very short Subject Brightness Range and/or you need to punch up the midtones a bunch. But for pretty much everything else, it looks like I am going back to PMK, the results are that good. Even big SBRs are well handled by PMK because of the stain color and intensity holding back the highlight contrast.
I also did a small bit of HP5+ testing in PMK albeit in 2x3 not 35mm. This is a film I have never liked and have been unable to tame to my satisfaction with HDC. But in PMK? Amazing, great contrast across the dynamic range with stellar sharpness.
Perhaps a similar test of 100TMAX and 400TMAX is indicated next.
For the past 5 years or so,I have almost exclusively been using Pyrocat-HD/HDC developer mostly using stand/EMA agitation. I worked extensively on this to achieve best mid tone local contrast, best sharpness, controlled highlights, and emphasize edge effects. It worked pretty well, albeit the path to getting there was strewn with many failures.
But, as I've been proceeding with my workbook catch up project, I am coming into contact with negatives I have not looked at for decades. A good many of these - mostly various 120 or 4x5 films - were developed in PMK Pyro with agitation very 15 sec (to avoid streaking from PMK because it oxidizes so fast).
I was struck by how easy it was to print those old PMK negatives with a modern VC light source like my new Heiland. So... I decided to revisit PMK with Fomapan 200, 400TX, and FP4+ but this time in 35mm. I wanted to see how PMK did with the smaller negative since it is primarily thought of as MF/LF developer and has a reputation for being grainy. This was done with standard 1:2:100 dilution, again agitating every 15 sec.
As a point of comparison, I also ran some 400TX through Pyrocat-HDC but using conventional dilution of 1:1:100 and standard agitation and time.
The negatives in question were all silver printed on 8x10 Fomapan Variant 111 fiber paper. The results were ... not shocking, but surprising. PMK not only delivered consistently great negatives that were easy to print, they were consistently of low apparent grain. Even 400TX looks very good.
Most surprisingly, though, was that the PMK negatives were sharper overall than Pyrocat in any dilution or agitation scheme. It's not night and day, but it's noticeable. These negatives begin to approach the sharpness I've only every seen with D-23 1+9+ lye - something I would be unlikely to use with 35mm.
I am thus increasingly of the opinion that Pyrocat or D-23 stand/EMA make sense when you have a very short Subject Brightness Range and/or you need to punch up the midtones a bunch. But for pretty much everything else, it looks like I am going back to PMK, the results are that good. Even big SBRs are well handled by PMK because of the stain color and intensity holding back the highlight contrast.
I also did a small bit of HP5+ testing in PMK albeit in 2x3 not 35mm. This is a film I have never liked and have been unable to tame to my satisfaction with HDC. But in PMK? Amazing, great contrast across the dynamic range with stellar sharpness.
Perhaps a similar test of 100TMAX and 400TMAX is indicated next.
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