Times (and EI) for Fomapan 400 in PC-TEA?

[ntenny]

So I've got this roll of Fomapan 400 that I shot at box speed, and I figured I'd decide how to develop it later. Come to find out, most people seem to feel that most developers give significantly less than box speed with this film. Oops.

Xtol seems to be widely felt to be one of the few exceptions, so I'm guessing PC-TEA might be as well---however, I can't find dev times for the combination. Can anyone confirm/deny that PC-TEA is a reasonable developer for getting 400 ASA out of this film, and/or suggest times?

Thanks

-NT

 

[srs5694]

FWIW, I once did a speed test on Fomapan 400 in PC-Glycol and I got EI 320-400 for it. (My camera happened to produce the same shutter speeds for both these film speeds -- rounding issues, 'ya know....) My time in PC-Glycol 1+1+48 was 10:00 at 20C. The Massive Dev Chart lists the time for Fomapan 400 in PC-TEA 1+50 as 10:00 at 20C, too, although the notes suggest a somewhat odd agitation scheme. Of course, although PC-Glycol and PC-TEA are similar in some ways, they aren't identical, so I can't promise you'll get a true 400 speed out of the combination.

 

[ntenny]

FWIW, I once did a speed test on Fomapan 400 in PC-Glycol and I got EI 320-400 for it.

Good sign; thanks. My PC-TEA is actually very slightly "glycolised" since I keep my phenidone in a glycol solution. (As I understand it, the main functional difference between PC-TEA and PC-Glycol should be the pH, but I don't understand all the implications for dev time.)

The Massive Dev Chart lists the time for Fomapan 400 in PC-TEA 1+50 as 10:00 at 20C, too

That's for Fomapan 100, isn't it?

Thanks

-NT

 

[TomStr]

NT, even when the real EI is 320 or even 200 even then you will still get reasonable good negatives out of the roll. unless you took pics of large contrast things... you will lose some detail in the shadow parts but it wont be a real problem, the only way to find out what your film speeds is is to do a film speed test like: http://www.halfhill.com/speed1.html and http://www.halfhill.com/speed2.html because real film speed depends on film (duh), developer, aggitation, it can even change when using other water (in an other part of the country they have other tap water.) so you will need to TEST (as with most of those things.)
good luck,

Tom

 

[Jordan]

I find that 400-speed conventional films need about 9 minutes at 22C in PC-TEA. That might be a good starting point for Fomapan 400 as well.

 

[srs5694]

The Massive Dev Chart lists the time for Fomapan 400 in PC-TEA 1+50 as 10:00 at 20C, too

That's for Fomapan 100, isn't it?

Oops. You're right. Unfortunately, the MDC lacks separate entries for the different Foma films. I was looking for Fomapan 400, clicked the one Foma entry, and immediately forgot that there was only the one entry for all speeds. My bad.

My Fomapan 100 time in PC-Glycol is 7:30, vs. 10:00 for Fomapan 400. If that ratio holds, then 13:15 would be a reasonable starting time, based on the MDC entry. Of course, you may have to fine-tune that, so test it with an unimportant roll before entrusting important shots to it.

 

[2F/2F]

TomStr should be listened to.

There is no answer. I'll bet if 10 of us souped the same roll of film, we'd get 10 different film speeds.

You are not going to get anything out of the deep shadows by developer choice once a roll has already been underexposed. You need to know the actual EI when you are exposing the film, not when you are developing.

Just develop it as you normally would. Don't go out and buy something special for this one roll that is perhaps only 1/3 to 2/3 stops underexposed. It could even possibly exposed perfectly if your methods happen to get the film up to 400.

 

[ntenny]

Just develop it as you normally would. Don't go out and buy something special for this one roll that is perhaps only 1/3 to 2/3 stops underexposed.

I think maybe I asked the question wrong. I don't *have* a normal development practice for this film---I've never used it before. I figured I'd develop it in something-or-other after I got home, and it turns out that of the developers I have on hand, PC-TEA seems the most likely to give about the right speed---but I couldn't find suggested times.

Based on what's in the Massive Dev Chart (for other Foma films and/or this one in other developers), I think I'll give it 12 minutes in 1+50 and see what comes out.

Thanks

-NT