What is considered a thin emulsion film?

[Paul Howell]

I have a few bottles of Ethol TEC and H&W Control. The H&W control was to be paired with rebranded Kodak micro film, TEC for micro film but could work with Tech Pan. Is Tmax and Delta a "thin emulsion." I'm leaning to just the bottles sit as the H&W control is dated 1974, who knows how old the TEC is.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Yes, they are. I think all modern films are and have been for many years. I've got a box of 4x5 HIE from 1967, and it's the old thick emulsion. It's really heavy when wet, and the negative image is quite embossed.

 

[AgX]

Definitions vary.
Some people refer to historic films versus current films.

At current films microfilms are a class on their own regarding emulsion thickness.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Although all modern films are 'thin emulsion' by the standards of 1974, it doesn't mean they are suitable for use with H&W & Co.. I doubt that 50 year old H&W has survived the years very well. The formula for H&W is/was published on the web. It is also disclosed in the patent for the developer. Adox makes a modern version of the developer to use with it's CMS microfilm.

It is possible to over-expose microfilm by 2-3 stops and under-develop it using a low contrast developer like H&W and get pictorial-like results.

Technical Pan is a different beast from microfilm. It is a continuous tone film from the start, albeit a high contrast one. It was used in electron microscopy and other applications that produce a very low contrast image. It is possible lower its contrast into the pictorial range by the usual over-exposure and under-development regime especially if used with Technidol, a low contrast developer designed for the film. The results I have seen using regular developers (HC110 etc.) aren't very good, but YMMV and the look you may want is more than likely different from mine.,

OTOH, it might be interesting to see what happens with TMax-100 exposed at EI 12 and developed in H&W or POTA. My guess is the results would be, well, underwhelming.

 

[Paul Howell]

I recall test shooting a roll of H&W film about the same frame, did not like the tones, it was sharp with very resolution. I don't think it is worth the price of a roll of Tmax 100 to see, and as noted, 50 years old, would be very surprised if the liquid concentrate is still viable .