Where's my stain? Maxim Muir PCD

[dogzbum]

I have recently been trying Maxim Muir's Pyrocatechin Compensating Developer as described in Anchell/Troop as means of obtaining some tanning using ingredients I already have.

First roll was 35mm 100TMX exposed at EI80 devved for 7:15 @ 23degC (73.4degF). Result was extremely thin and flat (printable through grade 4.5 -> 5 mulitgrade filter).

Second roll was 120 100ACROS exposed at EI80 devved for 9:00 @ 24degC (75.2degF). Result is still a little thin but looks good for contrast (should not need multigrade filter).

However I can see no evidence of any stain. Read somewhere that t-grain films don't really respond to tanning. Has anyone used this dev / film combo or can suggest what is going wrong?

 

[Peter De Smidt]

Are you using an acid stop bath or fix? How about a wash aid? These can effect how much stain you're getting. You're right, though, that TMX does not generally stain very much. You might try developing a test roll of a film that stains a lot. Ilford FP4+, Bergger 200, or something similar. Can you see the stain with these films? If so, than your process is probably not to blame.

-Peter
www.desmidt.net

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

...However I can see no evidence of any stain. Read somewhere that t-grain films don't really respond to tanning. Has anyone used this dev / film combo or can suggest what is going wrong?

Quite possibly nothing at all has gone wrong. Pyrocatechin stain can be hard to see with some t-grain films and still be there and working for you.

To measure the stain effect - if any, you need a color densitometer with blue channel capability or a UV densitometer. If you do not own a densitometer you may be able to get a 1 hour color lab to read your film for you. On the blue channel you should get proportionally higher readings (compared to the all channel readings) as you move from the shadow areas to the highlight areas.

Take a look at Sandy Kings Article on Pyro Staining Developers:

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/PCat/pcat.html

 

[dogzbum]

Hmmm... food for thought. I didn't print much from the TMX roll and I haven't printed any of the 100ACROS yet. Perhaps there is stain but I don't know what I'm looking for. I don't sensitometrise either. I like a bit of ambiguity and mystery.

Think I'll try Peter's idea and grab some old skool film. FP4+ or PANF+. I wish I could get Bergger in Australia!!

 

[Ole]

I have only used that developer once - on APX100. And Ye Gods - did it ever compensate! When you can see both shadow details and sunspots on the same negative, I'll call it a success!

 

[dogzbum]

Ole:
did you get visible stain on the APX100? If so, what colour?

 

[Ole]

Yes, greenish yellow-brown. Not very visible, but very obvious when printing. Try printing on VC and graded paper - very soft on VC, yet too hard for grade 1 paper. Great for POP, too!