Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/09

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Subject: Re: [Leica] help pls - tech pan dev. advise?
From: TTAbrahams <TTAbrahams@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 01:32:35 EST

Dan. the divided D-76 doesn't work on the tech-pan. At least the times I have
tried it out it gave me REALLY thin negs and even by extending the times it
did not work.
Tech-Pan is a strange film and requires different procedures than most other
thin emulsion films.
 The divided D-76 works very well on older, thicker emulsions like the Tri-X,
PlusX and even on Neopan 1600, but I suspect there isn't enough absorbtion of
the A bath into the film to allow the B bath to activate it in the newer thin-
emulsion T-grain films.. I use it as one of my standards for Tri-X, it does
compensate nicely for excess contrast and you cant overdevelop the film
either. It is also really cheap, you are looking at a 10 cents/roll with it.
The A bath last a long time, it is depleted by the 5-7 ml that is soaked into
the film, and the Borax is available in your local drugstore as " 20 Mule-
team" Borax from Death valley,CA. Even in low value Can$ it is $3,99 for 5
lbs. Thats enough to do about 65 litres of B bath or about 200 rolls!
 You should try the Tech-Pan, it is a great film. For the first run I would
use the Kodak Technidol and establish the film for you and then start playing
with other developers. 
 Tom A