Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Richard: Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The detail and tonal quality of your images is excellent. I really like the detail in the cat. Looks like I could pet it on the screen. We are going to try your soup! Cheers Wilber Richard Comen wrote: > Mark, I have felt for years that we are not getting the full potential out > of our Leica cameras and lenses and the shortcoming to my thinking is > mostly in the film we use. It seems logical thast the film with the > greatest resolution would be best for us. This with out a doubt to me is > Kodak Technical Pan. The big drawback for all around use is its very slow > ASA with the conventional developers. So, several years ago a friend and I > undertook to formulate a brew that would give a satisfactory ASA and also a > satisfactory range of tones and we definitely aarrived aat such a formula. > I have been using the method I will outline below for about four years now > and it works beautifully for very diverse types of subject matter. I now > use it for portraiture, theatre, symphony orchestra publicity, street > photography, landscape and most anything else you can name. I have placed > a few examples on: > > http://beta.content.communities.msn.com/Leicausers/PhotoAlbum > > After opening the above page, scroll to the bottom to my album entitled > Tech Pan at ASA 100. I am currently adding to the album as I get time and > am adding only imaages that are chalenging in the darkroom due to their > great range of values. > > The brew is easy to formulate and very inexpensive. The keeping qualities > are excellent. The brew is as follows. > > Directions for Pota-HC110 developer for processing Tech Pan at ASA 100: > > In 300 ml hot water mix 1 tablespoon Sodium Sulfite and 1/8 teaspoon > Phenidone . I use the set of plastic measuring spoons that come in a set > for kitchen use. To the above add 2 ml. HC110 syrup ( measure with a > child's medicine syringe found at any pharmacy ). > > > 2 > > The measuring spoons mentioned above are just fine, extreme accuracy is > not necessary. Filter through coffee filter that is placed in a funnel. > The filtration is necessary as minute portions of the phenidone might not > disolve and your negs will dry spotted if filtration is not used. Cool to > 68 degrees F. Use stainless nikkor tank for one roll only. Discard > developer after one roll, ( Phenidone developer oxidizes rapidly and should > be discarded after one roll). I place tank in a tray of water that is 68 > degrees to keep temp constant. Develop for 6 minutes. After filling tank, > rap tank to dislodge air bubbles, then give one gentle inversion over and > back. Place tank in water bath of 68 degrees. Agitation: Do not agitate > until beginning of third minute and at that time one gentle inversion over > and back. Repeat at top of each remaining minute. At end of 6 min., drain, > use short stop, and follow with rapid fix for aprox 2 min. Wash as usual, > rinse in distilled water for final rinse, then instead of foto flow, pour > in rubbing alcohol ( I prefer it to foto flow. It is often on special at > pharmacies for 39 cents a bottle ). Let sit in alcohol for a minute or so, > discard alcohol and hang film to dry ( no squeegee or sponges as that is a > terrible thing to do to wet film). Hang in dust free place Because of > variations of meters, camera shutters, thermometers, and other variables, > you might want to adjust your time of development slightly. > > Since concocting the above brew formula, I have found that it simplifies > life to mix 3 liters of the above brew ( use 10 x the brew formula ), > filter as above and pour into 8 Oz. Brown glass bottles obtained from a > pharmacy. Fill each bottle so that there is no air and screw on top > tightly. I have found that using my last bottle 6 months after mixing gives > the same results as with the first bottle used right after mixing. All I do > is place a bottle into 68 degree water bath and when brew reaches the bath > temp, I pour it into the tank. > > ASA 200 can be achieved by increasing the developing temperature to 70 > degrees F. and following the rest of the above procedure. There will be a > loss in shadow detail however. > > The above gives me the best negatives I have ever made and they print > beautifully. The negs may appear a bit thick to some but with split > filtration even the most dense appearing highlights print beautifully. The > beauty of Tech Pan is that one can take a small portion of the neg and > enlarge it to 11X14 with very little loss in quality. In full negative > printing the detail is exquisite unlike no other film I have ever used > assuming of course good camera and enlarger lenses and a well alligned > enlarger. > > For what it is worth! Richard > > > > > > > > 3 > > At 10:26 PM 9/1/00 EDT, you wrote: > >Hi Guys/Gals > > > >Anyone willing to share any preferences on a really nice Black and White film > >and Developer combo. > >I've been a commercial/stock shooter for many years and have been shooting > >almost exclusively in color.For personal work of late I'm shooting more and > >more in B & W but I find something 'lacking',especially since I'm using M6's > >and > >feel I'm not getting the full potential out of them. > >I'm currently using TMax 100/400 and they are being developed by pro lab > >here in Montreal-I believe they are using D-76?? > > > >SNIP