Pyro question

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I have just developed the loveliest negatives, using Pyro for the first time. No streaks or unevenness whatsoever! However, the color of the negatives puzzles me--they are an olive green (APX 100 and HP4). Is this normal? Also, I used Kodak Rapid Fix without part B hardener, but read that Photographers Formulary TF-4 is better. Why is this so?

-- Valerie (vyaklin_brown@hotmail.com), September 14, 1999

Answers

The green color is normal. I have been using Kodak Rapid Fix without part B hardener with pyro for years; the photographers' formulary fixer works a bit faster, but does not seem to produce different results.

-- John Lehman (ffjal@uaf.edu), September 14, 1999.

From the color stain you mentioned I would guess that you are using PMK pyro, I use Kodak's old SD-1 formula which gives a tan stain. You could just use straight sodium thiosulfate (hypo) which is what a lot of pyro users do so that the stain is not reduced or lost in the fixing. Now you know why pyro user's are so rednecked about it, there is no better developer for b/w film. Pat

-- pat j. krentz (krentz@cci-29palms.com), September 15, 1999.

Valerie,

Glad to hear that you like the Pyro negatives. I started using pyro a few months ago. I have nor processed 40 rolls of 120 in it and a few 4x5 negs.

This afternoon I showed a friend my negs. He commented that they "Look so Flat and lifeless". I chuckled and asked if he would like to print one. He did so we went to his darkroom. The "flat and lifeless" negative printed like a charm on his Aristo cold light head set to a grade 2. He was completely amazed.

Enjoy your newly found "loveliest" negatives.

-- Mike Kravit (mkravit@mindspring.com), September 18, 1999.


Hi. I also get a greenish stain with APX-100 PMK combination, but the negatives are great. Generally, any type of film will produce different stain intensity and color. There is nothing to worry about as long as you are happy with the results.

-- Evgeni Poptoshev (evgeni.poptoshev@surfchem.kth.se), September 24, 1999.

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