Favourite PMK Pyro films

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What are your favourite film to use in PMK Pyro and why? Please state if you use roll film and/or sheet film. The type of stop bath, fixer and washing should also be stated. Please stat your development AND the type of enlarger you use. I am not going to copy you "unique" processing information, I am just wondering what people's experiences are.

-- David Payumo (dpayumo@home.com), September 24, 2000

Answers

>>What are your favourite film to use in PMK

35mm Technical Pan at EI 16 in PMK is my favourite developer/emulsion of all time; Delta 100 (35mm and 120) at EI 64; 120 Tri-X at 200 (just for the beautifully-stained neg...not a Tri-X print fan...)

>>The type of stop bath

water

>>fixer

usually F24, as per Hutchings' suggestion

>>enlarger

colour Omega head

-- shawn (shawngibson_prophoto@yahoo.com), September 25, 2000.


Ilford Delta 100 in 4x5 sheets - difficult to beat!

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), September 25, 2000.

Bergger BPF200 in PMK has the best image stain to base fog ratio of any film on the planet. Bergger has just announced BRF200, same emulsion, available soon in both 35mm and 120 size rolls. Imagine the same emulsion on sizes 35mm through 20x24.

-- John Horowy (sales@bergger.com), September 26, 2000.

I've only tried one film in PMK thus far, Tri-X (35mm)... and it was magnificent. I'm going to try several other films in it but I was very impressed with that as a starting point. I shot it EI 400 14:00 @ 21 degrees, water stop (60 secs., running), TF-4 fixer (Photographer's Formulary), two minute wash, two minute stain in used developer, ten minute wash.

-- Jim MacKenzie (photojim@yahoo.com), September 27, 2000.

Ilford HP5 plus (roll film) is a very good combination wiith PMK - a film that I never previously rated very highly in ordinary developers. I develop for 13mins/21 deg C in a 1l Jobo Tank @ ASA200

A strongpoint is luminosity which is becoming harder to find in modern emulsions. From my experience Delta 100, T Max 100 etc...are very sharp but do not provide the tonality many photographers seek.

Anyone really serious about TMAX 100 may like to try the old FX22 Geofrey Crawley Glycin based formula this transforms TMAX into something special: Grainless and wonderful smooth tonality - excellent for portraits. Looks more like an XP2 neg!

I used to love FP4 until it was "improved" but no longer use the plus version. HP5 is now the "classic" emulsion from Ilford.

For slower emulsions Agfa have a standout in APX 100. I have only tried their 4X5 version but in PMK it produces stunning results. Try 12mins /21 deg C tray dev. Strongpoints: Sharpness coupled with excellent tonality

Interestingly Shutterbug did a recent film review and recommended both the above films as current "flagships". The sad thing is these fine materials won't be around for too much longer if we don't buy them.

I use a Durst Laborator 1000 4X5 Colour Head and a Zone VI cold light source when I am really serious!

Rgds, Brian Rowland

-- Brian Rowland (rowfam50@hotmail.com), October 16, 2000.



I've been using Tri-X Pan in both sheet film an well as 120. I find it stains very well in Pyro (I rate it at 250). I experimented with HP5 and despite what Gordon Hutchings says, I seem to like TXP better. (although, I intent to use some more HP5 and give it an honest chance. - I just really like TXP) In 120 I have been using Ilford Pan F with outstanding results. The film is incredibly sharp and seems to stain very well. I rate it at 32.

For stop bath I'm using a very weak solution of Kodak stop bath.

Fix is Ilford Universal paper fix, which is non-hardening.

Filmn is washed for 30 minutes in running water.

I print on a Saunders 4500 enlarger with a VCCE head.

For sheet film I develop in trays (one sheet per tray - tedious but well worth it). Roll film is in Patterson tanks.

-- Dave Aharonian (daharonian@direct.ca), November 02, 2000.


For large format film I like Pan-X plus (I use an 80 E.I.), and for 120 I like Verichrome Pan (I believe this to be an old emulsion). Both very slow emulsions.

I have what I consider to be some stunning yellow/green negs that have beautiful tonal qualities - and then again I have some horrible negs as well :-). All of my later work is exclusively processed in PMK Pyro. see www/mcfarlands.net for gallery samples.

-- doug mcfaland (zxw55@yahoo.com), December 21, 2000.


Link does not work, Doug...

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), December 21, 2000.

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