Kodak Pan Masking 4570

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I would like to know if somebody has any idea where can I find boxes of Kodak Film Pan Masking 4570 (usually used for Ilfochrome prints) on the web. Kodak is going to stop this film, and I can't find any in France.

Thanks for help... Cassegrain Christophe f-45.com

-- Christophe Cassegrain (service@libertysurf.fr), May 19, 2001

Answers

Agfa has a similar film, but might be at the end of the road too.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), May 19, 2001.

Thanks Paul... I used to work with Pan Masking 4570 and it's not the same to use another film ! In the US, I know there is still some Pan Masking 4570 and it's why I would like to find an online web site to buy some...

Chris f-45.com

-- Christophe Cassegrain (service@libertysurf.fr), May 19, 2001.


Of course Christophe. Nothing beats a recipe that works. Do you keep printing Ilfochrome the traditional way? The end of the Pan Masking will be a problem. You'd better deep freeze some boxes if you can find any.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), May 19, 2001.

First of all, Kodak already stopped some sizes of this film, like 4x5, even in the US. You wont find any fresh stuff in that size even here. As of last summer Kodak was still making the 8x10, so you should be able to find some of that laying around. I would try B&H Photo (NY), Calumet Photographic (Chicago), and Freestyle Camera (LA). They all have websites that a simple search should turn up easily. Give those a try and if they dont have it we can dig up a couple more names for you.

Lastly you might try Adorama in NY. On occasion I've gotten less than fresh stuff from them, but sometimes they come through when all the others are out of stock. Just make them check and double-check the freshness before you sign on the dotted line.

Secondly, the end of Pan Masking Film shouldnt mean the end of masking Ilfochromes. Since I've done very little masking and have never used PMF, I'm curious what qualities it has that make it so much more desirable for that purpose. Have you tried other films? I know many good maskers get by with other films.

-- Wayne (wsteffen@skypoint.com), May 19, 2001.


Thanks to all of you...

I don't make my own Ilfochrome prints but Roland Dufau (a master hand printer in France) do it for me. He has few boxes left in stock and after that it will be over. He will need several weeks to get all his setting by using another brand.

I already checked adorama and B&H but nothing sure. I will check the over ones.

Anyway, I will ask Roland Dufau what new film he is going to use and if you are interesting I will let you know...

-- Christophe Cassegrain (service@libertysurf.fr), May 19, 2001.



Sure, please let us know what he chooses. I suspect (but dont know) that most people now use FP4+ or its Arista 125 equivalent. Some use Tmax 100

-- Wayne (wsteffen@skypoint.com), May 19, 2001.

The problem with many films is that they are not as neutral as the Pan Masking. Some have a pink or greenish cast. I had partly solved the problem by dipping te FP4 after process in a bath of Tetenal silver oxyde remover and washing them thoroughly. But eventually bought a box of 8x10 Pan Masking and this was the perfect film for that use.

-- Paul Schilliger (pschilliger@smile.ch), May 20, 2001.

Christophe, you can find a viable alternative in Ctein's book, "Post Exposure". This book has very deep and well-done chapters about unsharp masking for negative and direct (Ciba/Ilfochrome) printing. I find it is a very nice source of useful photographic information, relating not only to the stage of printing, but also to sensitometry, general theory of exposure, and many other aspects of the photographic craft.

Basically, Ctein recommends using TMX (T-Max 100), developed in a special solution which has been properly adjusted to yield the right Dmin, gamma, etc to effectively replace Kodak 4570 Film.

Actually, Ctein goes further, to say that he believes this formulation is even better than everything else. I haven't still got the chance to try out for myself this kind of development, but I'm fully comfortable with taking Ctein's word for it. It's an everyday lesson for me that a specific processing can change a film's characteristics far more widely than a difference in manufacturing can.

I hope this will help you......

-- Davide Butti (davide.butti@tethysonline.com), May 21, 2001.


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