I'm about to process some new Delta 400 (120 format) with PMK and am looking for a start point for developing in a Patterson small tank. Doea anyone have a recommended time, temp, and agitation plan for this combination? I'd also be interested in what your effective EI was for this combination.

I'm currently using PMK with the standard 10/20/1000 dilution at 70F with 2 firm inversions every 15 seconds, water stop, TF-4 fix, 2 minute developer after-bath, and 20 minute wash.

-- David R. Williams (davidw@ca.ibm.com), June 01, 2001

Answers

I haven't tried the new Delta 400 yet, still using up my supply of the old stuff.

For the old stuff I have found that PMK at 70 F for 6'20" produces an EI of 250. This produces a zone I density of 0.09 and a zone VIII density of 1.16. I also shoot 120, same dilution, same agitation schedule, same stop, same fixer, same afterbath, same wash.

I have a Kaiser MG enlarger, uses a halogen lamp, seems pretty contrasty. If you use a diffuse light source you may want to shoot for a higher zone VIII density. (I bet you already knew that.)

-- Don Karon (kc6d@arrl.net), June 03, 2001.

ILFORD does not test with PMK, so we don't have any times to recommend. However, the new version of Delta 400 is faster than the old version, by nearly 2/3 stop in some developers, 1/3 in all others. If you rated the old film at 250, I would guess that you will rate the new version at no less than 320, and may even get the full 400 from it.

David Carper ILFORD Technical Service

-- David Carper (david.carper@ilford.com), June 04, 2001.

Follow-up results - processed a pair of test rolls of HP5+ and (new) Delta 400 in PMK as described above HP5+ for 13 minutes and Delta 400 for 16 minutes. It seems I may have got lucky with the the D400/PMK time as the density range between the two films, for their appropriate EI's, are indistingiushable.

The D400 was very impressive - great tonality, took on as much stain as HP5+, and provided about 2/3 of a stop more speed (EI 320 for D400/PMK vs EI 200 for HP5+/PMK). Based upon the image quality of these films being so simliar at these EI's, I'll be using D400/PMK at EI 320.

-- David R. Williams (davidw@ca.ibm.com), June 25, 2001.