Any tips for Ilford PanF Plus?

[lrochfort]

I'm going to use the ISO 50 Ilford PanF Plus for the first time, whilst on holiday outside in California.

I'm from the UK so not used to such bright light and haven't shot a film this slow in a long time.

Any suggestions or gotchas before I start snapping away?

 

[clayne]

This film is moderately high in contrast due to being a fine grained slow film (finer grain films are inherently higher in contrast usually). You can control this to an extent by shooting at EI 25 and developing accordingly. Avoid upward sweeping developers like HC-110 and use classic sulfite based mixtures like D-76 or XTOL. PMK would probably be great with it as well but I have no direct experience with the combo. Rodinal works great but don't over agitate. Personally I just shoot it at 50 and use whatever is mixed up or Rodinal. Don't let it's slow speed concern you - adequate sunlight will afford 1/50 from f8-f16 and that's usually more than enough knowing that you can open up to gain more shutter speed.

Awesome film.

 

[DamenS]

Like many slow films Pan F can be quite contrasty - which may not work so well in bright light unless this is an effect you desire. To reduce the contrast slightly, you could rate the film at 25 ISO and develop (or get the lab to develop) the film accordingly. Good luck !

 

[DamenS]

ROFL - clayne, just beat me to the "post quick reply" button !! 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

The latent image with Pan F+ tends to "disappear" fairly quickly, Ilford acknowledges this, and it's still a favorite of mine.

Develop it within a couple of weeks (or perhaps a bit longer), and you'll never have an issue. Keep it in your camera for a year, and you'll lose 1/2 to a full stop of emulsion speed. Know this well from direct actual bad experience.

Love it's tonality. I use D-76 types and Pyro PMK+ with great results.

 

[clayne]

It'll work in bright sun just as any other film will work in bright sun sans the innately harder contrast. However that can be compensated for.

 

[john_pears]

as im also from the uk i have struggled to shoot the 10 rolls of pan f plus i bought, but it is quite good fun now i have gotten over my addiction to fast film, no idea how you tend to develop it but i have always used hc-110 and had no problem with it but used it a low concentrations such as dilution h or greater like dilution j / m. it did definitely end up very contrasty when i used a higher dilution and used a modern vc lens as usually the lenses i use are 1960's or earlier

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

This film is moderately high in contrast due to being a fine grained slow film (finer grain films are inherently higher in contrast usually). You can control this to an extent by shooting at EI 25 and developing accordingly. Avoid upward sweeping developers like HC-110 and use classic sulfite based mixtures like D-76 or XTOL. PMK would probably be great with it as well but I have no direct experience with the combo. Rodinal works great but don't over agitate. Personally I just shoot it at 50 and use whatever is mixed up or Rodinal. Don't let it's slow speed concern you - adequate sunlight will afford 1/50 from f8-f16 and that's usually more than enough knowing that you can open up to gain more shutter speed.

Awesome film.

PMK is great, I have used it a lot on Pan-F. Here's a couple of examples:

I shoot Pan-F at EI-32 for PMK developing. Developing time is short, just 6 minutes at 75 degrees or 8.25 minutes at 68 degrees. The 68 degree time is an estimate, I have only tested it at 75 degrees. The PMK examples were shot on 120 film in a Mamiya 6.


I think Rodinal is an easier developer to use though. The short times in PMK have occasionally given me streaks and mottling. Rodinal 1+50 also gives a full EI of 50.

Here's a couple of Pan-F in Rodinal shots. They're both from 35mm film.

Develop for 11 minutes at 68 degrees, Rodinal 1+50

 

[lrochfort]

Thank you everybody.

The points on contrast are invaluable because I'm somewhat contrast averse. That said I will be using a Jupiter 8 and 12 lenses so that will contribute to lower contrast as suggested.

PMK certainly looks the way forward, I far prefer Chris's PMK samples over the Rodinal. Thanks, Chris.

I'm already excited about trying my new film out!

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Shot some in the last few weeks, most waiting for scanning but this was from RIAT. (Royal International Air Tatoo) at RAF Fairford.
It was 30+ and sunny 22 😀
Tamed it down with D23 (6 1/2 mins) but not that thrilled. I found it harder to scan than usual and will try different settings on the next roll.

Tornado GR4 617 Squadron memorial tail art, Dambusters 70 years.
I liked the model on the stand and its shadow.

The squadron was formed in 1943 for the specific task of attacking three major German dams located on the Ruhr, namely the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe. 617 "Dambusters" Squadron is currently based at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.

Looking baci it may have been the sharpening settings this is a better, didn't wanrt to dish the film, vuisual inspection the rolls look good it is my scanning skills, or rather lack of them.

Leica IIIc/f canon 35mm f2, not many shots on Flickr as 35mm is not the lens of choice for flying at air shows.