Suitable developers for (semi-) stand development

[Fotohuis]

Although R09/Rodinal in a high dilution is often used for this type of development I would like to try something else for this way of development.

FX-2 from Geoffrey Crawley seems to be very suitable for this. The only problem is: How to get the de-sensitizer in the receipt, Pinacryptol Yellow. I am located in the Netherlands, Europe. So Photoformulary (USA) is out of the question.

Greetz,

Robert

 

[MDenton]

http://www.tcichemicals.com/eshop/en/be/commodity/P0439/index.html

 

[Freakscene]

Or Sigma Aldritch or many other chemical suppliers.

Marty

 

[mfogiel]

Try Acurol N or even diluted HC 110. Actually, my best semi-stand results ever were from prescysol F, which is a pyro type developer.

MF20091303 by marek fogiel, on Flickr

 

[Fotohuis]

Sigma Aldrich

Also there the price was Eur. 44,80 🙂bang: ) for a bottle of 1g Pinacryptol Yellow, send from Germany.

 

[Joao]

..

"..even diluted HC 110..."

Can we know details about precise dilution and development times ?
Thanks in advance
Joao

 

[mfogiel]

You can have a look here:
http://hjlphotos.tumblr.com/post/80569927240/an-introduction-to-stand-development-with-hc-110
The main point about highly diluted prolonged development, is not how long you develop, say beyond 30 minutes, but how much developer per film there is. Mind you, this can also be influenced by the type of photos: snow scenes will require more developer than shooting the moon at night.
Personally I've never seen anything without regular agitation that can completely avoid uneven development, so I advise against stand development if uniform backgrounds are a typical part of your photography. Personally, I think sharpening in PS is more effective at enhancing the edge effects and grain, ant takes much less time... 😀

 

[jamin-b]

I have had pleasing results with HC-110 diluted at 1:160 with fomapan 200, tri-x, HP5+...

 

[Joao]

Thank you mfogiel and jamin-b.
I'll try it soon
Joao

 

[Fotohuis]

Pinacryptol Yellow can be ordered at Sigma-Aldrich but it is a very expensive chemical. 1 gram in a small glass bottle will cost close to Eur. 75,- incl. handling and transport costs.

Without this additive a regular cubical type film will have slightly higher base fog and in fact Crawley is advising to omit this chemical with modern technology films like Acros, Delta and Tmax.

Also the other ingredient Glycin is expensive and can be only kept if you freeze it. Maybe find another less critical recept for this type of development.

 

[Chemlover]

Try this one Pinacryptol Yellow from BOC Sciences. The chemical can be dispatched from somewhere else out of USA( the company located in USA).

 

[John Bragg]

HC-110 dilution H. Never a problem with unevenness, as long as I use only the top reel of a 2 reel tank.
Ilford HP5+ @ ei200. 12 minutes 20c with agitation for first 15 seconds, then 2 inversions @ 4 minute and again @ 8 minute mark.

Life Buoy, Padstow. by John Bragg, on Flickr

 

[Fotohuis]

It probably has to do with the Benzotriazole instead of Potassium Bromide in the HC-110 formulae.

 

[Murray Kelly]

TU Fotohuis for your series of experiments. I appreciate them greatly.
I have some PC Yellow from way back (Johnson's IIRC) and the FX-2 is a great developer, too. The PcYellow looks like 1g tablets but I can weigh it. Obviously you won't need anything like 1g.

PM me and there has to be a way enough of this stuff can travel round the world to make a contribution to your experimental series?

Glycin is something else again. tho I do have even some of that.

I made a batch of FX-2 concentrate back in '59 and had it sealed in glass ampoules in the Path Lab. Not much left but it still works.

 

[Fotohuis]

If you can sent something of Glycin and PC Yellow by post it would be great. Indeed PC Yellow is going in a 1+2000 dilution so I only need a few hundred mg.
Just new is the development of Klaus Wehner from Paderborn, Germany a photo chemist who synthesized a kind of HEAP and putting it in his new ATM-W , Atomal from Wehner film developer. The same HEAP was used in the past in May & Baker Promicrol. He will pack his new B&W developer in new HD-Polyethylene bottles and then a test kit will be sent next week to Holland. This is, of course an interesting development. Atomal and Promicrol were combining box speed of a film together with very fine grain. Unfortunately HEAP is a carcinogenic material. The stuff Wehner has used is not carcinogenic. Of course I will do some new tests with this ATM-W but there are already some preliminary tests and curve fittings available.
Will be continued .....

 

[jamin-b]

I have started using HC-110 diluted to 1:160 for faster films, and have been generally pleased. I was also looking for an alternative to rodinal because I find the shadow details can get very muddy and ugly in rodinal semistand.

 

[Tom A]

I have been using Pyrocat HD as a semi-stand developer for years. Works well too.
1 min on the roller )cont. agitation. - and then one flip of the tank every 3 min until you reach 18 min. Good shadow detail and still manacle high lights. You can also use it for extended development - rather than the standard 1:1:100 dilution - go to 1:1:200 and let it sit for 40 -45 minutes (I usually do a flip at 20 minutes just to avoid edge flare from the Paterson reels). I have tried longer times but no significant improvement or difference.
The FX2 is a bit of a dramatic developer, sharpness is accentuated, contrast can be too high. The Pinacryptl Yellow is expensive - but 1 gram goes long way.

 

[Fotohuis]

You are mentioning it now: Pyrocat-HD (from Sandy King). I am just busy with it. Call it photographical magic on distance. 🙂

Thanks for the hints anyway!

 

[ChrisLivsey]

My Pyrocat HD 1:1:100 semi-stand is:
First min continuous agitation then three turns @ 25/50 and 75% of total time.

So for 16min total at: 4 min (1min cont +3) 8 min and 12 min.

On Silvermax, NikonS3, 3.5cm f1.8, no filter.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Pinacryptol yellow has a dual effect acting as both a restrainer/anti fog and has effects on the red sensitivity, reducing panchromatic sensitivity in development, allegedly giving a "sharper" result. (It was used as a pre bath to allow development by inspection at one time)
Presumably the sensitising dyes in T grain type film do not respond as well to this effect hence Crawley's caution in the film group, but it may have been the effet on the grain that he mentions below:

BJP Jan 6 1961 Geoffrey Crawley wrote:

In this formula,a dye restrainer is used to ensure clarity of fine detail. Dye restraint seems often more efficient than bromide in discriminating between exposed and unexposed crystals,i.e. it can give a faintly higher image to fog level;it may also be used to reduce grain clumping in some developers.