Response to Printing negatives developed in PMK on variable contrast paper

I have not noticed any appreciable difference in the printing contrast (on MC paper) between PMK Pyro negs and those developed in, say, HC-110, though the negatives do require about one stop more exposure to print. I have also not noticed any dramatic difference in the highlight contrast or highlight separation. The primary difference that I notice, and one that stands way out, is the edge effect that Pyro gives. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Frankly, it looks like a JPEG that has had too much "sharpen" filter applied in PhotoShop. The grain is moderate so what's the big deal? Rodinal gives a better tonal scale (with even more grain), HC-110 a decent tonal scale (and finer grain). So then it would boil down to whether or not you liked the edge effect which, contrary to legend, gives the photos a gritty look. (Try Tri-X in PMK, print on Ilford MC FB IV and develop in Dektol for a real hard and harsh look!) And then there's the loss of 1/2 to 1 stop of film speed. Of course, I'm speaking of 35mm here; I develop all my sheet film in Rodinal. Still, PMK is a fine tool, very economical, very convenient.

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