PMK vs PYROCAT-HD?

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I AM USING AM OLD NIKKOR STAINLESS STEEL TANK TO DEVELOPE 4X5 NEGITIVES. MY AGITATION IS TWO INVERSIONS EVERY 15 SEC. THE CENTER GUIDE ON THE REEL THAT THE NEGITIVES GO INTO CAUSES ABNORMAL FLOW OF DEVELOPER ON THE NEGITIVES, CREATING A SLIGHTLY DARKER LINE ON THE PRINT. YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE LINE IN SOLID TONE AREAS LIKE CLOUDLESS SKY. THE REST OF THE NEGITIVE LOOKS PERFECT. I HAVE HEARD THAT PYROCAT-HD HAS BETTER CONTROL OVER AGITATION THAN PMK.

MY QUESTION IS: WILL PYROCAT-HD HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS PMK, BUT WITH LESS PROBABILITY OF AGITAION PROBLEMS?

-- NICHOLAS HOMRICH (PhoxxPhire@aol.com), September 14, 2001

Answers

No way to tell if Pyrocat-HD will cure this problem or not, without trying it. I kind of doubt it. My recommendation would be to switch to tray development. There is a guy who makes a special tray that will hold 6 4x5 negatives at one time, or you can use up to 4 5x7 trays at one time. (I haven't had much luck with the shuffle method.)

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), September 15, 2001.

In regards to Ed's repsonse, he may be referring to this:

-- Ken Miller (andawyr@hotmail.com), September 17, 2001.

In regards to Ed's repsonse, he may be referring to this:

http://www.philbard.com/panel.html

although this panel handles 4 sheets at a time. You can always modify the size to handle a different number of sheets.

I would also like to suggest that you shouldn't use all caps when you leave messages. Many people treat caps as the equivalent as shouting. It's also much harder to read.

Hope the link helps!

-- Ken Miller (andawyr@hotmail.com), September 17, 2001.


Actually the site for the 6 film panel is Summitek. www.summitek.com.

-- Jorge Gasteazoro (jorgegm@worldnet.att.net), September 17, 2001.

Bah! 6, 4, only missed it by 2 :-)

I've never heard of the Summitek panel. Interesting. Also nice to see a good description of the Cascade print washer...

Thanks for the URL!

-- Ken Miller (andawyr@hotmail.com), September 17, 2001.



Guys! Still the VERY best method of developing sheet film is the 'shuttle' method. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Use old film and do it with the lights on until you can do it without scratching. Then practice in the dark with real film that's not too important (film speed/dev time tests? doesn't make much difference if these get scratched.) It's just not all that hard to learn!

-- Michael Fraser (mdfraser@earthlink.net), September 29, 2001.

I disagree Michael, I thinks there are much better ways to develop than the shuffle method, heck just about every other method that I have tried is better than the shuffle....Jobo expert drum in a beseler motor base comes to mind, perfect even developing, dont have to have my hands in the chemistry...just about everything about drum developing is better than the shuffle> I dont subscribre to the "it was good for AA is good for me" theory, heck they used to read books by candle light, I am sure as heck not reading them like that now..:-) ciao...

-- Jorge Gasteazoro (jorgegm@worldnet.att.net), September 29, 2001.

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