Post Your Pyrocat HD Development Times

Ian-Barber said:
I am in the process of updating the Pyrocat website and want to add some film/development times from users.

If you could submit your own preferred times, that would be appreciated.

If you could submit in this format, it would help me to populate website more easily.

Film:
ISO:
Dev Time:
Dev Temp:
Agitation Type: Rotary/Tray/Inversion
Comments:

Ian
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay on responding but my computer went down and I had to get some 'professional assistance' to get 'things up and going again (an electronic 'something' died somewhat unexectedly and it took qute some time to get a new one installed

However..
Since I started using Pyrocat HD (in my home darkroom)I have used the temperature /times suggested by Dr Sandy King (see his website)
I have been using it with 'continuous rotation' with BTZS 'tubes (My first 'set' was home made using plastic plumbing 'tubes' 'finger-rotated in a 'borrowed' Tupperware tub (half full) with water 'at temperature'.
I believe I have stated (both here.. and elsewhere) that will never 'go back' to commercial film developers'... tray or 'hangers-in tank'. This technique had proven to me to provide 'me' with the most even development with any and all films in my home darkroom.
I was 'introduced' to rotary development .. using a Wing Lynch 'machine when I was a working "Pro" with Agriculture Canada' Research Branch (and processed all 'our' unit's negatives as well those from the from the electron microscopy lab (next door)
were all processed using that device. It allowed me to carry on making exposures while the Wing Lynch did what it was supposed to do.

Ken
 
I guess I should document my current semistand practice here:

Film: Plus-X*, Tri-X, Agfapan APX-100, FP4+, HP5+, Delta 100, Ekfe 100PL
ISO: Box Speed
Dev Time: 60 min / N dev 1.5:1:200, N- dev 1.5:1:300
Dev Temp: 68F
Agitation Type: Rotary/Tray/Inversion: Open tank, minimal pinch hanger, 3 min prewash, 2 min initial agitation, 15sec @31 min agitation**
Comments:

*Very old Plus-X doesn't like this and show a lot of bromide drag
** Have also done EMA agitation with N- dev: 2min initial, 10sec @16, 31, 46 min

Oh, and a huge shoutout to @KenS who originally introduced me to Pyrocat-HD ...
 
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thronobulax said:
I guess I should document my current semistand practice here:

Film: Plus-X*, Tri-X, Agfapan APX-100, FP4+, HP5+, Delta 100, Ekfe 100PL
ISO: Box Speed
Dev Time: 60 min / N dev 1.5:1:200, N- dev 1.5:1:300
Dev Temp: 68F
Agitation Type: Rotary/Tray/Inversion: Open tank, minimal pinch hanger, 3 min prewash, 2 min initial agitation, 15sec @31 min agitation**
Comments:

*Very old Plus-X doesn't like this and show a lot of bromide drag
** Have also done EMA agitation with N- dev: 2min initial, 10sec @16, 31, 46 min

Oh, and a huge shoutout to @KenS who originally introduced me to Pyrocat-HD ...
Click to expand...
Are you basing you N development time on a SBR of 7 stops, N- 6 stops, and EMA dev. Time on more than 7 stops of SBR
 
Since I wrote this, I have changed some of the details.

For normal SBR scenes, when I want long time/low agitation, I am doing 1.5:1:300 with EMA - 90 sec initial, followed by 10sec at 21, 41min, pulling at 60 min.

For long SBRs, I do the above, but process semistand - 2 min initial, 10sec at 31min, pull at 60 min.

For short SBR scenes I do semistand - 2min initial, one 15 sec agitation at 31min, pull at 60 min at 1.5:1:250.

For VERY short SBRs, I do the semistand as above but with the dilution at 1.5:1:200. In theory, I could induce even more contrast expansion by using that dilution with an hour of EMA processing as described for normal SBRs above, but I've never had to.

IOW, I am holding time constant, but varying dilution and agitation scheme according to the SBR. I am not mapping this specifically to Zone expansion and contraction.
 
thronobulax said:
Since I wrote this, I have changed some of the details.

For normal SBR scenes, when I want long time/low agitation, I am doing 1.5:1:300 with EMA - 90 sec initial, followed by 10sec at 21, 41min, pulling at 60 min.

For long SBRs, I do the above, but process semistand - 2 min initial, 10sec at 31min, pull at 60 min.

For short SBR scenes I do semistand - 2min initial, one 15 sec agitation at 31min, pull at 60 min at 1.5:1:250.

For VERY short SBRs, I do the semistand as above but with the dilution at 1.5:1:200. In theory, I could induce even more contrast expansion by using that dilution with an hour of EMA processing as described for normal SBRs above, but I've never had to.

IOW, I am holding time constant, but varying dilution and agitation scheme according to the SBR. I am not mapping this specifically to Zone expansion and contraction.
Click to expand...
Have you tried keep the agitation routine and development times constant and just altering the concentration of the developer as in
1.5A + 1B + 300 h20
1.5A + 1B + 200 h20
1.5A + 1B + 100 h20
Or
1.5A + 1.5B + 300 h20
2A + 2B + 300 h20
2.5A + 2.5B + 300 h20
 
Camerashy said:
Have you tried keep the agitation routine and development times constant and just altering the concentration of the developer as in
1.5A + 1B + 300 h20
1.5A + 1B + 200 h20
1.5A + 1B + 100 h20
Or
1.5A + 1.5B + 300 h20
2A + 2B + 300 h20
2.5A + 2.5B + 300 h20
Click to expand...

I have tried versions of the first group, and none of the second, though I'd welcome your (or anyone else's) experience in the matter.

I have found that - for normal or long SBRs - even at 1.5:1:250, Pyrocat-HD develops too much contrast when the film is left in solution for a long time. I arrived at 1.5:1:300 + EMA sort of by trial and error to both accrue the benefits of long/low agitation development but also rein in excessive contrast build up.

This was observed across a number of films, notably Tri-X and Fomapan 200.

I am sure that there are other schemes that will work.

At this point, I've satisfied myself that long standing/low agitation can be made to work consistently and has a place in my universe for many things, but it's not the only way to do things, and I still develop more conventionally.

The one thing I want to further explore more completely is long standing/low agitation with D-23 because of its highlight compression properties. I've done a bit, but I want to dig into it more.
 
thronobulax said:
I have tried versions of the first group, and none of the second, though I'd welcome your (or anyone else's) experience in the matter.

I have found that - for normal or long SBRs - even at 1.5:1:250, Pyrocat-HD develops too much contrast when the film is left in solution for a long time. I arrived at 1.5:1:300 + EMA sort of by trial and error to both accrue the benefits of long/low agitation development but also rein in excessive contrast build up.

This was observed across a number of films, notably Tri-X and Fomapan 200.

I am sure that there are other schemes that will work.

At this point, I've satisfied myself that long standing/low agitation can be made to work consistently and has a place in my universe for many things, but it's not the only way to do things, and I still develop more conventionally.

The one thing I want to further explore more completely is long standing/low agitation with D-23 because of its highlight compression properties. I've done a bit, but I want to dig into it more.
Click to expand...
Andrew O'Neil on YouTube has two interesting videos on testing Pyrcat HD, well worth a look. Thank you for your replies, it's good to learn what people are doing with Pyrocat HD and other developers.
 
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