Ilford 120 Pan F

I am switching from Tri-X to Pan F.

My early results are really sharp also really contrasty.

I am shoting 120 Pan F at ISO 50.
Developed in D76 1:1 for 10:30 minutes.

I have not tried ISO of 25 yet but I would like to first deal with the
contrast.

I welcome suggestions, and or comments.
Thanks for any input.
Alan Tippett

 

Decrease your time about 2 minutes. Try 8 minutes at 70F.
EI50.

Also note that this should be Pan-F+ and not the original
Pan-F, right ?


Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org
Please remove the "_" when replying via email

 

WAY TOO LONG. Try 6-7 minutes.

 

Contrast is a matter of development time. Ilford's
developing chart times are for contrast intermediate between
diffusion and contact printing, that is, the will be about
half a paper grade off for either, not a big deal. Changing
development time by about 30% will change negative contrast
by about one paper grade. It will also change speed by about
3/4 stop.
I am not sure if you are indicating that you have tried
times from 10 minutes to 30 minutes or if you are developing
for 10-1/2 minutes. If the latter try going down to about 7
minutes and shoot at EI-25.
Be careful of temperature. While B&W is not as critical
as color the temperature should be within about 1 degree F
of the chart temperature for predictable results. Agitation
method also affects contrast. Generally time/temperature
charts specify the agitation used to generate them. Ilford
roll film charts usually specify 10 seconds of agitation
every minute for small tanks while Kodak charts specify 5
seconds every 10 seconds. The difference between these is
not large but is significant enough to take into account if
you are not getting the results you expect.

 

I'm afraid you're a tad late, mate...

This month's "Réponses Photo" features an interview with the marketing
director of Ilford France. He claims that film and photographic paper
production will continue, although with a reduced product range.

He explicitly states that the following film products will be axed:

- all sheet film (!!)
- Pan F
- SFX 200

Production of the other film types is said to continue. This includes
120 roll film.

On the paper side, we'll have to do without Ilfobrom Gallery, the
Cooltone and Portfolio versions of Multigrade, as well as some grades of
Ilfospeed.

Ralf

 

Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me given Ilford's financial woes.
Of course, since I use none of the discontinued items, it's not my ox
being gored. Tell me they're cancelling Delta 400 or HP5+ or Multigrade
Warmtone and I'll scream along with everyone else.

 

No sheet film is plenty bad, but this is hear say
and from Ilford France. Best thing is to just wait and watch
and buy the stuff you want while its still available.

 

Where can I read that? Doesn't matter if it's in French or German...

 

I think it comes down to what sells, and what sits in inventory, the
key for any manufacturer, especially of time sensitive goods, is to
bring in raw materials as needed, then get the stuff out the door as
quickly as they can. You don't want to keep inventory on this
stuff, you have money invested in the raw materials, and you need
somewhere to store it, and you need to throw it away, if it expires.

The other issue, some of these products are sacred cows, if they want
investors to take them seriously, they need to be sending some of
those sacred cows to the slaughter house..... Expect before they are
done, maybe fewer chemical choices as well....

W

 

You might consider reading :


http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/ILFOPRO/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6140

for a little more clarification (or not). As noted :

"The exact language about film is:

" Côté films, FP4+ et HP5+, et la gamme Delta (100, 400 et 3200)
seront toujours fabriqués, en 135 et 120. Par contre, les plans-films
disparaîtront très probablement du catalogue." "

I wouldn't be surprised if they 86 the products listed.
Unfortunately the demand is simply too small to be profitable.
Diminishing returns and all that.

Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org
Please remove the "_" when replying via email

 

Does anyone have a suggested replacement for Pan F+, particularly one in 120 format?

 

I'd have to consider the Efke 25.


Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.puresilver.org
Please remove the "_" when replying via email

 

Awfully contrasty and if you want to scan the stuff with something like
an Epson 4780 you'll need the 12 volume edition of the Oxford Dictionary
to weigh the lid down.

Ralf

 

This would seem to mean the demise of Freestyle's Arista
sheet film, which is Ilford film. I wonder what they will
replace it with since Agfa is making only a limited variety
of sheet films and Kodak does not make custom products. I
don't have much trust in either the technology or quality
control of the manufacturers in the former Eastern zone.
Ilford seems to have awakened from a nightmare only to
find its true. Kodak seems to be the only one tryign to hang
on to the film business at all.

 

Kodak last year annnouned they intended to make no-name film. I guess they
meant store brand 35mm but once you start down the road I don't see why they
wouldn't make store brand sheet film.

Nick

 

*Efke 25 is not unusually contrasty. In fact, I'd say highlights are more
printable than TMax. I was amazed by the tonal range of the first shots I
did at near high-noon. In fact, I will have to come up with some interesting
N+ development for the nominal N scenes.

When I scanned a negative on the Epson 3200 (not a great scanner), I could
get detail in Zone VIII, no problem.

(Efke 25 4x5, Rodinal 1:100, 16minutes 70F, moderate agitation)

 

I see why not. We are not talking about small mom&pop specialty
photography shops. Will WalMart start stocking house brand sheet film?

 

What does it take to make house brand sheet film? Change the outer box.
Anything else? If mom and pa are willing to buy enough to fill the special
order requirement then all Kodak has to do is use different boxes. Does
Freestyle order enough film every year for that?

Nick

 

More like a lack of trained staff. That, and compounded by the
Greener Pasture drain on personnel.
If we can afford to send abroad $50 for a barrel of oil, a 500%
increase over 7 or 8 years ago, then Ilford should be asking $4.25
for a roll of FP4+. That's less than a 100% increase.
Why charge so little for film then so much for paper? Is'nt
Galerie close to a $1 a sheet 8x10? Dan

 

In this month's issue of French magazine Réponses Photo. I usually buy
it in Verviers, Belgium. No idea where this might be available outside
of the French-speaking parts of this world. No online version either,
I'm afraid.

Ralf