Some really interesting results, Alex. I done know whether it's the subject, the lighting or the developer / film combo but I like thos series developed in Diafine best.
Incidentally, this film (Kodak Technical Pan 2415) became something of a nemesis for me in the early 1980s. A friend who knew I was looking for some super-fine grain B&W film gave me a couple of rolls. He'd used it frequently and told me that the best developer he'd used with it was Tetenal Neofin-Doku. I bought a couple of extra rolls and some of the Neofin-Doku developer and started experimenting.
Both the film stock and the developer were fresh. I followed the instructions on both - to the letter - and yet what I was presented with was almost uniformly grey negatives almost devoid of any discernible detail. I reverted to Ilford PanF and haven't been inclined to re-try 2415.
Thanks! I was a little unsure of the Diafine roll but I came to like the results. I have heard of Neofin Doku but never tried it. I get it about not going back to a film, I’ve had a few stocks that aren’t worth my time/effort Adox CMS 20 II is one of them.
I'm not sure if Tetenal still exists, let alone Neofin-Doku. Apparently, it was supposed to give the finest grain / most detail available at that time. It's good to know that decent results are available from that film - thought it's the one and only film I never managed to get anything from. I do very little with film these days and, aside from wanting to tr that new Leica 50 ISO B&W film, I'm sticking to the tried and tested FP4+ and HP5+
I’m not sure if Tetenal exists either, if it does it only makes colour chemistry and a modern version of Neofin Blue. I’m sure that you could mix up Doku from base chemistry. FP4 and HP5 are solid stocks!
My friend, the guy who first got me interested in photography beyond just snapshots, used to love this stuff. He didn't use it very often but sang it's praises when he did. I never got to try it (though I could say that about numerous emulsions, I suppose). Your results, here, demonstrate why he looked upon it with a good deal of reverence. These are superb, particularly in microdol (or it's modern equivalent) and diafine. Superb contrast but not at the expense of those silky smooth mid-tones. Even the Rodinal produced a superb result - the contrast kind of hits you in the face, but when you take a closer look, once again the middle tones are lovely. Those fluffy clouds are fantastic.
Some really interesting results, Alex. I done know whether it's the subject, the lighting or the developer / film combo but I like thos series developed in Diafine best.
Incidentally, this film (Kodak Technical Pan 2415) became something of a nemesis for me in the early 1980s. A friend who knew I was looking for some super-fine grain B&W film gave me a couple of rolls. He'd used it frequently and told me that the best developer he'd used with it was Tetenal Neofin-Doku. I bought a couple of extra rolls and some of the Neofin-Doku developer and started experimenting.
Both the film stock and the developer were fresh. I followed the instructions on both - to the letter - and yet what I was presented with was almost uniformly grey negatives almost devoid of any discernible detail. I reverted to Ilford PanF and haven't been inclined to re-try 2415.
Thanks! I was a little unsure of the Diafine roll but I came to like the results. I have heard of Neofin Doku but never tried it. I get it about not going back to a film, I’ve had a few stocks that aren’t worth my time/effort Adox CMS 20 II is one of them.
I'm not sure if Tetenal still exists, let alone Neofin-Doku. Apparently, it was supposed to give the finest grain / most detail available at that time. It's good to know that decent results are available from that film - thought it's the one and only film I never managed to get anything from. I do very little with film these days and, aside from wanting to tr that new Leica 50 ISO B&W film, I'm sticking to the tried and tested FP4+ and HP5+
I’m not sure if Tetenal exists either, if it does it only makes colour chemistry and a modern version of Neofin Blue. I’m sure that you could mix up Doku from base chemistry. FP4 and HP5 are solid stocks!
As always, super informative and interesting. Love the photos and the differences between the different devs.
Thanks! I do like to experiment!
You certainly do - and we count on it! :)
🧪🍻
My friend, the guy who first got me interested in photography beyond just snapshots, used to love this stuff. He didn't use it very often but sang it's praises when he did. I never got to try it (though I could say that about numerous emulsions, I suppose). Your results, here, demonstrate why he looked upon it with a good deal of reverence. These are superb, particularly in microdol (or it's modern equivalent) and diafine. Superb contrast but not at the expense of those silky smooth mid-tones. Even the Rodinal produced a superb result - the contrast kind of hits you in the face, but when you take a closer look, once again the middle tones are lovely. Those fluffy clouds are fantastic.
Oh yeah Tech Pan, while never one I would actively seek out I would always love to get a roll and use it!
I’ll be honest, I came for the photos and these pulls from your archive did not disappoint. You do outstanding work, Alex.
Thank you!! 😊