I AM CURRENTLY USING PMK DEVELOPED NEGS AND I AM PRINTING ON VC PAPER. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING IS I AM NOT GETTING AS MUCH CONTRAST AS I WOULD LIKE. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE YELLOW-GREEN STAIN ACTS AS A LOW CONTRAST FILTER ON VC PAPER.

I HAVE HEARD BY ADDING AMIDOL TO PMK IT WILL CHANGE THE STAIN TO A MORE BROWN OR BLACK COLOR, IS THIS TRUE?

IF THIS IS TRUE I CAN ONLY THINK THAT I WOULD GET MORE CONTRAST WITHOUT LOSEING THE EFFECTS OF PMK, RIGHT?

LAST QUESTION: IF ALL OF THIS IS TRUE WHAT IS THE RECOMENDED RATIO OF AMIDOL TO PMK, AND WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF USING MORE OR LESS OF THE RECOMENDED AMOUNT OF AMIDOL TO PMK?

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

Answers

Nicholas, a few others have aired the same complaints on this forum, and it mystifies me, because PMK is the best developer I've ever used by a large margin. The only straw I can grasp at regarding paper is that both Ilford Multigrade IV and Kodak Polymax II have slightly lower highlight contrast than some other papers like Agfa Multicontrast Premium. If you're using one of the former, you might want to try the latter, but I doubt you'll find THAT much difference.

Otherwise, I have to wonder if your exposure and processing need fine- tuning. It's been my experience that I pretty much need to cut the film speed in half with PMK in order to get a rich, easily printable negative. If that sounds like what you're getting, then you might try increasing your developing time to get more contrast. It should not be necessary to resort to amidol for adequate contrast.

But, to answer some of your questions, Gordon Hutchings recommends adding between .05 and .1 grams of amidol to a liter of PMK in order to increase film speed by 1/3 to 1/2 a stop. He says .05 is sufficient and that more than .1 grams will increase fog. I've never added amidol so I don't know if there's a color change.

You don't mention what film you're using, but Ilford FP4+ gives nice results rated at 64 to 80. When exposure and development are right, the low-contrast effect you mention works mainly on highlights that otherwise would be unprintable which, of course, is a good thing. Good luck dialing it in.

-- Brian Hinther (brianh@onewest.net), September 14, 2001.

Before I would go changing developer combinations in search of more contrast, I would try increasing development times. If you consistantly do not have enough contrast, your negs are underdeveloped, underexposed or both. A good Zone System type calibration should solve your problems. I use PMK as my standard developer (albeit with graded paper) and develop from N-4 through N+2. You should probably be aware, however, that pyro developers are most prized for the grain-reducing stain and their ability to hold detail in the dense areas of the negative. If you are trying for very high-contrast prints (lith effects, etc.) you will probably have to change developers. Regards, ;^D)

-- Doremus Scudder (ScudderLandreth@compuserve.com), September 15, 2001.

Doremus' recommendation to make sure your exposure index is correct is good advice, but if you are getting good shadow detail your exposure is probably fine. I experience the same problem with VC papers and films developed in PMK--at least one person has told me that I am overdeveloping or getting too much stain, which may be true. However, the negatives print beautifully on graded papers, so that is what I use most of the time. I also get excellent prints with VC papers, but usually have to use a couple of grades of magenta filtration.

Yes, the stain is a different color when you add amidol--it is closer to brown than to yellow or green, and it does not have quite the same effect with VC papers as straight PMK. You should try it and see if it is the answer you are looking for. I suspect it will help. I add 1/10th of a gram of amidol to a liter of PMK working solution and rate the film 2/3's stop faster. My developing times are available on my web site: UnblinkingEye.Com under Articles, Film Developing Times.

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