I have just processed my first ever roll of TechPan. I used Technidol at 20°C for 6 minutes. I haven't printed the negs yet, but they look good. Nice level of contrast (good detail in shadows and highlights), and very sharp.

Just one thing. On a couple of frames, there are some very odd objects in the sky. Might be that they make sense when printed, but on the negatives they look like UFOs. Has anyone had this before, and if so, how can it be avoided?

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 18, 2002

Answers

I've also just visited the following site:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/p255/p255 .jhtml

This states that the camera should be loaded and unloaded in absolute darkness. I did not do this, and the negs look alright. Any idea if this is necessary? If it is, I shall not be using this film. Loading my Pentax 67ii is hard enough in broad daylight, never mind in darkness!

-- Ed Hurst (BullMoo@hotmail.com), March 18, 2002.

TP is very finicky stuff. If you agitate anywhere near what you do for regular film, you will get some sever bromide drag! With the small tank, I put the developer in before starting and in the dark, lower the film reel in gently. I give it a rap and turn it once. 45 sec later, I turn it once again, 45 sec... and so on.

-- Scott Walton (walton@ll.mit.edu), March 18, 2002.

I've done a few rolls of Techpan (35mm). Loading in the dark is not a requirement, but avoid direct lighting. I think the base is similar to HIE infrared and acts like a light pipe. However, Tech Pan has an anti-halation coating on the back so this effect is minimized. HIE does not have the coating and any strong light that hits the back will travel down the inside of the film (you can see this effect with a strip in an enlarger, the edges of the film glow). Most of the problems with development is because of the very high contrast nature of the film. Any screwups will show up as streaks and smears in large areas like the sky. I've never heard of spots or other small defects (at least regarding Tech Pan).

-- Dave Mueller (dmueller@bellatlantc.net), March 18, 2002.

Hi Ed,

Sometimes I get UFO looking objects in the sky if I am exposing the film directly into the sun - the extreme brightness seems to cause a flare effect. I don't know if your object is dark on the film, or light. If it is light, it may be an agitation problem.

Good luck....

James Webb

-- James Webb (jwebb66@yahoo.com), March 18, 2002.

Crimp marks?

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@att.net), March 18, 2002.

I'm with Gene on this. Tech Pan is a very thin film. Easy to bend, or, in the right case, crimp. They usually look like half-moons. No remedy if they're already there, just try and carefully handle the film next time. I too haven't had a problem loading in the light - but avoid direct sunlight if you can. Kodak's recommendation is for the optimal situation, not real life.

-- Alec (alecj@bellsouth.net), March 19, 2002.

What if they were REAL UFO's ?

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), March 20, 2002.

> REAL UFO's ?

Well, you'd have to use color film so you could clearly see the blue beam.

-- John Hicks (jhicks31@bellsouth.net), March 21, 2002.

Well, John, the best results I ever had when photographing UFO's were achived with Kodak HIE and not with colour film, that tends to get overexposed with the light of the sky... The infrared film (with the use of the appropriate dark red filter of course) shows a dark sky, where the image of the UFO is much more clear... Try it too, you will be fascinated.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), March 22, 2002.

Ed:

Cold the UFOs be air bells?

In additio to all teh other problems with processing TP, it has amysterieous affinity for air bubbles to stick on teh film on first immersion.

Try knocking the tank hard on a wood surfce 10 time as soon as the dev is poured in.

I had the dev mark problem until I immersed the reel into the developer with one quick move, put the lid on then tapped it. I finally gave up on TP and use XP2 and Ilford Pan F. Although not as fine as TP, for all pratical purposes, they fill the bill for me and no hassle with the anxiety of spoiled shots.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Ed:

Cold the UFOs be air bells?

In additio to all the other problems with processing TP, it has amysterieous affinity for air bubbles to stick on teh film on first immersion.

Try knocking the tank hard on a wood surfce 10 time as soon as the dev is poured in.

I had the dev mark problem until I immersed the reel into the developer with one quick move, put the lid on then tapped it. I finally gave up on TP and use XP2 and Ilford Pan F. Although not as fine as TP, for all pratical purposes, they fill the bill for me and no hassle with the anxiety of spoiled shots.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.