From: Carl Weese (cweese@earthlink.net)
Date: 11/26/01-06:54:03 AM Z
Jeff,
Overexposure could cause this as Sandy points out, but I doubt it with FP4.
Generous--a stop or two over minimum--exposure won't hurt with this film. To
get 80 minute print exposures would take massive overexposure with a thin
fb+f film like FP4. (Heavy fog films like HP5 force you to stay much closer
to minimal exposure). And I've found trouble-shooting people's work that
exposure problems in general are a hundred to one from underexposure, not
over. The human brain seems hard-wired to underexpose.
That said, FP4 is the only film I tested (a few years ago) that actually
gained speed in PMK compared to HC110. Almost a stop--but that won't cause a
massive increase in print exposure time. For a reality check, my exposure
for FP4 in full sunlight is 1/2 second at f/45. For a bright subject in the
New Mexico sun with no significant shadows I *might* give a stop less. The
negative would print in 10-12 minutes.
You don't mention developing method--could there be a light leak near your
processing trays? Also, you are using trays, right?? If you're doing rotary
with PMK you're almost sure to get heavy overall stain with a 12-minute
process time. For rotary you want to use either ABC+ or Sandy's Pyrocat
formula.
I haven't done much with Azo, but don't remember seeing any major exposure
time difference printing pyro vs standard negs.
Platine will be much happier at higher humidity levels (near 70% if
possible) though that may not be practical in the desert. Since your Azo
results also need huge exposure increases, that can't be the main problem
anyway.
---Carl
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