Re: Best CI for process

> A negative with a DR of 3.0, let's say one that has a B+F of log .30
> and a highlight reading of 3.30, must by necessity have a CI of over
> 1.45. The problem is that there are very few films, if any, that can
> be developed to a CI of 1.45. Most films are not even capable of a CI
> of as much as 1.2. Once they reach a CI of 1.2 any further time in
> the developer simply increases density equally on all parts of the
> curve, from the shadows to the highlights, but it does not increase
> CI.

For the most part, I have not found that to be the case. For the last some
years I have used mostly T-Max 100 and 400. These will give a Dmax of more
than 3 and a FB+F of 0.35 or less with my glycin developers or, I believe,
with HC-110 or most any M-Q or P-Q developer. Several Eastern European
films I tried (house brands from US suppliers) will do it, too, but I lost
a few too many images to coating defects with these. Plus-X would, the
last time I used it (two or more formulations ago), give a Dmax of over 2.8
with FB+F in the 0.4 range, but I never liked its curve much. The only
commonly-available films I tried that would not do it were Tri-X and most
Ilford films, even of the previous generation, with HP-5+ being the worst.

Best regards,

etienne
Received on Sat Oct 1 13:16:29 2005