Re: Any experience with D-19 developper?

[synvis@xxxxxx (Steve Traudt)]

Cor Breukel wrote:
> 
> Intrigued by the statement of Michael Fulks in his interesting article
> about IR on the WEB (http://www.apogeephoto.com/something, can't find the
> rest )
> "D-19 it is generally used as a graphic arts film.  That means it tends to
> be high in contrast and grainy, but in my experimentation this has not
> been the case. I get good contrast, easy to print negs, with subtle tones,
> sharp grain and acutance"
> 
> I set out to try it: thus far the results are bad :the first film which I
> really blew. I started out with my standard setting (Minolta X300 on 250
> ASA, +2.5 stops dark red filter, through the lens metering; gives good
> results when processed in D76 1:1, 20 degC for 11 min), bracketing in
> steps of 1/2 stops to +2 and -2 resulted in grossly overexposed neg's, even
> in the -2 stops (1000 ASA in the camera) case.  Processing according to
> Kodak : D-19, 6 min at 20 degC.
> 
> So it looks like it that D-19 devell. is increasing film speed
> considerably. The other half of the same film was exposed in the
> combination Horizon 202/mystery filter (obtained via WJ;  it's nearly
> opaque, probably +5 stops) gave the same results, infact I obtained just
> one reasonable well exposed neg (didn't print yet, infact it's drying now,
> so I can not say anything about grain etc.) but this neg was wrongly
> exposed (infact 4 stops underexposed, metering with handheld Gossen on 50
> ASA=> 800 ASA)
> 
> Anybody  has experience with the combination HIE/D-19, or any comments on
> the above?
> 
> of 1/2 stops to +2 and -2 resulted Cor Breukel
> http://ruly70.MedFac.LeidenUniv.nl/~cor/cor.html
> cor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I too was intrigued with his comment on how nice D-19 was. I started out 
2 years ago with HIE and D-19 based on the wonderful images in Joseph 
Padauno's book. He used D-19 to good effect. Well, I shot many a roll, 
at many an EI, and D-19 is just plain too contrasty! A few negatives 
were printable, but only at very, very long times in the enlarger. Once 
I switched to D-76, my negatives were good to great. 

I think we are all trying to make IR too hard. Laurie White's new book 
suggests doing a test with 1/125 at f-11. Shoot a whole roll at that 
setting, in all types of lighting. The results will amaze you. I 
recently spent 5 days shooting nude models in the landscape and I 
basically used 1/125 at f-11, whether it was sunny, cloudy, high 
elevation, whatever. I shot 15 rolls like this and the negatives are the 
best I've ever had.

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Topic No. 12