Pan F + ... and its diminishing returns: latency loss and contrast challenge

[mshchem]

I haven’t shot slow film since the old version Panatomic-X days. I need to get out of the TMAX, Acros rut. The "new" films are so amazing I just keep with these films.

 

[David Lyga]

I am astounded by this. Low contrast is surely not what I experience with this film. But I didn’t mess with different developers. Ilfosol1:14 gave me such good results that I never even bothered with anything else.

I have 12 bulk rolls of this stuff sitting in the freezer. I’ll probably dedicate 2021 to shoot them.

Even though is has less contrast than other slow films, it is STILL a slow film; thus, with a reservoir of potential contrast. If CAN be developed into a high contrast, make no mistake about that, but, by comparison, it has a rather low inherent contrast. - David Lyga

 

[BMbikerider]

Are we talking about the same PanF+?

Agreed it is a while since I used any but it was Pan F+ not plain Pan F, but I never had a problem with image fade although it wasn't always developed immediately after exposure. I was always conscious that the contrast could get out of hand quite easily so in bright sunny conditions I used to slightly over expose at 40 ISO then pull the development by 5-10%. On dull-ish days I used the standard 50 ISO. The developer was nearly always ID11 or Perceptol.

 

[Ian Grant]

A friend actually member here (but no longer active) shot a lot of Pan F it's quite easy to tame the contrast if you're using it regularly and his results were superb, I have a print.

I don't use Pan F very often because I always shoot 120 hand held and it;s a touch slow, I'm mostly an LF shooter using a tripod or 400 ISO film if I need to shoot 5x4 hand held. So Pan F for e is a good weather film, I did make the mistake 2 or 3 years ago of leaving a film unprocessed and another in a TLR with a couple of frames unexposed for around a year, it wasn't critical project work and I had to accept it was my own mistake. Normally I process within days of shooting, I'd been testing the lens on an MPP Microcord

Ian

 

[DREW WILEY]

I've never had a problem with latent image loss if the film was processed within two or three months or so. But once I had a roll of Pan F+ laying around about a year before I processed it, and it did exhibit serious density loss.

 

[Hatchetman]

I left some in a camera for a couple of months, finished the roll, developed, and found the first half of the roll totally clear. So don't say nobody warned you.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Pan F+ is the ONLY B&W film which loses its latent image in a relatively short time. My question is 'WHY'? Even its edge markings are barely readable.

I am wondering whether there is a trade-off here, whether this 'lack' somehow makes other things about this film somehow 'better'.

Another characteristic about this film is its inherent contrast. Of all the films out there (especially the slower ones), there is no other slower film which has as low a contrast. I am not certain that I like this trait. Consider APX 100 and its rather robust contrast.

Comments?

but You know how to increase film contrast;just rate it higher and develop longer!

 

[Vaughn]

But an advantage is that if you use this film which has been stored well for a long while, the latent image of the edge markings start to fade away before you even expose/develop the film...nice for pt/pd contact prints with 120 film.

 

[cliveh]

May I suggest development of Pan F for 14 minutes and 30 seconds in D76 at 1:1 and at 68F/20C.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Sure, you can suggest it. But it sounds like an insanely long development time for Pan F.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Sure, you can suggest it. But it sounds like an insanely long development time for Pan F.

My experience would agree that Pan F Plus doesn't need too long in the developer.

 

[NB23]

I left some in a camera for a couple of months, finished the roll, developed, and found the first half of the roll totally clear. So don't say nobody warned you.

Are you saying that one can double-shoot Pan-F?

Like if you’re unhappy after a day’s shoot, you could simply store the film away for a year, and then re-use it?

That’s nice.

 

[odell1618photography]

May I suggest development of Pan F for 14 minutes and 30 seconds in D76 at 1:1 and at 68F/20C.

Rated at 25 or 50 ?
Thanks

 

[Hatchetman]

Are you saying that one can double-shoot Pan-F?

Like if you’re unhappy after a day’s shoot, you could simply store the film away for a year, and then re-use it?

That’s nice.

If you could nail down the technique you might be able to do some cool double exposure effects.

 

[Vaughn]

Are you saying that one can double-shoot Pan-F? Like if you’re unhappy after a day’s shoot, you could simply store the film away for a year, and then re-use it? That’s nice.

Or better yet, if one accidently over-exposes it by several stops, one can wait a set time to develop it until the latent image decreases to the correct exposure...

 

[jim appleyard]

Pan-F-RW.

 

[summicron1]

May I suggest development of Pan F for 14 minutes and 30 seconds in D76 at 1:1 and at 68F/20C.

I just did a cupla rolls of Pan F rated at 50 in D76 1:1 for 8.5 minutes at 68 degruzzles ... came out perfect.

This sounds like some sort of heavy push.