My results with Kentmere 400 in undiluted Xtol were similar to what I got with HP5. Both films liked morning light, particularly when there was some sky in the frame. Bright mid-day sun and haze tended to flatten the mid-tones and emphasize grain in the skies.
So, I think the outcomes with these two fast films in xtol are pretty respectable, though it seems to me that they are not quite up the what I have gotten from PMK Pyro processing. On the other hand, there are a lot of variables that complicate my assessment including my choices of camera, lens, exposure, time of day, photoshop adjustments, and scanner settings. I'm also uncertain at this point about how well xtol ages compared to some of my other developers.
6 comments:
I like the fence post shot. Are those the Sandias in the background?
Yes, looking east toward the Sandias from the northern corner of the Petroglyph National Monument. The fence marks the boundary.
You seem quite smitten with PMK Pyro. What qualities does it create in your images that you appreciate?
PMK works best with an extra stop of exposure, but it gives very good grain and wide exposure latitude with good detail throughout the tonal spectrum from deep shadows to bright highlights. That is partly because it is a staining developer. After fixing, you pour the used developer back in the tank and let it set for two minutes so that the negative acquires a brownish color which brings the tonal values under control. PMK also has very good keeping qualities as you only mix enough of the two solutions at the time of use. The best examples of PMK use can be found on Flickr under the user name of "radspix". He also posts in "Classic Manual Cameras" on photo.net as "rick_drawbridge". His results are additionally remarkable as they are most often coming from cheap film like Arista and Kentmere.
I really like the fence post and petroglyphs frames. Great tonality. I can see grain in the sky, but it is not objectionable at all. Nice results from a 400 film!
Thanks. It has been a useful learning experience to try my luck with xtol. I have some Kentmere 100 on the way, and and am also thinking I might try some other slow speed films including some expired stuff.
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