Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Michael Gardner wrote: > Michael D. Turner wrote: > > > Directly from negs (B&W) I have produced beautiful, luminous B&W > > transparencies on Tech Pan, developed to high gamma in HC110. If this is what > > you have in mind, let me know and I'll dig up my notes. You will need to > > experiment some, but it's well worth the effort. > > Yes, please share when you find your notes. I'd like to experiment with this > idea for slide shows. > Thanks! > Mike Gardner I'll post an article on my web site after April 15. However, I can give a brief summary of what you need to do. First of all, set up a good, uniform light source to illuminate the negatives. My setup for 35mm was a copystand with an enlarger head upside down on the baseboard. Use a macro lens for 1:1 reproduction on the camera. Place the negative in an enlarger negative carrier and place it on the upside-down light source. Mask off any light around the carrier to avoid flare. Bracket a series of exposures on Tech Pan and develop, as a starting point, about 6 min in HC110, dilution B. This will produce a gamma of 1.4 or so. You will need to evaluate the resulting transparencies for proper exposure, and adjust development time up or down (and or dilution) to "dial in" the desired contrast. Might take a few tries. If your negatives are very consistent, you can then expose and develop the whole group, then go back and "tweak" individual ones. If you are serious about this, buy a long roll of Tech Pan. Much more economical this way. By the way, Tech Pan is available in sheet film sizes. Large format black and white transparencies are truly awesome! - -Mike