Who's still using Efke 8x10 or larger? Banding issues?

[2F/2F]

I am beginning to mess with the 25-speed Efke in a 12x20 super wide angle pinhole. I have exposed and developed about five sheets so far and have no problems with banding. I have enjoyed the film in 4x5, but had never tried anything larger till recently. The biggest problems I have so far are that reciprocity loss is very bad, the film is very flat with recommended times, and that it gets pinholes and scrapes so easily. I developed the sheets in a Simma Color rotary print tube on a Jobo manual roller base at about half the RPMs I use with the Jobo Expert Drum. I reverse direction every 30 seconds.

[Ian Grant]

I've found that handling the films needs extra care, all chemistry must be within a degree or so Centigrade, including the wash water, don't use a strong stop bath. For 10x8 there's far less chance of scratches with dish processing single sheet at a time, it's too easy to accidentally get a scratch unloading wet film from a drum.

Modern EFKE films are slightly better hardened than they were, I used to add a hardener to the developer just prior to processing and that made a substantial difference, and I also tried a hardening stop bath, that worked as well. They just need that extra vigilance while handling wet and the resulting prints are well worth the effort.

Ian

[gbenaim]

I use it as my main film, PL50 and PL100 in 8x20 and 12x20. I brush develop with no scratches at all. Yes it takes more time than shuffling but its worth it so as not to scratch it... beautiful film.

Robert, is there any reason to use the 50 in addition to the 100, are they very different? I've actually had good luch shuffling in 5x7, we'll se w 8x10.

[mikebarger]

If you haven't been to Robert's site, you should.

In the new work section, the industrial prints, those may be the BEST looking bricks I've ever seen printed.

Outstanding work Robert.

Sorry, for the off topic post.

Mike

[RobertP]

The 50 has a different tonal range than 100 which I find really appealing. Plus its reciprocity is much like that of tmax 400 as far as times go. The 50 is not as fexible as the 100 if you are comparing film curves and I have to reduce my development times by as much as 30% for the 50 in comparison to the 100. This is with both films shot at box speed. There is an 8x20 nude in my gallery shot with the 50. I've only been using the 50 in the last year but the more I use it the more I like it. Beautiful negs. I brush develop with pyro.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I've used Efke-25 in 4x5 and I develop it in Pyrocat-HD on hangars in tanks and have never had a problem. Can do 4-5 at a time. I do my 11x14 and 8x20 one at a time in trays. I've only processed the PL-100 in 8x20 so far and no developing problems only operator error. Nice film. Need to get some 8x10.

Jim

[Robert Hall]

I have had a scratch or 2 when doing them in trays which is why I like the jobo so well for the larger negs. I do run the temps a little higher, about 74F to do the processing which may add to the softness of the emulsion. Once it had dried, however, I have not had any trouble with scratches.

[Frank Szabo]

Been using Efke Ortho 25 8X10 - yep, soft stuff, quit tray developing when I found the Xray processor in NDT's area at work does an excellent job for me. Never a banding problem or any other ills that I didn't cause to begin with.

I'll probably continue using this in the large format due to its sharpness, not having to deal with light's red component; ie, less of the spectrum for the lens to focus, therefore, sharper photos.

[Mahler_one]

The emulsion is quite fragile as it's not as prehardened as other films so I wouldn't shuffling, if you mean more than one sheet at a time. I dish process mine singly, and use Pyrocat 2+2+100 to keep the dev time reasonably short.

Ian

Ian: Might you provide some guidance as to time and temperature factors for your Pryocat developing with the Efke film? I use a Jobo with the expert tanks so some interpolation will obviously be in order.

Do you think that the "look" of prints made with the Efke film is sufficiently "different" or "better" then those made from, for example, TMax 400, so as to be worth any added effort to use the Efke? Indeed, at a minimum one sacrifices some speed. I suspect the hardening effects of the Pyrocat solve(s) the issue(s) of the more fragile emulsion.

Thanks.

Ed

[gbenaim]

If you haven't been to Robert's site, you should.

In the new work section, the industrial prints, those may be the BEST looking bricks I've ever seen printed.

Outstanding work Robert.

Sorry, for the off topic post.

Mike

I'd love to see more than what's on the gallery, what's the address though?