[LargeFormat] Type 55 Polaroid and Panatomic X?

[Robert Lawrence]

Charles Thorsten wrote:

> I would be very surprised if this were true.  From what I've read,
> the negatives produced by Type 55 contain a shorter scale than
> traditional B&W films, such as Panatomic-X.  Something like
> 7 zones versus 10.

Charles,

My reference for this is an article by Steve Simmons in View Camera
Magazine Sept/Oct 2001 pp56 "Working with Polaroid's Type 55P/N Film". The
article also suggests that there are ways of controlling the contrast wiht
Type 55 and one suggestion I have not seen anywhere else is to detach the
neg and process in one's normal brew, maybe it's the Polaroid rapid
development that compresses the tonal range (that would seem logical as it
must be a pretty active brew!).

I have had great success (and awards) from scanning and quadtoning Type 55
prints.  This really is a way forward for digital darkrooms. Having now
been 'exposed' to the suggestion of viable zone use I shall be doing some
sensiometric testing using Type 55 separating the neg and developing in
ID-11 (1+3).

Robert