Zone Imaging Lab 510 Pyro Black & White Film Developer 100ml
Zone Imaging Lab 510 Pyro is a premium staining developer for black and white film, formulated by Jay DeFehr to deliver exceptional sharpness, extremely fine grain, and an extended tonal range. Winner of the Silvergrain Classics Award 2021, it produces stained negatives optimised for scanning, traditional silver gelatine printing, and UV-based alternative printing processes, all using the same development time. Supplied as a highly concentrated liquid with a remarkably long shelf life, a single 100ml bottle can process approximately 30 to 100 rolls of 35mm film.
Perfect For
- Film photographers looking for exceptional sharpness with extremely fine grain.
- Photographers scanning negatives who want excellent shadow recovery and tonal detail.
- Darkroom printers seeking improved highlight separation in silver gelatine prints.
- Alternative process printers requiring greater highlight density for UV-based printing.
- Photographers wanting an economical, long-lasting one-shot film developer.
Key Features
- Premium pyro staining black and white film developer.
- Winner of the Silvergrain Classics Award 2021.
- Exceptional sharpness and extremely fine grain.
- Extended tonal range with excellent shadow and highlight separation.
- Designed for both conventional and modern T-grain emulsions.
- Produces stained negatives optimised for scanning, silver gelatine printing, and UV alternative processes.
- Standard one-shot dilution of 1+100.
- Can be diluted further, up to 1+500, for greater economy.
- Approximately 30 to 100 rolls of 35mm film from one 100ml bottle, depending on dilution.
- More than six years shelf life, including after opening.
- Suitable for rotary processing.
- Syringe included for accurate dispensing of concentrate.
Exceptional Sharpness with Minimal Grain
510 Pyro has been formulated to overcome the traditional compromise between sharpness and grain. It combines high acutance with extremely fine grain and strong micro-contrast, allowing negatives to retain fine detail even when making substantial enlargements. With many ISO 100 films, grain can become exceptionally difficult to discern.
Extended Tonal Range
The characteristic image stain produced by 510 Pyro helps preserve an unusually long tonal range, particularly in difficult shadow and highlight areas. This makes it especially useful for scenes with a wide brightness range where maintaining detail throughout the negative is important.
Optimised for Scanning and Darkroom Printing
One of 510 Pyro's most useful characteristics is its ability to produce negatives suited to several different workflows without requiring separate development techniques. The stain can provide excellent shadow recovery when digitising negatives, increased highlight separation when making silver gelatine prints, and additional highlight density for UV-based alternative printing processes.
Highly Economical Concentrate
510 Pyro is supplied as a 100ml liquid concentrate and is normally used as a one-shot developer at a dilution of 1+100. It can also be diluted further, up to 1+500, where maximum economy is required, although longer development times and some reduction in image quality should be expected at higher dilutions. Depending on the chosen dilution, one bottle can process approximately 30 to 100 rolls of 35mm film.
Exceptional Shelf Life
The concentrated formula has a shelf life of more than six years, including after the bottle has been opened, making it particularly convenient for photographers who process film less frequently. The colour of the liquid may become darker over time or differ from product photography, but this does not affect its performance.
Important Processing Information
Do not use an acidic stop bath or hypo clearing agent with negatives developed in 510 Pyro, as these can destroy the beneficial image stain. Zone Imaging Lab recommends using a water stop bath instead.
What's Included
- 1 × Zone Imaging Lab 510 Pyro Black & White Film Developer 100ml
- 1 × Syringe for accurate dispensing
TFC's Verdict
510 Pyro is a fascinating developer for photographers who want to extract as much information as possible from their negatives. Its combination of very fine grain, high sharpness, excellent tonal separation, and distinctive staining properties makes it particularly versatile if you both scan and traditionally print your film. Add its tiny working quantities and exceptional shelf life, and a 100ml bottle can go a surprisingly long way.
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