Abstract: A photographic element contains a light-sensitive silver halide layer having associated therewith a coupler which is a pyrazolone compound with a coupling-off substituent at the -4-position, said compound having the formula: ##STR1## wherein each R.sup.1 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkylsulfonyl or arylsulfonyl group; each R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is independently a substituent; R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups; m and n are independently 0 or 1 but both are not 0; x1 and x2 are independently 0 to 5; and y is 0 to 3; provided that each of R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 is selected such that the calculated log P of the thiophenol corresponding to the substituent at the 4-position of the pyrazolone is at least 4. The photographic element provides an improved combination of low continued coupling together with a magenta hue exhibiting a long wavelength of maximum absorption.

Abstract: A photographic element and process provide a magenta coupler of the formula: ##STR1## wherein (a) at least one of X1, X2 and R1 and at least one of R2 and R3 is a substituent individually selected from carbamoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, sulfamoyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkoxysulfonyl, aryloxysulfonyl, alkylsulfoxyl, arylsulfoxyl, acyloxy, cyano, nitro, and trifluoromethyl;(b) the substituents X1, X2, R1, R2 and R3 not selected from the (a) group may be selected from alkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, acylamino, alkylthio, arylthio, sulfonamido, alkylureido, arylureido, alkoxycarbonylamino, aryloxycarbonylamino, and halogen and in the case of R3 hydrogen;(c) substituents R1 and R2 are para or meta to the carbon attached to the nitrogen atom;(d) a and b are 1 to 3;(e) Q is an alkylthio or arylthio coupling-off group.The element provides a deeper magenta hue and reduced blue absorption by the resulting magenta dye.

Abstract: Pyrazolone magenta dye-forming couplers are described which provide excellent formaldehyde stability and which result in dyes having good stability to light, heat and moisture and which have higher .beta.max values as compared with dyes obtained from prior described pyrazolone couplers.