[Leica] Leica & tri-X

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@islandnet.com>]

Hi gang,

Leica, Tri-X and D23 or D76 developer.

I'll try to keep this short and Leica. At the moment we are printing tri-x
negatives that I exposed, processed and in some cases never printed from
1962 and into the early '60's!

Tri-x 37 years later! ...... heck older than  many LUG folks!:) I'm
surprised at how good the images look, how well the negatives have kept and
most surprised  "Why did I ever switch to T-max 400?"

The early Tri-x has a smoother fine grained look to it over what I see from
the past 12-15 years of using t-max 400 processed with T-max developer. Not
that the T-max doesn't look sharp, it just doesn't have the nice smoother
look to it from the old days. The lens renditions from '62 look different
to what they appear to be cutting in film to-day. Newer M lenses,
completely different glass from 37 years ago, also cameras probably makes
for much of the change..

At the time the film was developed in D23 (which were measured powders and
mixed ourselves as it was required) or D76 1:1  Also in powder form to make
one gallon amounts.

Does the film image look better today?  Gee I'm beginning to wonder, as
this stuff from Paris, Nice, Madrid, London and Munich sure looks pretty
good 37 years later. :)

Just for a test I'm going to shoot Tri-X and develop in D76 and see what
today's images look like compared to the old stuff.  Maybe a side by each
thing of Tri-x in one M body and T-max in the other and switch lenses.

Hell that'll never work as I'm not big on this techie/testing kinda stuff
and all that is just too much trouble.

I'll just use Tri-x on a shoot or two and look at what the results are, if
they aren't any worse than what the film and developer looked like from 37
years ago I'm going to look pretty damn good. :) Let me assure you, I doubt
it's going to look worse than T-Max in T-max developer!

After all these years I may just switch back!

Let you know. :)
ted








Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant