Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica & tri-X
From: Peter Goldberg <peterg@martinhamblin.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 08:37:28 -0500

Ted Grant wrote:

> 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

How many regular Tri-X users push it  - as standard ??

Peterg
"....doesn't work well with others"