Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:16 PM 9/25/99 +0200, Nathan Wajsman wrote: >Can you provide more details on this? Developer, time? Thanks. Sure. TMax developer. At 85 degrees I process it in a water bath if the room is typical room temperature. Easy to maintain. And make sure all fluids from developer to photo flo is within about 5 degrees. (Developer dead on). I agitate by inverting the tank and giving it a 180 degree twist at the same time. Five inversions in five seconds, every thirty seconds. Many people are afraid of good agitation, but this keeps the development even without overdoing it. I do not agitate for thirty seconds to start like some people. Just five to begin and then every 30 seconds five more. Some people like minimal agitation, but that lets bromides build up and create uneven development. An idea way to process is with a Jobo, but you must cut development times for constant agitation like that. My photo flo is mixed fresh for every batch of film. Single shot, just like the developer. I use a half a cap mixed in with about a quart of water. That's the 1:200 dilution photo flo. And TMax films require rapid fixer. Do not use the standard powdered fixer for them, they need more energy that it has. And wash for at least five minutes in a vigorous wash. Don't just dip and dunk, keep the water flowing, and remember fixer is heavier than water. So dump a tank that doesn't have holes in the bottom several times. P3200 Times: 85 degrees F - 400 - 5.5 min. at 75 degrees (don't try this at home! Professionals and fools only!) At 3200 - 6 minutes. 6400 - 8 minutes. 12,800 - 10 minutes. These are my times, yours will vary. TMax 400 (all at 75 degrees F - which is what it's optimized to be developed at) - 200 4.5 min., 400 5.5 min., 800 6.5 min., 1600 - 8 min. I don't go farther. P3200 is much better. Can't remember my TMax 100 times. Tmax 100 and 400 are better processed in Press Maxx developer by Unicolor. P3200 looks horrible in it. Follow the directions, they seem to be dead on for me. Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.