Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/25

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: RE: [Leica] Exposing Tri-X at 320
From: BOB KRAMER <BobKramer@COOPERCARRY.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:31:56 -0400

I suppose the latitude at 1/3 stop overexposure would not effect your prints
*too* much, but it would also depend on the lighting conditions and your
exposure decisions when the film was exposed.  Were you metering in the
shadows with a lot of sunny areas in the image?  Were you metering for the
bright higher values?  Were you using an incident meter, or the on board M6
reflectance meter?  Was the contrast in the scene high or low?  Those kinds
of issues could have a far larger effect on the quality of your negatives.

Also, any idea what developer the lab is going to use?  Around here, one is
hard pressed to find anyone running B&W (any B&W) in anything but tmax
developer, which from my experience is the kiss of death for tri-x.  D-76 is
much better, and Xtol is marvelous (I like the 1:1 dilution).

C'mon Dan!  You blew a small fortune on Leica gear, go out and buy a
changing bag, stainless steel tank, a few bottles for chemicals, and a
couple of the Hewes reels.  Take control of the process ASAP.  You won't
regret it!

Bob Kramer

P.S.  I almost forgot.  Go get The Film Developing Cookbook, by Anchell &
Troop.  All sorts of good info in that book.

P.S.S.  I also noticed that I didn't answer your question.  Yes, if
possible, change the development time.  This will help make sure you don't
blow out your highlights.  You may have to experiment a little to nail down
the right time.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dan Honemann [SMTP:ddh@home.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, July 25, 2000 8:05 AM
> To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject:	[Leica] Exposing Tri-X at 320
> 
> If you intentionally overexpose by a third of a stop by rating Tri-X at
> 320,
> do you then under develop by the proportionate amount?  Or do you develop
> as
> normal and let the latitude of the film compensate for the overexposure
> (hoping to bring out more details in shadows)?
> 
> I ask because I've never tried this before, and having shot a few rolls
> this
> way, am about to take them to the lab to be processed and wonder if I
> should
> say anything.
> 
> Thanks,
> Dan
> 
> P.S. All six rolls were shot with a Leica M6 (vain attempt to keep this
> OT).

Replies: Reply from Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net> (Re: [Leica] Exposing Tri-X at 320)