Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/03/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]- --On Monday, March 24, 2003 9:13 PM -0800 Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote: > Rolfe Tessem asked: >> I assume this was the "new" Tri-X. If so, what are your feelings about it >> versus the "old" Tri-X. Does the new version really have significantly >> smaller grain, as has been reported? Inquiring minds want to know ;-).<<< > > Hi Rolfe, > Yes it's the new tri-x. Is the grain finer? Well I suppose so, it looks > pretty good to Sandy and myself when we've made 16X20 wet prints and > 13X19 Epson prints. > > It appears to have a fine smoothness with nice gradation, yet holds > excellent Leica glass edge sharpness. It has good detail in the shadow > areas even though we push it one. But most high end films can easily make > good prints pushed one. > > I used Tmax from the time it arrived in the world and for my first medical > book, "This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler." Book > re-productions were beautiful which led to an order for several 60"X40" > prints in a medical centre board room. Even with that behind me, I > switched to Tri-x. Actually there were two things that created the return > to Tri-X. One, making 16X20 prints from some early 1960 negatives of > assignments shot in Europe, I was really amazed at the quality of the > negs and prints from exposures made 40 years earlier. ;-) > > They had this beautiful tonal gradation, so it got me thinking I should go > back to Tri-x, particularly if I made negs that looked that good from my > earlier photo life. Shortly thereafter while visiting Tom Abrahamsson, he > showed me Tri-x prints of his and the switch was a done deal. Tri-x it > was for the "Women in Medicine" book. > > And at the moment from what I've seen in negatives from the 300 plus rolls > Sandy & I shot during this past 3 months traveling the country, I doubt > we'll be switching back to Tmax. :-) I trust this answers your, > >>Inquiring minds want to know?<< :-) It does, thank you. I have never been a fan of the Tmax films, but I was curious about the recent published report evaluating the changes in Kodak B&W films after manufacturing was consolidated in one plant. That report, written by the now-retired inventors of Xtol, said that the grain in Tri-X has decreased significantly, while the grain in TMY has actually increased in size. Go figure. Rolfe - -- Rolfe Tessem rolfe@ldp.com Lucky Duck Productions, Inc. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html