Re: OFF TOPIC. Help with low light b/w and TMax

[Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>]

At 01:32 AM 9/18/97 +0800, you wrote:
>Is there anyone who can help me? I have tried using T-max 400 under low
>light conditions, rated at 800 and developed in T-max or HC-110. The
>negatives I get have very course grain and also high contrast. I would like
>to have more tones in my prints. With regards only to Tmax 400, is there
>any way I can do this? 

First of all, don't use HC-110 with TMax film. It's a high energy developer
that really boosts grain (and thus sharpness). It's great for 6x6cm and 4x5
and bigger film, but not 35mm. Some people use it because of ease of
mixing, or economy. But they sure don't for fine grain.

TMax developer is specifically formulated to push TMax films. That's right,
push. TMax films 100 and 400 are optimized to be used with D-76 (Ilford
ID-11+)  for normal exposure (and pulling). John Sexton and several Kodak
techs. have said so. The thing about TMax films that make them different
from other films, say Tri-X specifically, is that they're very unforgiving
films. Tri-X is designed to give good results with less than optimal
development/exposure.

The down side to that is that it resists the fine-tuning controls that
exposure/development techniques such as the Zone system give you. Well, at
least the 35mm version of Tri-X does. There's a larger format version that
has a different characteristic curve (I should say there used to be anyway,
don't know if it's still in use) and takes fine-tuning controls better.

Anyway, TMax films, at the request of John Sexton and others who were
consultants in its development, are much more sensitive to changes in
development (time, temperature, agitation, formula) than previous black and
white films. I was also part of the pre-introduction users of TMax film at
the University of Missouri School of Journalism. I was a user of HC-110 and
Tri-X. When I used HC-110 dil. B with TMax 400 (actually it had an "SO"
name at the time) I got horrible results. 

When I used D-76 and TMax developer (also an "SO" at the time) I got
fantastic results that stood out head and shoulder above my fellow students
still using Tri-X. The sports editor would hold up my football pictures
(shot in bright sunlight pulled one stop) and ask why my pictures were so
much better than the others. Of course, I claimed it was my Leica glass.
<g> Which, in a small way was true. Open shadows are helped by lenses that
give good shadow detail under the helmets. (There, I'm on topic!)

That's the long way around. Sorry if I bored anybody. But if you want the
absolute best results, the best developer for TMax films when not pushing
is Press Maxx developer. Unicolor sells it. Maybe they make it? It's very
highly concentrated and gives you Tri-X tonality while giving you TMax
grain. It's really beautiful stuff. One problem, it's horrible with TMax
P3200 film. Don't even try it. You won't like it! Unless you like golf-ball
sized grain. :-)

=============
Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
My computer's sick. I think my modem is a carrier.