[Leica] Re: Last film on earth

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

The Tri x which I started shooting in the mid sixties was not the Tri x I
was shooting when I was taking my first photo classes in college in 1972.
The word was out that Tri x had been stepped on and this was in effect
gospel as this was confirmed by the teacher. Who may have brought it up in
the first place. I chose to ignore that. As I chose to ignore most of what
she taught, a big mistake I found out later. The arrogance of youth. My
youth anyway.

Tri X then already having been under suspicion of having lost a good part of
it's resonance and mystique and so lost a lot of it's market share among my
classmates and friends to Ilford HP4 (which moved from 4 to 5 in 1976.)
Ilford had just come out with a big advertising blitz.
"We do black and white" ?? with huge high contrast tasteful glamour point of
purchase headshots up big and bold at the camera stores we'd go to."

So half the class used HP5.
And drove Saab's
And didn't wear underwear or use deodorant.

Ran it in D76 1:2.
That's right 1:2 not 1:1.

But I stuck to Tri-X then for some reason.

My prints from the 60's did not look like my prints from when I was using a
lot of it in the mid 80's.  But there were as many other variables as you
can think of as well to contaminate the mix.

I  shot a brick of tri x it was mid may 1999.
This was the last time I used Tri X.
And it was with my Leica M system only.

Very cool Ilford chronology
http://website.lineone.net/~mauricefisher/Ilford%20Chronology.html

Found this latest Ilford press release from the day before yesterday.
"Mobberley - UK (February 21, 2005)

 125 year old ILFORD Imaging UK Ltd, the World's leading supplier of
Monochrome photographic materials has emerged from receivership today
through a complex and innovative management buy out (MBO).
http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pr/prht.html

Hadn't we written them off a long time ago?
Along with Kodak.
And Leica.


Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/