What's wrong with plus-x?

I see the discussion on pulling tri-x to a lower iso rating, whats wrong with just using plus-x. I'm new to these films am I missing something. :)

There's nothing wrong with Plus-X. When a film is being pulled, the general intension is to decrease the contrast level and thus expanding the apparent latitude of the film. What really happens is that you are increasing the exposure and reducing development. When exposure is increased, the shadow areas are the zones the receives the most benefit. Since it's "over exposed", shadow details are recorded on film where otherwise would have been lost. Highlights are also affected but it's effects are not so notorious since it already have enough exposure. Then when you decrease the development time, this phase benefits the highlight areas. When the silver halides come into contact with the developer, the reduction of the halides starts to take place. The denser areas, highlights, react faster to the developer and thus exaust faster while the shadow areas reacts to the develper slower. Since the developer in contact with the dense areas are exasted, it no longer develops the film 'till the next agitation and so the build up of silver particles slows down considerably and almost stops. Meanwhile the shadow areas which are less dense keep on reacting and building up detail in the film. And this is the main reason why the constrast range decreases. This is true for all films but some films react better the changes in time and exposure than others. This is what is called an N- development in the Zone system. Shadow areas stay about the same while the highlight areas are compressed and have a relative decrease in zone. PlusX is good but not good enough in latitude compared to TriX pulled and not sharp enough compared to T-Max 100. Although PlusX is sharper than TriX and less contrasty than T-Max 100. It depends on what you want to do.

I never had great results with PlusX - the negs and prints were always dull and lifeless with a muddy grain pattern. Maybe it's just my way of doing things, but I rarely get too much contrast with Tmax100. Does anyone know why Kodak and Ilford don't sell 220 rolls of Tmax100 or Delta100?

Plus-X is an excellent film. But remember one thing: Don4t develop it in D-76! It4s a bad combination. Try T-max developer or Microdol -X.

Using a film at a slower rating (such as T-max 400 at ISO 200) improves graduation and grain. It can sometimes give a better result than using a slower film.

Some of the contributors fail to mention that lower speed films have a much narrower exposure latitude than their high speed counterparts.

 

If you use a film rated with a 125 speed, and due to judgement, equipment or other reasons, you happen to underexpose a 1/2 stop, then you are reducing the overall light percentage to the film more when using a relatively low speed film.

 

In the development process, I also like to use non-agitation water baths at 1/3 intervals of the development time. I will process the film in a dark tank instead of a daylight tank so I can stop 1/3 and 2/3 of the way through the development process and water bath the film at the same temperature as the developer for up to 2 minutes per bath. This allows even greater compaction of the tonal range of the film and gives much greater shadow detail, without losing your bright whites with detail to specular highlights.

 

But I would still rather use Ilford FP4 than use Plus-X.

 

Also, i think you will find that the Ilford papers will give you a better print with the same negative, when compared with its Kodak equivalent.

 

If you aren't a stickler for absoulute sharpness, then you might try using Microdol-X at the 1 to 3 dillution. Keeps the grain smaller but if you find it too fuzzy, try adding some sodium sulfite to your developer stock solution. 25 to 50 milligrams is enough to buffer a gallon of stock.

Michael, I used FP4, Tri-X, and Agfa 100/400 souped in XTOL or Rodinal. I recently shot 4 rolls of Kodak Verichrome. Verichrome is similar to Plus X and is reported to have better tonality and grain. My EI was 100, developed in XTOL 1:2, 20c, 7.5 min, condensor enlarger and Agfa Multicontrast RC. The tonality is rich with a lot of separation in the low to mid tones. Other film/developer combos are sharper. If you think Tri-X has great tonality (it does) you will love Verichrome. You can order Verichrome from B&H in NYC. Those that want finer grain than Tri-X may want to try this old film emulson.