Zonal Pro Gamma Plus and Tri-x

I'm planning to soup some 4x5 Tri-x in Zonal Pro Gamma Plus (I've

had pretty good results in 35mm). Unfortunately they don't list Tri-

x on their time table. The have T-Max 400 at 9:30 mins 1:12, T-Max

100 at 9 mins, Fuji Neopan 400 at 7 mins, and Ilford HP-5 Plus at 9

mins. Also, I'll be tray processing (my first time) using the 6

sheet bring the bottom sheet to the top every 5 secs method of

agitation.

 

I shot the Tri-X at 200 and was planning on pulling the dev a bit

for added tonal range. Any guess? My first thoughts are 8 mins.

 

 

Any help will be appreciated.

 

 

P.S. These are my first LF negs, wish me luck.

 

[This is also posted in the B&W - Film Forum]

Steve; Sorry for not having any development time suggestions, but have you practiced with agitating six sheets in the tray? If not, as a fellow newbie, I would suggest no more than three or four to start out with. I did six for the first time the other night. I got through it OK but I felt it was good I had done a fewer number of sheets several times before trying six.

 

If you have six scrapped sheets, try simulating with a tray of water. Make everything else the same as if you were really doing it; total dark, timer, everything. Then run through a development cycle with the scrap sheets and water and evaluate whether you want to try it that many sheets with the real thing. Cheers!

I agree with Alex. I was going to suggest the same thing. I'm still having trouble getting even development on a single sheet at a time. (I'm going to switch from a 5by7 tray to an 8by10 tray for a 4by5 negative.)

Frank

Steve,

 

Sorry, no answer for you on the developer/film combo, but if you are concerned with shuffling, you might want to try a processing panel like the one described by Phil Bard at http://www.philbard.com/panel.html. It works great.

Take a look at the article I posted on largeformatphotography.info/ Scroll down to Processing and Printing and click on Developing 4X5 Sheet Film - An Alternative Method. It has been a while since I tried Zonal Pro Gamma Plus, but I think it might be a PQ developer formulation. Ilford's DD-X is also a PQ developer. The thing I remember about the Gamma Plus developer is that the stock solution had a relatively short shelf life. Try developing a single test sheet at 8-9 minutes and adjust from there.

Thanks, I may try the H-P tanks when I have the funds. The pexi holder interests me also since I have all the tools necessary. I'll try the films tonight using the tray method. Hopefully I'll have some contact prints to upload here tomorrow. Since I'm still in the experimental and learning phase I'm not real worried about messing something up. I'll start getting read serious when my densitometer arrives I just got on a "major" auction site.

 

Meanwhile, any other hints are extremely appreciated.

 

Just another observation, its been pretty funny to watch all my friends look confused when they find out I got a new camera - and it wasn't digital! (Since I teach programming as a living.) My usual reply is that I work with computers enough already, and like my woodworking (just won an award for a crib I built), there is something much more satifying to building or doing something with your hands and requires craftsmanship. While digital has it place, I don't think I'll ever enjoy it as much as good ol' film and paper.

Have you tried the Massive Dev Chart at:

 

http://www.digitaltruth.com/

 

It seems to have times for the "old" Tri-X in Gamma Plus (but I've never heard of it before now, so I assume it is the same developer).

 

Cheers,

Steve, you have two issues. First is tray processing for the first time. Alex's advice is right on target. Tray developing is not rocket science, but a little practice will provide years of good results. Don't cut out this very valuable step. Get a copy of Fred Picker's Zone VI Workshop. It will also help with the other part of the question--development time. I have found I like Tri X at 200. Is this 'correct"? I don't know, but I like lots of shadow detail, and only enough exposure give that. Make a Zone VIII exposure of a mat board or something similar. Develop it with an unexposed sheet and several other regular negatives. Put the clear film in your negative carrier and make a test strip to determine the minumum time for maximum black. Expose the Zone VIII negative for the same time,covering half the sheet of paper. If the Zone VIII is correct, just off white, you have the right development time. If not, adjust. Fred covered this very well in his video "Fred Picker's Photographic Technique" which is available from time to time used on ebay. As a suggestion, I would try seven minutes as a starting time. Fortune favors the brave, so hang in there.

 

 

One after thought. I watched Fred demonstrate shuffling sheet film in a tray at a workshop. This was with sacrificial film in daylight. His experience was that fifteen minutes of concentrated daylight practice was all that was necessary to master the skill, and that most people would not spend the fifteen minutes. Now...check the cost of a tank type unit. Take that cost and calculate how many hours you must work to pay for the tank. Take your hourly net pay....would you spend an easy, if not thrill packed fifteen minutes to earn that much money?

Thanks everyone.

 

Tray processing when fine - even development and no scratching. The negs look to have good tonal range.

 

I went to contact print them but I was out of Dektal. Ran to the local camera store before it closed only to find that they didn't have any! The excuse was that since 9-11 its harder to get chemicals. BS! It finally sunk in to me that the terrorists won.

 

I'll pick some up at a "real" photo store today. Hopefully I'll get some scans up tonight so you folks can evaluate my first attempts.