New kodak tmax 400 test images

[stan_belyaev]

I took some test shots using new Kodak tmax 400.

I like the film.

http://flickr.com/photos/90094587@N00/sets/72157603451109572/

Full size images are posted.

[mjferron]

They look good. What did you rate the film at Stan?

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

Stan,

 

For all of these shots there is almost no detail in the highlights. In the last shot of the child, being inside, I would expect a B&W film to be able to capture good detail in both the highlights and shadows, yet in this example, the shadows are fully blocked up and the highlights are badly blown.

 

As a caveat, I understand that this may be due to your processing, scanning or preferred rendition of the image. However, it is not conducive for showing off the capabilities and characteristics of a particular film.

[stan_belyaev]

Michael,

I rated it 400.

 

Craig,

I used flash (probably you can see that). That is one of the reasons why the shadows on

last image look this way. I have a CRT monitor and have no problems with highlights.

The first image shows plenty of details in highlights and shadows.

I stopped using inexpensive LCD monitors for photography a while ago due to high

contrast and poor details in highlights and shadows.

The film looks good (to me). It is very sharp. Easy to develop. Easy to scan. It doesn't curl.

It just looks completely different than previous version of Tmax.

It behaves like a fine grain version of APX400 with better base.

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

Thanx for the response Stan. Maybe its worth trying as Ive never been impressed with the previous version of TMY unless pushed.

[john_shriver]

There's a few spots in the white stuffed animal in the last shot where the grain vanishes in the full-sized scan. But that could be a Dmax limit in the scanner. (Scanned at 5000 pixels/inch? Nikon scanner? Did you play with analog gain?)

 

Not surprised with a black background on a flash shot, light falls off with the square of distance...

 

I presume by the lens that these are 35mm negatives.

 

The grain is crisp, as I'd expect in D-76 1:1. Be interesting to see the results in straight-up D-76.

 

I think the grain is finer than Ilford Delta 400. But hard to compare my images directly, since I only have a 2900 pixels/inch Coolscan IV.

[stan_belyaev]

This film definitely has character. I've been trying to find a replacement for apx400. Delta400, hp5, old tmax didn't impress me. My first impresion is that new Tmax is much better film than all of the abovementioned.

 

Scanner Minolta Multi Pro @ 4800dpi.

 

I'll try Tmax in rodinal and straight d76 this weekend.

[john carter]

Thanks for the time and developer on your Flicker post. From your images, Tmax100-2 look like a great improvement. I hope I can find some soon.

[gsphotoguy]

I also posted some <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=792192">images here</a>. These were made with sample rolls I got at PhotoPlus Expo in October. One thing I found is that it was hard using a grain magnifier to check focus. I do like how smooth the tones are.

[silverhalide]

"Maybe its worth trying as Ive never been impressed with the previous version of TMY

unless pushed."

 

If there is one film that doesn't need pushed it is original TMAX 400 35mm . It has one full

stop of extra density in the shadows. It is the only 35mm film I know of that will go all the

way down to a printable Zone 1 (first seperation from max black) if correctly exposed.

Exposed at 800 it exhibits the shadow density of a conventional film like HP5+. We

verified this semester after semester with a transmission densitometer.

 

Sincerely,

Michael

[al_divenuti]

Michael,

 

TMY is terribly unforgiving stuff when underexposed the least little bit. Yes, shadows are well-separated when properly exposed. But the film has no toe so you either have nicely-separated shadow detail or no shadow detail whatsoever.

 

Your transmission densitometer may well tell you that TMY exposed at EI800 has the same density as HP5+ exposed at EI 400. But I'd wager that actual shadow detail is discernible in the HP5+ at that density and nowhere to be found in the TMY.

 

The good news is that there seems to be some home that the new TMY is quite a bit more forgiving in this regard.