T-max Headed For Trash Can

[pemongillo]

Not counting testing I have shot about 100 4x5 sheets of T-max 100. I have shot more Tri-x. I use a Jobo drum and develope no more than 4 sheets at a time in T-max RS. I am very careful to agitate consistantly and the developer is at 68 F when developement starts. My normal developement time for T-max is 5 minutes and 30 seconds at asa 80. So whats the problem ? The T-max that I have shot under low light/long exposure conditions looks good to me. Just as nice as my Tri-x. However, the photos from brightly lit scenes look muddy and those in flat light look flat even at n+1. I have similar results with and without readyloads. I know T-max is a sensitive film and I know it can produce negatives as beautiful as Tri-x. I want to stick with it, but am about out of patients. Has anyone had similar problems that can offer me some suggestions ?

[n_dhananjay3]

I should check this, but I thought the Kodak recommendation for Tmax

in Tmax RS was at 75F, at least for the kind of time you indicate.

Which probably is why your negs show low contrast. As far as the long

exposure is concerned, I know that once you correct for reciprocity,

Kodak again recommends anywhere from 10-30% less development,

depending on how much reciprocity was suffered. So if you developed

for the usual time (overdeveloped) at a lower than recommended

temperature (underdeveloped), the errors may have cancelled each other

out to give you reasonable negs. Hope this helps. DJ

[robert_a._zeichner]

Your development time seems kind of short for T-max, even at ASA 80.

At ASA 100, the time should be more like 12 minutes at 68 F, if memory

serves me. You may want to consult the charts again.

[dave_anton]

You may want to check your exposures as well as your development for

this one. it sounds like reciprocity is kicking in for your longer

exposures giving you the better contrast. but, when you expose with

faster shutters (in your brighter scenes) your exposure (for shadows)

might be too much giving you flat images.

 

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with regards to your time, even if it was correct at a 5 minute

development time, it is too short (for zone system). consider

switching developers to something with a longer dev time. this will

give you better control, especially in the minus situations.

 

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t-max is excellent film...once you get it. good luck!

[mark_lindsey]

forget what Kodak says, its only a guide for "average negatives", is

that what you really want? test test test I use hc110 with mine and

can make it do anything. enjoy.

[dan_smith]

First, TMax should(I emphasize should) work just fine. It was

initially tested for market with D-76, and I like it a lot better

developed in Ilfords ID11(D-76 equivalent that doesn't gain in

activity sitting on the shelf for a week) than I ever did in the RS

developer. It was also set up for 75 degree processing and with the

developers you will be using works great at 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3. I

currently process with Xtol & prefer it to the previous developers,

but it ins't consistent with tap water so I use Culligan or purified

water. Whatever developer I have used though, in LF I have gotten

good results.

No matter what you do and no matter what results others get, TMax and

you just might not be compatible. It happens. John Sexton and other

excellent photographers use Tmax films & get great results. Others

use other TMax and go back to Tri-x, or whatever. Personal choice &

working habits give different results even with the same film. So, if

you can't get your TMax to behave, use whatever works. But, check the

TMax out a bit more before giving up. Do less testing & go out &

shoot. Try 3 or 4 shots of each scene and process the first at

whatever is "normal" for you, the second more and the third less. Try

the forth a touch more or less than the best one as needed & you will

zero in quickly on a close approximation of where you need to be for

the negs you want to print from. T Max works well if you give it a

chance. Try it that way & then, if you don't like it even if you can

get good results, change to whatever combination gives you what you

like, no matter what anyone else uses.

[james___]

I agree with Dan. Go out and shoot some film. I hate T-Max 100. It

sucks big time but that is just because we don't get along. My working

methods are different than others as well. But boy do I like T-Max 400

shot at 300. The real reason I don't like the 100 emulsion is that I'm

not as exact as I should be with my exposure/processing routine. And

dump that T-Max RS junk. It was made for machine processing. Use HC110

or ID11, D76 or Xtol. Much more forgiving. I have found the 100

emulsion to be thin no matter what. But I have seen superb negs made

with it. Don't give up on it until you exhaust all possibilities.

You might finally hit on the correct combo for your working

routine. You probably are not giving enough exposure to your normal

neg at 80. Try 64 or 50 and see what comes out. James

[chad_jarvis1]

I would also concur with everyone else. My development times, and I

usually develop 6 to 8 sheets at a time in open trays, are usually in

the 10 to 12 minute range with the temperature of the developer

ranging from 70 to 80 degrees, depending on the degree of development

I'm looking for. Not to mention that full development coupled with

the use of hypo clearing agent is the only way to eliminate that

damned pink stain from the anti-halation coating.

[rich_silha1]

I suggest using kodak t-max 100 ready load 4x5 film. Rate the 1st.

sheet at 100, then the 2nd. sheet at 80 a third sheet at 60 and 4th

sheet at 40.

Develop in ID11 straight 69' between 6 and 7 minutes at rotation #4 in

a jobo 3000 series tank. Make sure you have given the film a pre-soak

for at least 5 minutes. Make a proof and enjoy the beauty of this

film.

[wilhelm]

Paul, try Rodinal 1+50. You won't believe the sharpness! I expose

at EI125. Grain is about equal to TMax development. I haven't tried

XTol(The local WOLF chain stores don't carry it). Mitch

[peter_hughes]

"Just as nice as my Tri-x"? "...negatives as beautiful as Tri-x"?

Uh, why not stick with Tri-X? I dabbled with T-Max films for a while,

ended up hating them--soft, easily scratched emulsion; difficult to

develop and fix, etc. Why bother. Now I use Tri-X in Rodinal for LF

and Ilford Delta films in PMK for MF.

 

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If you're determined to stick with T-Max, try Xtol.

 

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BTW, if you're out of patients, maybe you should give up your medical

practice. :)

 

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http://www.ravenvision.com/rvapeter.htm

[brian_c._ellis]

You mention that you develop no more than four sheets at a time in a

Jobo drum. I don't use Jobo equipment but when I attended a John

Sexton workshop at Anderson Ranch I remember being told something to

the effect that Jobo drums (at least the models we were using) should

always be filled to capacity with film and that one unexposed sheet of

film was equal to two exposed sheets. So, for example, if the capacity

of the drum was ten sheets, and we had six negatives to develop, we

would add two unexposed sheets to the drum. My memory is a little

vague since it's been several years since I attended the workshop

and I haven't used Jobo equipment since that time so I may be wrong on

the details but I do remember adding unexposed film to the drums to

fill them to their film capacity. Maybe someone who uses Jobo

equipment could comment, elaborate, or correct me on this. Brian

[sean_yates]

One of the studios I worked in processed all their film, chromes, B&W

and C-41 with Jobos, the ATL and on down. It was standard practice

to shoot a single chrome of the set up, unless a hosemaster etc. was

used, and process that single sheet solo in the JOBO. Then we'd

expose the rest. SOmetimes, but not always, the shooter would braket

in thirds and we'd process the three. I never asked if there was a

reason for that, I had always assumed it just worked out that way.

Similarly they did their process testing with the usual little color

test strip, (someone help me out here, I can't recall the term) solo.

 

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Hopefully this hasn't gone too far afield.

[pat_kearns1]

Paul,

Before you give up on the Tmax try the following: Tmax RS Dilution

1:9, temperature at 75 degrees, development time of 11 minutes with

constant agitation. You didn't state your dilution ratio but it

sounds like you have been underdeveloping with your time,

temperature, & possible dilution.

[wilhelm]

Continuous/vigerous agitation = bad.

Intermittant/gentle agitation = good

[lot_wxs]

If your conclusion is that T-max should be able to produce just as

nice pictures as Tri-X, just stop with it. It should at least be

different, but rather better for you. T-max is just more difficult to

develop than Tri-X. Try to discover the right developer for T-max

or stop with it. I've seen astounding results with T-max400 in D23.

[pemongillo]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I recently shot four or five

t-max negatives of the same subject. I compared my 5.5 minutes at 68 F

in t-max RS to 6.5 minutes at 75 F in t-max RS to 7.5 minutes at 68 F

in Xtol to 6.75 minutes at 68 F in HC 110. I attempted to

print them all as close as possible by using the first test

strip to help select sugsequent print exposures for each negative.

Although the 75 F RS was better than 68 F the Xtol was better yet and

the HC 100 was a clear winner. I have shot a few more t-max negatives

in HC 110 and am very pleased.