High Contrast and Grain for ISO 400

[mike_smith54]

<p>I recently developed a roll of Arista Premium 400 in d-76 and noticed it was more grainy and had far more contrast than the 400 films i usually use such as fuji and hp5 and i was wondering if anybody had the same experiences with Arista Premium 400 or did i do something wrong or could my chemistry be off? I don't have a ton of experience with film so any feedback would be greatly appreciated... i also checked the mass dev chart on digitaltruth and there is 2 different times... one at 8 mins and one at 6.75 was which i used.</p>

[doug elick]

<p>What you're describing is a classic sign of overdeveloping, which can be caused by any number of factors. Overagitation, incorrect working strength developer, failure to compensate for developer temperture (hotter it is, faster it works) can all contribute. I think D-76 might be one of the few developers that becomes *more* active as it gets old, but don't quote me on that.</p>

<p>What temp was your solution? How often and how long did you agitate? How did you mix the D-76? Fresh or "senior"?</p>

<p>Doug</p>

<p> </p>

[kari v]

<p>Arista Premium is rebranded Trix-X, right? Fuji has smaller grain but HP5+ should be quite similar.</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>If it's TriX, it can be a funny bird. I get more grain from WD2D+ than I do in HC-110 or DD-X. HC seems to be the best for that.</p>

<p>You might want to start shooting it at 200 and stand developing it in HC. That's what I do for my TX now, as it is much too grainy for my tastes. I made the mistake of buying it in a 100ft roll.</p>

<p>If you still want to use D-76, keep your dilutions down. That should minimize the grain.</p>

[galileo42]

<p>If you want minimum grain 400, try the new TMax 400, in either D-76 or DDX. A «darker » look than Tri-X, but great tones and sharpness.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<blockquote>

<p>I recently developed a roll of Arista Premium 400...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It takes more than a single roll to reach any conclusions or make any significant adjustments in processing. Start with a methodical test to evaluate the EI and do some strip tests to determine the optimal development technique. Otherwise you're chasing your tail, not sure whether it's an exposure or processing problem.</p>