Pulling tmax 100 question

[cargosteve]

I’ve been overexposing tmax 100 by one stop and pulling by one stop in hopes that the negative would be flatter, less latitude in terms of contrast and easier to print (been doing the same with HP5+, usually with similar results). When I compare negatives shot at box speed and pulled 1 stop (same scenes exactly), I don’t notice a visual difference between the negatives. Is this a situation where the paper I print on will reflect the differences even if I can’t see them in the negatives, or is it usually pretty obvious in the negative that pulling gave less contrast?

[ed_farmer]

Too some extent, as I remember, much of this is going to depend on the scene.  Over exposing should add detail in your shadows and pull processing should increase detail in your highlights.  But, if you don't have a scene with much of either, you will not see much of a difference.  

On another point, how well controlled and known are your starting points?  It may be that your "pull" processing is still completely developing the film?  If that's the case, your overexposure is just producing a denser negative.  

I did B&W for many years and creating flatter negatives was never my problem.  I was always looking for more contract that I could then tame iin the printing.

[glen_h]

You don't say which developer or time you are using.

The data sheet is here:

https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/default/files/files/resources/f4016_TMax_100.pdf

which, on the last page, page 9, gives contrast index for different developers and times.

 

Since I have HC-110, I looked at that. It seems to be 6 minutes at 68F for the normal time,

which is the bottom of the contrast graph at about 0.55.   That is pretty low as black and white

negatives go, but is about usual for C-41 negatives, including XP-2.  (Maybe closer to 0.50.)

 

In any case, I suspect you can't visually see the difference between

maybe 0.6 and 0.5.  (In a table, Kodak indicates how to increase or decrease contrast

by 20%.   They also mention diffusion enlargers, which give lower contrast.

 

This one: https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/pro/chemistry/z133.pdf

gives more general data about processing and films.

It indicates that normal for TMax100 is 0.62, and push 2 stops is 0.8.

It also tells about using control strips to check contrast index.

 

As well as I know it, the usual contrast of about 0.7 is meant to be easiest to print.

That is, about the best between camera exposure and printing exposure accuracy.

 

As the contrast gets lower, and the printing paper contrast gets higher, you need

to be more accurate with printing exposure.  Pretty much, you need a printing light
meter. 

 

Color negatives from the beginning, still for C-41 and XP-2, are about 0.5.

They were designed at the time of simpler cameras, and also assumed exposure

and color balance metering in the lab. 

 

Because of the contrast for printing color negatives, the rule is to

select the filter that makes the print look right, and halve the value to subtract

from the filter pack.