print44
Well-known
I love the look of this picture - can you give some more details of exposure and processing/development of it.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Thanks James, Tmax100, rated 50, HC-110h (I added a milliliter of Rodinal to 500ml of solution), 17minutes, 30seconds initial agitation, 3 inversions every four-five minutes, 68 degrees F (20 degrees C), tripod, Pentax 6x7. Exposure I have no notes on that but normally I use f5.6 with this lens and I think I was lazy and used the on-board meter for the shutter speed.
print44
Well-known
Thanks for all the details - am I right in thinking you mean that you add 1ml of Rodinal in addition to the HC110 mixture, or is the 1ml Rodinal/500ml water an alternative mix?
Cheers
Cheers
Steve M.
Veteran
T Max or C41 B&W films will do a fine job, but Tri-X in 120 format will give you tones, as well as smoothness, that you can'r duplicate in a smaller film. I'm glad John and others manage to get nice looks from T Max, because all I ever got was flat and gray w/that film (like the plant photo).
My solution? Just shoot Tri-X. If you nail the exposure and development, it will look great. This was w/ a Leicaflex SL and an R 90 Elmarit w/ Tri-X rated at box speed w/ D76 development. There's a little bit of grain, but I like it.
My solution? Just shoot Tri-X. If you nail the exposure and development, it will look great. This was w/ a Leicaflex SL and an R 90 Elmarit w/ Tri-X rated at box speed w/ D76 development. There's a little bit of grain, but I like it.
DominikDUK
Well-known
Micah thank you for the link enjoyed reading the article, don't necesseraly agree with all the points but still good reading.
Dominik
Dominik
charjohncarter
Veteran
After I mix the HC-110h to 500ml I added 1 ml of Rodinal so the final mixture is 501 ml. I don't know if it does anything but I used to think it gave a litlle snap to my images. Lately, I've just used HC-110h but I'm still trying to decide if they are poorer. I guess if I can't tell I have my answer. Now I use more Rodinal when I do TriX and Tmax400 and that does make a difference. It is a hassle to do it though.
Ti29er
Member
We always shot Kodak CN400.
5 photographers shooting weddings each week.
Sharp as anything. Looked good through the M6 35mm f2.
Lovely creamy skin tones.
D&P in the hight street
Found out over time that lots of photographers whose work I loved did the same too!
5 photographers shooting weddings each week.
Sharp as anything. Looked good through the M6 35mm f2.
Lovely creamy skin tones.
D&P in the hight street
Found out over time that lots of photographers whose work I loved did the same too!
print44
Well-known
since first reading this thread a few weeks ago I've tried a few experiments - mostly inspired by Charjohncarter's still life of clock etc.
This is TMX100 rated at roughly EI50 (I guesstimate), then devved in HC110 dil h (I think - as per his post above) with very little agitation. Leica CL/40mm Summicron-C
this is Acros 100 rated similarly at around EI50 and devved in the same HC110 dilution/agitation but for 2.5 mins less. This has also had a little tone added in LR. Nikon F2A/Nikkor-S 35 f2.8
This is also TMX - from the same film
I think both films look pretty smooth as the tones move away from high contrast, and recommend the HC110 dilution H and limited agitation.
Cheers
This is TMX100 rated at roughly EI50 (I guesstimate), then devved in HC110 dil h (I think - as per his post above) with very little agitation. Leica CL/40mm Summicron-C
this is Acros 100 rated similarly at around EI50 and devved in the same HC110 dilution/agitation but for 2.5 mins less. This has also had a little tone added in LR. Nikon F2A/Nikkor-S 35 f2.8
This is also TMX - from the same film
I think both films look pretty smooth as the tones move away from high contrast, and recommend the HC110 dilution H and limited agitation.
Cheers
Last edited:
charjohncarter
Veteran
James, everyone has their own likes and dislikes. I even use different developers for different 'feels' but I like very much what you have done. I'm glad to see that we were able to get similar results, at least I'm not crazy.
I'm not sure what is the cause of the smoothness and the tones, but the minium agitation is suppose to hold back the highlights a little. And the 'H' is to extend the development time so middle and shadow tones develop fully while not allowing blow outs in the highlights (low agitation). Sounds logical to me but I really don't know if that is it. Although minium agitation does reduce grain so that would add to smoothness too.
I'm not sure what is the cause of the smoothness and the tones, but the minium agitation is suppose to hold back the highlights a little. And the 'H' is to extend the development time so middle and shadow tones develop fully while not allowing blow outs in the highlights (low agitation). Sounds logical to me but I really don't know if that is it. Although minium agitation does reduce grain so that would add to smoothness too.
NickTrop
Veteran
Creamiest = Kodak C41 BN. At work, can't post my own but here's a link to a nice Flickr example if interested, see if you don't agree. The word that comes to mind with this film is "creamy" to me. When I want creamy I reach for this film.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f8onfilm/1355484102/lightbox/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f8onfilm/1355484102/lightbox/
Photo_Smith
Well-known
You're going to get a million different combinations. I shoot mainly medium format is this creamy?
If so that's quite hard in 35mm, I would go with the advice to try Kodak C41 which is tonally very smooth:
Another possibility is the EFKE films which are also smooth especially in Rodinal at lower dilution, Ignore the advice that Rodinal is too 'grainy' it has about the best smooth tonal range in the mid tones and although it will give a little coarser grain pattern the mid tone is just wonderful.
I shot this on Fuji Neopan 400 developed in rodinal:
Grain is only part of the story with tonality... IMHO
If so that's quite hard in 35mm, I would go with the advice to try Kodak C41 which is tonally very smooth:
Another possibility is the EFKE films which are also smooth especially in Rodinal at lower dilution, Ignore the advice that Rodinal is too 'grainy' it has about the best smooth tonal range in the mid tones and although it will give a little coarser grain pattern the mid tone is just wonderful.
I shot this on Fuji Neopan 400 developed in rodinal:
Grain is only part of the story with tonality... IMHO
mfogiel
Veteran
Another approach could be Tri X @ 400 in Diafine, here a couple of examples:
2008080312 by mfogiel, on Flickr
2008080305 by mfogiel, on Flickr
2008080312 by mfogiel, on Flickr
2008080305 by mfogiel, on Flickr
whitecat
Lone Range(find)er
Amazing shots.
wblynch
Well-known
This is my interpretation of creamy tones...
Plus-X in HC-110
Plus-X in HC-110
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
I would try a microfilm together with a low-contrast developer, such as Agfa Copex developed in Spur Modular UR.
If you can live with the 25-32 ASA of such a combination, that gives you ultra-high resolution together with very fine tonality, the closest I've ever seen to medium format that you can get from 35mm.
The pictures here that are downscaled to 640x400-ish are pretty much worthless for a visual estimate IMHO. You could have a 400 ASA shot that looks grainy on an 8x10 print and it would look smooth just from the downsampling.
If you can live with the 25-32 ASA of such a combination, that gives you ultra-high resolution together with very fine tonality, the closest I've ever seen to medium format that you can get from 35mm.
The pictures here that are downscaled to 640x400-ish are pretty much worthless for a visual estimate IMHO. You could have a 400 ASA shot that looks grainy on an 8x10 print and it would look smooth just from the downsampling.