Turtle
Veteran
I have been having a play around with these films to see how they compare at various print sizes. I developed both in Xtol 1+2 to similar contrast and have printed a number of 6x7 landscapes to 18." I did this, because D100 has been a good standard detail film for me and I wanted to see how the TMY compared in my subjective view. I can always rely on the D100, but I wanted to see how the TMY would hold up as a potential 'hand-held' film for my Mamiya 7 for landscape work on the hoof.
D100 resolves more detail and is inherently sharper (quite a bit). It has more visible bite and the grain is sharper... very small indeed, but you can make out a very slight speckle in smooth tones at this size if you look closely. Despite this, the Mamiya 7 I used resolves the most minuscule details right to the edge of the frame and even these are really precisely drawn.
TM-Y is actually a little smoother, tonally. I don't mean in terms of curves etc, I mean in terms of half-tone effect. The grain is just a little less visible giving the images a more creamy look. That said, up close, the film does not have the same bite as the above and fine details are a touch fluffier. Tiny details are not cut into the paper like they are with the D100 prints. The grain structure seems to be a little softer and with more less 'crisp speckle' if that makes sense.
They have a different look of course. I would say the TMY somehow looks a little more 'digital' than the D100, but, where really smooth creamy transitions are required in, for example, rolling grey skies, the 400 speed TMY seems to be the better bet. In such an example the bite of the D100 is immaterial, but the smoother tones of the TMY-2 are a real asset. Whereas I dislike Tmax 100 most of the time, the TMY-2 is a film that looks much more promising, but it will take quite a few more prints to reach a fuller verdict. In some respects it reminds me of Fuji Acros (which I vastly preferred to Tmax 100 when I had both to choose from in 5x4 quick/readyload).
Thus far, the results fall in line with initial impressions gained from 35mm TMY; however, the look of the film I think will be more suited to landscape than documentary work, where traditional emulsions remain more forgiving and the look somehow more in keeping.
Once conclusion is this: You could shoot D100 off a tripod and TMY-2 hand held and show the images together with pretty darned good consistency.
D100 resolves more detail and is inherently sharper (quite a bit). It has more visible bite and the grain is sharper... very small indeed, but you can make out a very slight speckle in smooth tones at this size if you look closely. Despite this, the Mamiya 7 I used resolves the most minuscule details right to the edge of the frame and even these are really precisely drawn.
TM-Y is actually a little smoother, tonally. I don't mean in terms of curves etc, I mean in terms of half-tone effect. The grain is just a little less visible giving the images a more creamy look. That said, up close, the film does not have the same bite as the above and fine details are a touch fluffier. Tiny details are not cut into the paper like they are with the D100 prints. The grain structure seems to be a little softer and with more less 'crisp speckle' if that makes sense.
They have a different look of course. I would say the TMY somehow looks a little more 'digital' than the D100, but, where really smooth creamy transitions are required in, for example, rolling grey skies, the 400 speed TMY seems to be the better bet. In such an example the bite of the D100 is immaterial, but the smoother tones of the TMY-2 are a real asset. Whereas I dislike Tmax 100 most of the time, the TMY-2 is a film that looks much more promising, but it will take quite a few more prints to reach a fuller verdict. In some respects it reminds me of Fuji Acros (which I vastly preferred to Tmax 100 when I had both to choose from in 5x4 quick/readyload).
Thus far, the results fall in line with initial impressions gained from 35mm TMY; however, the look of the film I think will be more suited to landscape than documentary work, where traditional emulsions remain more forgiving and the look somehow more in keeping.
Once conclusion is this: You could shoot D100 off a tripod and TMY-2 hand held and show the images together with pretty darned good consistency.
ItsReallyDarren
That's really me
Thanks for the insight on the two films. Good things to remember when deciding what kind of film and what kind of scene one will be shooting in.