Developed B&W Tri-X negative is too dark. Help?

[Redseele]

I'd try giving developing time of 6.5 minutes and give an extra stop of exposure.

I just developed this one with one less minute of developing time (6:30 instead of 7:30) and overexposed by a stop, and I still got the same results.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong 🙁

Also, I stop bath for one minute and fix for 9 minutes.

 

[mfogiel]

It could be, that your scanner settings are incorrect. In Vuescan, scan as B&W film, choose Tmax 400 and CI 0.40, look at the preview, and try to avoid getting the blank spaces into the frame, i.e. after the first preview, adjust the frame, so that only exposed part is chosen, and redo the preview, just to make sure. Your histogram should be extended over most of the available space, with the right end touching the zero level - if it escapes up, then the neg is too dense, and you need to try scanning as colour negative or even slide film. Also, make sure ICE is turned off. Looking at this last negative, it almost appears like you have exposed it to some light, the shadows are not clear. Are you sure, your exposure is ok ? What camera was that ?

 

[Bruno Gracia]

If You don't mind, OP I have one question...

What would be the optimal time for a Tri X rated 200 souped in D76 1+1 20C (Celcius)? and 250?

I've developed today a roll in 10" at 18.5C following some forum advice and I'm not happy, no shadows details, too flat or white the negative...

Cheers!



12 por Bruno Gracia, en Flickr



Tattoo man por Bruno Gracia, en Flickr

 

[Ansel]

I think you need to look at lighting more than exposure/development in this particular shot. Looking at the shadows you have a small overhead lamp to the [camera] right and slightly behind the head which has created a deep shadow area in the hair on the [camera] left front that needs filling with a reflector.

Yes you could have exposed more, developed less, etc. etc. but you need to focus on your lighting more closely I think here.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

Ansel I meant the first picture, thanks!

 

[Ansel]

Yes, I was referring to the first pic the OP posted.

 

[gsgary]

I just developed this one with one less minute of developing time (6:30 instead of 7:30) and overexposed by a stop, and I still got the same results.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong 🙁

Also, I stop bath for one minute and fix for 9 minutes.

With Ilfosol3 i agitate first 30 seconds then 4 inversions every minute, maybe you are using too much agitation ?

 

[Landshark]

Gee, I'd hate to suggest that you change one thing at a time until you sort this out. You're changing both dev. time and exposure simultaneously, your never going to track anything doing that.
First thing is to determine an EI and there are is a whole bunch of information on the interweb about that.
The EI will change with different developers/time/water/how you hold your lips etc. too. Find one, D76 preferred until settled on a combinatioin

 

[mfogiel]

How do you measure the light? To make the discussion comprehensible, you should use an incident light meter, and measure the light that FALLS on your subject, or measure with your camera the light that falls on a grey card, otherwise we are comparing apples and oranges. Generally speaking, it is REALLY difficult to sc..ew up Tri X in D76, so I expect, that the problem must be localized during the exposure, or at some later stage of your image processing, not during the development.