developing Tri-X between 125 and 12,800 ISO

[jonasv]

Good morning, just got back from Romania. Some intense experiences, I will share them and the photos later, right now I need to get my film developed and scanned as quickly as possible.

I only shot Tri-X, a lot of it, at varying speeds. I have shot little Tri-X before, but before I left there was a problem with delivery of HP5+ so I had to, this time. Going by my HP5+ experience I'm intending to develop the 125-400 ISO stuff in Ilford ID-11 (no D-76 here, but it should make no practical difference), and the 800-1600 rolls in Microphen (would DD-X be better?).

How about the 12,800 ISO? I'm intending to use Microphen as well. Would DD-X or T-Max developer be better? If Microphen (or other), what agitation, times and temps do you recommend? No matches in the massive dev chart.

I don't have time to order online and the choice of developers here is limited to ID-11, Ilfosol, Microphen, DD-X and T-Max developer. On this forum I have previously seen surprisingly nice results of Tri-X in Rodinal at 12,800, but no Rodinal available locally right now. Anyway, a speed increasing developer should give even better results, no? (perhaps a bit less accutancy, but smaller grain and somewhat more shadow detail?)

Thanks a lot in advance
Greetings and best wishes!

 

[vicmortelmans]

Hi, now that's push-processing!

That's five stops underexposure!

What camera do you use? If you shoot handheld (1/30th) with a f/1.4 lens, your scene light is ~ LV -1, right? That's pretty low.

What were your subjects? Do you expect a reasonable picture coming out of that, or are you looking for 'special effects'?

And you say that you did this before using FP5+... any results online, perhaps?

Groeten,

Vic

 

[jonasv]

I exspect... some kind of picture. I needed 1/60 to freeze movement. Shot on the SLR, needed 24mm and the fastest AF 24mm I can possibly afford is f/2.8. It was night... It's for a project on the homeless kids and teenagers in Brasov, Romania. Pictures shot outside the railway station, in the sewers and under a bridge where they live. Had no choice but to use 12,800 ISO.

 

[Trius]

Jonas: Merciful posted a sample of Tri-X @ 12,800, along with processing method, here.

 

[jonasv]

Jonas: Merciful posted a sample of Tri-X @ 12,800, along with processing method, here.

Yes I've seen it, it looks pretty good. I have no Rodinal though and no time to get it. Need to use the Microphen I have now. Thanks anyway though!

 

[kaiyen]

I've taken TXT to 6400 with Microphen with decent results. I would not hesitate to use it at 12,800, though I am not sure I have the time. My most current spreadsheet is at home.

A dilute developer (Rodinal 1+50 or higher) for long times with minimal agitation will give you nice results, but that doesn't mean you can't do it with Microphen. I'd stick with that.

I will try and give you the 6400 times tonight. It's exciting, isn't it, to push?

I agree with your plan for 125-400 with ID-11 (though I find 320 to be about as fast as I can get with ID-11 1+1). And Microphen will get you usable resulst at 1600 no problem (1+0 16:00 30s initial, 10s every 3 minutes - I use it enough to have memorized it).

allan

 

[jonasv]

I've taken TXT to 6400 with Microphen with decent results. I would not hesitate to use it at 12,800, though I am not sure I have the time. My most current spreadsheet is at home.

A dilute developer (Rodinal 1+50 or higher) for long times with minimal agitation will give you nice results, but that doesn't mean you can't do it with Microphen. I'd stick with that.

I will try and give you the 6400 times tonight. It's exciting, isn't it, to push?

I agree with your plan for 125-400 with ID-11 (though I find 320 to be about as fast as I can get with ID-11 1+1). And Microphen will get you usable resulst at 1600 no problem (1+0 16:00 30s initial, 10s every 3 minutes - I use it enough to have memorized it).

allan

Thanks Allan. I used the same times for the first 1600 ISO rolls, and a quick inspection shows I'll be very pleased with the end result. If you can find the 6400 times I'd be glad to have them. Those, combined with developing a testroll first, should take care of proper developing of the 12800 rolls.

Thanks!

 

[Pherdinand]

I'm waiting for the details on your trip, jvx 🙂

 

[vicmortelmans]

I'm waiting for the details on your trip, jvx 🙂

development practice for ISO 104,857,600:

developer: rodinal 1+100
time: 1 week and 3 days
agitation: 5 turns at morning and at evening; on sunday once more at noon

....

this will learn you patience!

Groeten,


Vic

 

[jonasv]

Hrm. Developed a testroll at 12800 ISO. Microphen (fresh) stock, 20°C (68° F), 60 mins, 60s agitation at the start and afterwards 10s every three minutes. Results are... Pretty horrible. Grain and exposure/shadow details are fine, better than I had exspected, but the negative is developed unevenly (bottom 1/5th is developed more, best visible in picture #2) and "speckled" (best visible in the empty areas of the pictures - development is not even).

Any ideas? Agitate less, agitate more? Use 600ml instead of 300ml even if it's just one roll? Agitate only extremely gently (using the agitator, not turning the tank upside down)? Use another time/temp? Use DD-X or T-Max developer? Some advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[kaiyen]

Jvx,
My time for 6400 is Microphen 1+0 for 40 minutes, 30s initial, 10s every 3 minutes.

It's possible you need a bit more developer. However, if it's only the bottom 1/5 that is good...then the difference won't be in the developer.

It sounds like insufficient agitation, but it's weird that 10s every 3 minutes has always worked for me at 1600 and would suddenly be insufficient for you at 12800.

I actually can't see the unevenness in your attached scan. Is it gradual?

allan

 

[jonasv]

Jvx,
My time for 6400 is Microphen 1+0 for 40 minutes, 30s initial, 10s every 3 minutes.

It's possible you need a bit more developer. However, if it's only the bottom 1/5 that is good...then the difference won't be in the developer.

It sounds like insufficient agitation, but it's weird that 10s every 3 minutes has always worked for me at 1600 and would suddenly be insufficient for you at 12800.

I actually can't see the unevenness in your attached scan. Is it gradual?

allan

Thanks for the help Allan. Of the pictures I posted, the unevenness is only visible in the second one (but it can be seen in all others too, and also by just looking at the negative strip). The bottom 1/4th is noticeably darker than the rest. It's not really gradual... the shift is quite sudden.

Also, on each picture there are darker and lighter 'blobs' in all the clear areas, I think because of some kind of uneven development as well?

I may try another testroll with gentle agitation every one and a half minute...

 

[kaiyen]

It's probably just my monitor. I guess I kinda see it. If it's a sudden unevenenss then that usually means not enough developer volume, but I can't believe that 300ml wouldn't cover up a single reel. Was this a 2 reel tank? Did you have both reels in there?

allan

 

[jonasv]

It's probably just my monitor. I guess I kinda see it. If it's a sudden unevenenss then that usually means not enough developer volume, but I can't believe that 300ml wouldn't cover up a single reel. Was this a 2 reel tank? Did you have both reels in there?

allan

Yep, a two reel tank with both reels in it.

Strange...

 

[kaiyen]

weird. have not had that happen before. but heck, first try should be slightly more agitation.

allan