Questions on Tmax P3200.

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Hi,

I have in possession a small stash of Tmax P3200.

Questions:

a. From experience, has anyone gotten satisfactory results from rating this film at iso 3200 - 6400 ?

I read several posts/articles that mentioned that the 'P' in P3200 refers to Push, suggesting that the true speed is around 800 - 1600, and I am curious to find out whether iso of 3200 - 6400 gives good results.

b. I have XTOL and Tmax Developer, any comments or suggestions on pairing P3200 with either developers ?

c. What would happen if I were to rate it at 1600 and Develop at 3200 ?

thanks

raytoei

( I am experimenting with Film and Developers, so far, I have found wonderful combinations of XP2/Rodinal, Neopan 1600/Tmax Dev, Acros 100, Tmax100 and Trix in Microdol.)

(Attached photos, Delta 3200/Microphen, and Neopan 1600/Tmax Developer rated at 3200)

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

TMZ is really great on TMax developer for fast speed: sometimes I use it for direct sun, and then I develop it with rodinal as all my film, but for TMZ on soft light I use TMax developer always. I find it best for wet printing at 1600. At 3200 the contrast is starting to show it's a pushed situation, but the tonal range is beautiful. I never use it at 6400: at 3200 I can shoot inside a dark church or do night photography at 1/60 f/1.4. I like TMZ a lot more than Delta3200 (I used it for long on Microphen and DD-X). Grain of TMZ is smaller, crisp and beautiful (classic rodinal look) on TMax developer: it doesn't dissolve grain. If the scene is contrasty I prefer to add no contrast and rate it at 800 (incident), and develop it (1+4, 24ºC) for 9 minutes. Rated at 1600, 11 minutes. My usual rating is 3200, to get a bit of good contrast on flat overcast days: 15 minutes. I invert two times in the beginning and two more every minute. Remember this is a serious push close to two stops: if you don't meter correctly, or use AE without care, a +1 frame can show overexposure... Once I was worried about low light, and after metering at 3200 I decided to give film one more stop of light, and I got overexposed frames... Other people prefer to develop using shorter times: I prefer, when pushing, dividing my tonal range loss between both extremes, and not lose shadows only... If you want to test, you could do it shortening these times in one or two minutes...

When I did my tests for pushing TMZ on TMax developer, I just couldn't believe it. The tonal range is wonderful at 3200 for wet printing!

I started using TMZ seriously this year: I had never bought any film more than Tri-X!

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Use Tmax developer 1+4. I usually use it at 1600, the true speed is 1000. I have used it successfully at 3200, its a little contrastier and has a little less shadow detail and a little more grain than at 1600. At 1600 the contrast and shadow detail are very good and close to what you'd get from normal films not pushed. 3200 starts looking more pushed, haven't tried 6400.

If you shoot at 1600, develop at 1600 or you'll have too much contrast and of course grain increases.

All shot at 1600 and developed for 1600 in Tmax Developer. Xtol gives finer grain but I didn't like the tonality as much. D-76 gives horrid tonality and more grain.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Thanks Juan and Chris for your suggestions.

I will try out the P3200 at ei. of 3200 on the M3 with the larger view finder and soup it in Tmax Developer.

thanks

raytoei

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Take care: it's addictive...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[anu L ogy]

Back to what Juan said: I have used TMZ with Rodinal 1:25, and 1:50 while rated at 1000 and really enjoyed the tonality. If you come across some Rodinal you will see quite a bit of grain.

Jim

 

[healyzh]

I've been really happy with the rolls I've shot at 3200 and developed in Ilford DD-X.

 

[varjag]

Not really related question, but where you folks shop for TMZ? Ebay looks kinda dry at the moment.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Freestyle and Calumet in the USA. I'm not sure who in Europe sells it, but I buy it all the time from those two American companies. Probably no help to you, Eugene

 

[Gazzah]

varjag - I have bought from 7dayshop.com, they seem to be one of the cheapest around and one of the very few that sell this stuff. It took them 3 days to deliver my last order of 3200.

Gary H

 

[Tim Gray]

I always buy mine new from stores, B&H or Freestyle.

It works at 3200. A bit lacking in the shadows, like any film pushed around 2 stops. I think it's best at 800-1600. It's true speed is about 1000 as stated above. I use XTOL 1:1 because its what I dev everything with.

I've only shot it at 6400 a couple times and it was less than satisfactory. That being said, the quality AND quantity of light available was crummy, so I don't read too much into those results.