The Tri X Factor

[DominikDUK]

I for one fully agree with Roger and I can relate to his frustration allthough I wouldn't have worded it quiet that way. Kodak really wasn't the technological King in those days (except for their lenses which were first rate) Agfa and Dr. Schleussner were much more advanced and so was Ilford. Agfa really did have the bad luck that it patents were voided once again. Kodak like any big corp didn't really innovate that much they simple bought the innovators. The first and probably most important in Kodak's history was Wratten & Wainwright the inventors of modern panchromatic film. Low light photography was done long before the invention of Tri-X. Erich Salomon's work comes to mind.

Nevertheless Tri-X is an outstanding film that has a nearly unique look interestingly the look is the results of less latitude compared to say HP5+ which is often called dull and grey because it has this huge tonal scale something Tri-X does not have but Tri-X has more snap due to the higher inherent contrast. Kodak Tri-X is a classic example of flaws actually helping a product.

 

[Mark C]

Thanks for your kind comment!

FWIW, although TX is my standard roll film, HP5 Plus is my standard sheet film. Alas, TX isn't offered as sheet film. Although the characteristic curve and grain structure of HP5 Plus are somewhat different from those of TX, it's similarly forgiving in the field and in the darkroom.

Before anybody speaks up: TXP is a different emulsion from TX, with very different characteristics. The marketing decision by some unknown EK executive many moons ago to name them both "Tri-X" was perverse in the extreme.

Agreed, again. I liked TXP 8x10 well enough, but mostly shot HP5 in 4x5 to 8x10. I had a direct account with Ilford for a while in order to buy HP5 Plus Aerial film to use in #10 Cirkut Cameras. I still have hundreds of feet of 9 1/2" and have been cutting it down to 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 lately since I haven't shot black and white in the Cirkut for a good while.

And I mostly agree with Roger too. Great film, interesting article (where I probably diverge from Roger) but annoying too and loaded with BS and hyperbole. It reminded me of a famous book on photography 🙂 where I constantly felt like the author didn't really know photography.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

What you were doing was "seasoning" the D76 by loading it with bromide, thereby completely changing the character of the developer and reducing the effective film speed by about half. To get EI 400 the film had therefore to be over-developed. Seasoned developers are wonderfully consistent and long-lived, though ideally D76 should be be replenished with D76R not just D76.

Cheers,

R.

We actually dumped part of the used D-76 in the drain and replaced with fresh one, so the "replinshing rate" was quite large. The photogs used to group their rolls with development time they wanted marked on different sets. Sometimes I guess the ISO were as high as 1600 so the negs sure were quite rough...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Not the first post of the past few days with a chip on its shoulder. Lighten up!

Alternatively, learn something about the subject you want to discuss. What do you see as a "chip"?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

We actually dumped part of the used D-76 in the drain and replaced with fresh one, so the "replenshing rate" was quite large. The photogs used to group their rolls with development time they wanted marked on different sets. Sometimes I guess the ISO were as high as 1600 so the negs sure were quite rough...

Now you mention it, I think I used to do the same -- 40 years ago, as an assistant!

Cheers,

R.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

Now you mention it, I think I used to do the same -- 40 years ago, as an assistant!

Cheers,

R.

Funny how the "seasoned pro`s" used all the speed they could have.. When ACIFINE came, it changed everything. With replinsher it also got better and better with all the speed you ever wanted. That`s my main developer now, and has been for over 20 years. Another good one is Rodinal/ HC 110 mix: for 2 litres 30cc of both. It has the edge sharpness of Rodinal and nice tones of HC 110. The chemist geeks here can say how the HC 110 makes the "coctail" last almost indefinitely. Just add some Rodinal every now and then...

 

[lawrence]

Funny how the "seasoned pro`s" used all the speed they could have.. When ACIFINE came, it changed everything.

I've never used Acufine but I'm curious about it. I guess it's a PQ developer like Microphen and I wonder if anyone's done a direct comparison?