TMAX 400 vs. Tri-X 400 vs. BW400CN

[Roger Hicks]

You may find the following descriptions of 'old technology' (cubic crystal), 'new technology' (monosize controlled crystal) and chromogenics useful:

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/choosing bw films.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[efix]

Thanks, Roger, for the link. I shall definitely go through the various film-related modules on your site some time.

 

[Freakscene]

My experience is they use automated processing at a single time for everything. Even ones who do use the right times often mistreat film, returning scratched or fingerprinted film.

Good custom labs will not do any of these things, but they are thin on the ground. All the labs I have worked in or run had a money back guarantee and very high customer satisfaction - but none were in the US. If this is what your labs are like, then do it yourself.

Marty

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Absolutely. As Chris said, I've never found any Pro lab I can trust for B&W... The thing is B&W development involves lots of variables, and when a roll is developed, it's necessary to know very well the light and ways of metering... Developing is a relationship built over time... It's not easy to get great results unless you shot the roll...

Of course "medium" results can be obtained -and I have developed other photographer's stuff sometimes, with success enough for wet printing- but if you're not going to develop, you'll need to be really lucky to find someone really loving B&W control, and you'll have to explain lots of details about light and metering... Developing my rolls is kind of a part of my shooting... I shoot considering the development...

And everyone can develop anywhere: just a bag, a tank, and Rodinal & fixer.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Colin Corneau]

B&W film is so easy to develop oneself, with so much more control and noticeable effects on quality, that I can't imagine sending it to a lab. (exceptions for pro labs with very clear processes known to all beforehand)

Tim Gray said it all well, I can only add that BW400CN is awful stuff...crap whether I've scanned it or printed it in a darkroom. If you must go chromogenic XP2 is so much better...can't get past that awful orange cast.
TMY really is amazing film, and like most TMax films needs careful and consistent development to get the most out of it.

 

[efix]

Okay, okay, you guys got me convinced ... 🙂 You do need a completely dark(enable) room for developing, though, don't you? Because that would be the part where lack of facilities comes in ...

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Okay, okay, you guys got me convinced ... 🙂 You do need a completely dark(enable) room for developing, though, don't you? Because that would be the part where lack of facilities comes in ...

No. Developing is done in light-tight metal or plastic developing tanks. Canisters that hold the film on reels and are made so chemical can be poured in and out with the lights on, without light reaching the film inside. So, developing is done with the lights on! You need complete darkness to load the film on the reels and put the tank together, but that does not require a darkroom either. You need a Changing Bag, which is a black lightproof bag with elastic armholes. You put your arms in and load the film into the developing tanks with the lights in the room on. The changing bag costs about $30.

 

[efix]

Thanks, Chris! I was under the impression you need a darkroom, but I guess my "knowledge" about developing film comes mostly from 70ies movies ... 🙂

 

[Tim Gray]

While you can do it with just a changing bag, it is a lot easier if you have a closet or bathroom without windows that you can get into. Just hang a thick blanket over the door, or use weather stripping to seal the seams of the door to light and throw a towel at the bottom. It gives you a little more room to work if you don't have to have a tank, 4 reels, and 4 rolls of film all in a little bag.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks, Chris! I was under the impression you need a darkroom, but I guess my "knowledge" about developing film comes mostly from 70ies movies ... 🙂

You only need a darkroom for printing in the traditional way. If you develop your film without a darkroom, like I described, you can scan the film and print from the computer.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

While you can do it with just a changing bag, it is a lot easier if you have a closet or bathroom without windows that you can get into. Just hang a thick blanket over the door, or use weather stripping to seal the seams of the door to light and throw a towel at the bottom. It gives you a little more room to work if you don't have to have a tank, 4 reels, and 4 rolls of film all in a little bag.

As he said, he cannot do that, which is why I told him how to develop film without a darkroom.

 

[Tompas]

I don't know what's there not to like about BW400CN... My favourite film, I find it very very very good. So very very good that I quit traditional B/W films altogether. Color processing at home is not difficult if you get yourself a little processing machine or any device that can keep your chemicals at precisely the right temperature. I can't get BW400CN in 120 format so for that I use Ilford's XP2.

In the past I've used tons of T-Max 100, 400, and 3200 (always with T-Max developer) and liked that also very much. I've also been a fan of Neopan 400 -- a little less sharp than T-Max but also a little less grain. HP5 I never liked, it somehow felt cheap. Tri-X I never tried; could be it's the holy grail.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks, Chris! I was under the impression you need a darkroom, but I guess my "knowledge" about developing film comes mostly from 70ies movies ... 🙂

Far from it. See http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how process 35-120.html and associated modules.

Cheers,

R.

 

[efix]

Alright, so I bought a roll of BW400CN, as my drugstore happened to have it in stock. (On that opportunity I also bought a roll of Elitechrome 100 which I always wanted to try.) Fed it to my Yashica Electro 35, we'll see how it goes 🙂

P.S.: Home developing is definitely on my to-do-list now, as soon as I find the time!

 

[Chinasaur]

I'd say the drawbacks of chromogenic B&W film are:

2) To develop at home, you'll need C41 chemicals

Wrong/Not completely correct. Just developed my fifth roll..TOTAL. Was Kodak BW400CN. 1:100 Semi-Stand in Rodinal (R-09 One Shot). Rinse. Stop. Fix.

Not nearly as crisp/clear as store developing..but you don't need C-41 developing to develop.

 

[rogerzilla]

BW400CN is wonderful stuff at ISO 200, especially if you use a 35mm P&S camera or you can't be bothered to carry a meter.

I have seriously gone off Tri-X and prefer Neopan 400, which gives me similar results to 1980s-era Tri-X.

 

[Pirate]

Here's a couple shots with Arista Premium 400, which is rebranded Tri-X 400, through a Nikon F and developed in Sprint Standard developer at my school. I bracketed my shots so these scans were not lightened up at all, I only took out a few pieces of dust in Photoshop.

 

[TareqPhoto]

I think you can develop B&W with a pe.. even, so i think i will never worry about developing B&W, i am worry about developing color, i don't think i would like to do C-41/E-6 at home, even if i want to then i have first to get the chemicals shipped to me with no issues.