tri-x and tmax 1+9

paulfish4570

Veteran
Local time
3:44 PM
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
9,813
Location
Lapine, in deep south Alabama
i have used tmax 1+4 and d-76 1+1. i'm trying tmax 1+9 now to see if i like it as much as the standard d-76 formula, because at 1+9 it is about the same cost as d-76 1+1 - and very easy to mix small amounts.
here are some tmax 1+9 samples, from epson 4490 negative scans:

img080rff.jpg


img078rff.jpg


img072900.jpg


img066rff.jpg


img062rff.jpg
 
Last edited:
seems to me the tmax holds highlight detail better, going just by scanned images ...

that makes sense. with higher dilutions we should see more compensating action. The shadows open up too. There's an increase in the tonal range. These look great. Thanks for posting your results. 🙂



/
 
i developed for 10 minutes, same as for d-76 1+1, at 68F/20C.
greg, i mixed up just a little more than i needed for one roll: 40ml of tmax plus 360 mls of distilled water.
so easy to pour and mix up what i need. i typically soup one or two rolls per week, so this is perfect for me from that standpoint.
keeping detail in highlights is what i was hoping for, for scans with my epson 4490. i reckon these negs will be easier to print, as well.
 
Lovely tones with the Tmax stuff. Another vote in favour of that compared to D-76. Paul are you developing at box speed?
 
i developed for 10 minutes, same as for d-76 1+1, at 68F/20C.
greg, i mixed up just a little more than i needed for one roll: 40ml of tmax plus 360 mls of distilled water.
so easy to pour and mix up what i need. i typically soup one or two rolls per week, so this is perfect for me from that standpoint.
keeping detail in highlights is what i was hoping for, for scans with my epson 4490. i reckon these negs will be easier to print, as well.

I wonder what the longevity of a partial bottle of TMax would be? You shoot a lot more b&w than I do, so I don't think it would be a problem for you. HC-110 last for ages as well as Rodinal. Perhaps someone can enlighten us, I'd like to give it a try.
 
Tmax developer lasts a long time in the bottle, even if its half-empty. The normal 1+4 dilution makes it costly but diluting 1+7 or 1+9 gives the same image quality and saves money plus makes dev. times that are easier to work with. The times for most films at 1+4 are just too short to get good even developing (5 or 6 minutes for 1+4. I like times around 10 minutes better, so the high dilutions are nice). I have not used the 1+9, but I have tested 1+7 and it was good. I like D-76 better though. Tmax flattened the midtones a bit.

inside-job1.jpg

It does handle highlights well though.
 
yes, caleb, box speed. i like to keep things as simple as possible. the MDC says 10.5 minutes, but i reckon 10 minutes does just fine. by the time i get the pouring in and pouring out done, it's close to 10.5 anyhow.
and yes, tmax keeps for months with no issues.
i have space issues. my bride and i live in less than 600 square feet, so there is little room for big jugs o' mixed chemicalsper.
 
Last edited:
yes, caleb, box speed. i like to keep things as simple as possible. the MDC says 10.5 minutes, but i reckon 10 minutes does just fine. by the time i get the pouring in and pouring out done, it's close to 10.5 anyhow.
and yes, tmax keeps for months with no issues.
i have space issues. my bride and i live in less than 600 square feet, so there is little room for big jugs o' mixed chemicalsper.

Ah. The half a minute does make a significant difference in the highlights for me. Developed a roll of Tri-X in HC-110 at 15min (for an EI of 1600) and another at 15.5. I liked the latter better.
 
Back
Top Bottom