Tri-X at ISO 800: hints/tips?

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I tried pushing Tri-X to 800 for the first time the other day and got way too much contrast. I am using HC-110 at 1:31, 68°, 8.5 minutes, agitating every 30 seconds. Perhaps I'm agitating too vigorously? I may have over-warmed the soup a bit, too. Anyway, what are your techniques for shooting Tri-X at 800?
 
Surprising! So, 7.5 minutes, says the Massive Dev Chart. Which, actually, is kind of odd—why should the recommended times be so close for 400 and 800? In fact, identical, in your experience?

Thanks a lot—
J
 
Because one stop is well within exposure tolerance for Tri-X.

If you're consistently getting too much contrast, reduce your agitation.
 
I remember reading that the exposure latitude for tri-x is enough that a one-stop difference can be treated as ISO 400. You only need to start pushing it once you get past 800. So maybe the 7.5 minutes is to account for any additional underexposure past 800 on the same roll?
 
I shoot 400 and 800 in the same roll all the time. Develop in hc110 as 400, dil. B for 7 minutes or so, forget..
 
Yes, reduce your agitation. In my experience with Tri-X I normally rate it at 200 or 250 with a shorter development time (6-1/2 if I remember) but never pushed using HC-110. Whenever I needed a higher EI film I used Fuji 1600 shot at 1000, developed in D-76 1:1.
 
My soup is tmax dev 1:4(20c) or Rodinal 1:50.
Tmax for more normal exposures and Rodinal if I need more time.
Tri-x (or HP5 )exposed between iso 200-800 get the same normal development treatment.
If there are risky highlights I want to keep, I usually give a bit more exposure to shadows and adjust agitation to keep the highlights from blowing out.
Normally I use Rodinal in these cases as the development times are longer giving better shadows.

I'm only scanning at the moment. Someday if I get the wet print shop back up, I may regret how much flexibility scanning has allowed my present methods :eek:
 
Try Ilford DD-X, which is a bit more expensive. Tri-X is closer to ISO 640 in DD-X, with nice tight grain and well controlled highlights.

I've also tried DD-X 1+9 for more economy.

mabelsound said:
I tried pushing Tri-X to 800 for the first time the other day and got way too much contrast. I am using HC-110 at 1:31, 68°, 8.5 minutes, agitating every 30 seconds. Perhaps I'm agitating too vigorously? I may have over-warmed the soup a bit, too. Anyway, what are your techniques for shooting Tri-X at 800?
Click to expand...
 
I use dilution H so twice B times and the proper thick syrup.
200 20 deg 11 mins
400 13
800 15
agitate gently for first minute and then at 3,6,9,12 min intervals 3 gentle inversions.
 
HC110 is a speed reducing developer (like Rodinal). In other words it gives less shadow detail than most other developers. My recommendation would be to try DD-X or Acufine (as has already been recommended) or some other speed increasing developer such as Microphen. You won't actually get 800 out of these without an increase in contrast but you can get to about 640 with normal contrast as they all give a little bump.
 
When I want to shoot Tri-X at 800, I develop in Diafine. Works like a charm, with great tones. I use HC 110 with Tri-X when shooting at 400 or 250, but not 800.
 
Bingley said:
When I want to shoot Tri-X at 800, I develop in Diafine. Works like a charm, with great tones. I use HC 110 with Tri-X when shooting at 400 or 250, but not 800.
Click to expand...

Best advice yet.

The reason you get all these goofy answers is most do not test properly with a densitometer and grey scale strip. You can not over agitate if you compensate by time. Reducing it beyond minimum risks uneven replenishment which many erroriously call surge marks.

Photography is art in making the camera image and science in development. Calibrated thermometer, proper consistent water,
fresh developer and a host of other variables you need to tame.
 
Bingley said:
When I want to shoot Tri-X at 800, I develop in Diafine. Works like a charm, with great tones. I use HC 110 with Tri-X when shooting at 400 or 250, but not 800.
Click to expand...

Bingo. I seem to recall rating Tri-X at 1000 ISO with Diafine. Is that right?
 
This works as well, I used to use Diafine as my main combo for Tri-x at 800.

Over the last year I've moved away to DD-X, mainly as the negatives from DD-X are ever so slightly better than Diafine (better shadows, tighter grain, better in flat overcast lighting).

But the improvement is sufficient for me to go through the additional work for DD-X (mixing new batch every time, watching the timer more carefully etc.)

Bingley said:
When I want to shoot Tri-X at 800, I develop in Diafine. Works like a charm, with great tones. I use HC 110 with Tri-X when shooting at 400 or 250, but not 800.
Click to expand...
 
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