What best replicates Fuji 1600 @800 in divided D-76?

[sparrow6224]

Tom -- having come across your recipe for divided d-76 some months ago -- a few months after starting processing my own film for the first time -- I began shooting Fuji 1600 at 800, which you mention specifically in relation to the divided D76 developer. I processed it in that and in Xtol 1:1 and results in both have been just outstanding: deep but detailed shadows, wonderful contrast, virtually no visible grain on my 3000 dpi scans. Made me leave my Tri-X at home. Now it's gone. Last few rolls selling online but after that, a memory. So -- of the fast films left: Delta 3200 and T-Max P3200, do you have an opinion about which will perform most like the beloved Fuji? Shot at roughly 1000 and processed either in Xtol or divided D76? Anyone else's comments welcome too, but since I learned of it from the man, I thought I'd return to the man for an opinion......
Vince

 

[Tom A]

Of the two alternatives, I would go for the TSpeed (the Tmax 3200). I find that the Ilford 3200 is a bit more finicky. Both work best at 1000-1200 iso.
What you can try is to do them in continious agitation. The A bath does not do much so 5 minutes should be OK. The B-bath you can play with the times a bit.
I havent really tried it with either film - still have 100+ rolls of Neopan 1600 in the freezer and that should see me out the "gloomy" days.
I would do a bracket roll of the Tmax 3200. shoot it at 800/1200/1600 and, what the hell, at 3200. Run it through with A @5 min and B@ 5 or 6 min - continious agitation and check the negatives. Extending times in A usually doesn't change much - in B you get a jump in contrast. Grain is going to be visible and contrast a bit iffy - partly because you are probably shooting in low light with higher contrast (spotlights, bright windows in dark spaces)
You might have to waste some film to get times/exposures right - but chalk that up to a learning experience!
It is too bad that they stopped the NP 1600 - doesnt make sense really. Lets hope that they are thinking of a new, improved version at some time in the future!
I do have some truly out dated T3200 - might do a trial run and add some anti-fog ( no, make that a LOT of antifog). These were two rolls that had fallen behind some books - togegether with a roll of Kodak Recording 2475 (old enough to cast votes in elections!)
Weather is crap today so it is a good day for experiments!

 

[sparrow6224]

Tom, many many thanks for the extensive suggestions, which I will take up. I had heard that TMax is not a good candidate for divided developers because it's a thinner film than Tri X Pan X HP5 etc etc. Is this only in reference to TMY? Is the TMax P3200 a different beast?

 

[Tom A]

Tom, many many thanks for the extensive suggestions, which I will take up. I had heard that TMax is not a good candidate for divided developers because it's a thinner film than Tri X Pan X HP5 etc etc. Is this only in reference to TMY? Is the TMax P3200 a different beast?

You might have to let the T-speed really sit in the B-bath. testing is advised.
The alternative is the Td 201 from the Film Processing Cookbook. It was formulated to work better with the T-grain films. Again, continious agitation. Quite easy to mix - but doesn't have the extreme long life of the divided D76.

 

[oftheherd]

Interesting idea. I may try that some time soon. Can you point us to Tom's other post?

 

[filmfan]

Shoot Neopan 400 @800 and develop in XTOL.
Yes, I know-- it's not the same okay okay... but it's close.

 

[sparrow6224]

I'm a relative neophyte but it seems to me in my limited experience that there is inherently a different outcome pushing a film than pulling it -- an increase in grain in case #1 and a diminishing of it in case #2. Also, I suspect from experience so far with Xtol in particular that if I'm pushing any 400 I'd rather be pushing Tri-X in so far as Xtol has you process it exactly the same at 800 as at 400, whereas with Fuji that ain't so. Am I wrong to see that as a suggestion that Tri-X pushes more easily or with less increase in thickness?

 

[sparrow6224]

Tom, I will likely try the TSpeed as you call it at 100-1200 in Xtol and see what happens; then try various applications of the divided d-76. With the Fuji 1600 one could get basically the same results from the latter as from the former; we shall see with the Tspeed. As I get to this (after semester ends and the holidays are vanquished...) I'll post my observations. I have yet to succeed in posting actual pictures on the site but perhaps I'll master that while I'm at it.
Vince P

 

[sparrow6224]

Mr. Herd -- here's the Tom divided d-76 discussion of which I wrote:

http://leica-users.org/v02/msg05860.html

 

[oftheherd]

Mr. Herd -- here's the Tom divided d-76 discussion of which I wrote:

http://leica-users.org/v02/msg05860.html

Ha-ha. Mr. Herd eh? I like it. Thanks for the link. I was wondering how you came up with and used a two bath solution. I'll have to source some chemicals in the area. I haven't mixed my own developers in over 30 years. I did some experimenting the first time I was in Korea. It was kind of fun. I will look forward to trying it again. Especially with the results you all are reporting. That sounds neat.

 

[Mister E]

Neopan 400 at 800 is extremely good. I've never shot Neopan 1600 slower than 1600, but Neopan 400 at 400, 800 and 1600 is different, but also great and much closer to 1600 than D3200 or TMZ3200.

 

[Tom A]

If you are going to play with divided D76 - you can also try it with continious agitation. Stick to the 4-5 minutes in A and try with 4 min in B first - depending on your film rating, Tri X @ 400 about the 4 min, 800 for 5-6 minutes. 1200 is a bit iffy - even Divided D76 has problems with the shadows there.
It is probably the cheapest (and safest) developer you can use, once you get your times right. As with any new "soup" - run some tests. We all meter or guess exposures differently and we usually have different ideas what a negative should look like.
I would invest in a 100 ft can of Tri X - shoot the hell out of it and try various times and exposure indexes. Once you got it nailed down - it will stay pretty constant throughout the life of the A-bath.

 

[Nokton48]

Excellent. I have alot of Neopan Presto 1600 left, I am taking four rolls of it to a shoot this afternoon.

Tom, I will try the divided D76, and shooting it at EI 800. I had been shooting at EI 640 and using ADOX Borax MQ. This should work even better, I am encouraged. Thanks!

-Dan

 

[Nokton48]

I now have ten rolls of Presto 1600 shot at EI 800, I am finally ready to get going with this. Also I wonder how it works with XX, I tried TD-201 for awhile, and I really liked it at the time.

Five of these rolls are really important to me. Also going to process (in the same film run) a roll of 220 TXP shot at EI 200, in difficult contrasty full sun/shade combo. The divided D76 should help with that.

I'm going to try five minutes, and five minutes, at 20C, in a Unicolor film drum and Uniroller.

 

[Tom A]

The divided D76 works very well with the XX - it is an old style, thick emulsion. Too long in A can punch up the contrast a bit so test it first.
The Adox MQ is good - I use it as a "default" developer when I cant be bothered to mix up something else.