Why I love Tri-X and some things I have learned.

[telenous]

I hope it's OK to go a little bit against the grain 😉. I can't help but notice that all the pushed TriX shots display that which (for me) make it less favoured compared to, say, pushed HP5 or even both Neopans. In scans there's copious amount of grain in the shadows, so much so that blacks are more like dark greys rather than blacks. I see the same it in my shots too, and I have tried every developer I could get my hands on. Pushed TriX gives me postprocessing headaches if I want to work on the file. Prints look better.




Myequation, may I ask if your photos below are scans of prints and not scans of negs? Both are beautiful.

These are some old Tx pics I have below

 

[dfoo]

My pushed negatives, even a single stop, lack shadow detail in all developers I've tried (XTOL, D76 and HC110).

 

[Al Kaplan]

No matter how you cut it we don't really "push" film. We increase the contrast. We can get the mid-tone density up to where it prints fairly decent, hope that the highlights don't burn out past the point where we can burn 'em in, and as for the shadows, below a certain level of exposure clear film is clear film. It's that never-never land just above clear film where we get those grainy blacks as we try to boost the contrast there to reveal a semblance of detail.

Not all the silver halide grains in film are exactly the same size. The larger ones are more sensitive to light. In the darkest shadow areas you're mostly developing just the biggest ones.

 

[pesphoto]

sometimes I like a lack of shadow details. TriX @1000 in Rodinal.

 

[jarski]

nice photos here. I've played recently with Tri-X also. here is photo from restaurant in Tartu, Estonia (if you look close enough, guy holds a small dog 🙂 ). Nocti open @ M5. slight crop, no other pp.

 

[Keith]

I agree with the comment that Tri-X at 1600 seems to produce a lot of grain in the shadows and it never seems to be quite black. Neopan at 1600 and Xtol produces the best blacks I have seen with any film I've used.

This is Neopan at 3200 and Xtol.

 

[helen.HH]

LOVE IT ,Keith
Neopan/Xtol is Magic
actually this whole Thread is Pure Magic

 

[Rob-F]

Could that first photo be deleted and re-posted about 1/2 to 1/3 size, please? I believe it is the first photo that is causing this thread to be twice the width of my screen.

Thank You.

 

[Rob-F]

@Keith: Which Neopan is that? I assume 1600, but it would be good to know for sure.

 

[Keith]

@Keith: Which Neopan is that? I assume 1600, but it would be good to know for sure.

Hi Rob,

Just Neopan 400 ... it truly is a remarkable film when pushed IMO! 🙂

I'm really hoping that the 400 Legacy Pro that Freestyle are selling in 100ft rolls does indeed turn out to be Neopan. They state that the film is made in Japan so you'd think it would have to be!

At around $32.00 for 100ft I sure hope so!

Product Details:
You demanded high quality film at a superior value...
LegacyPro® black and white films!

Made by one of the premier film manufacturers in the world, LegacyPro® comes in 100 and 400 ISO, ensuring that you’ll have a film for any photo situation. LegacyPro® 100 features unparalleled tight grain and tonality, making it ideal for portrait and fine-art work, while LegacyPro® 400 offers wide flexibility and versatility, putting it squarely at the top of the low-light and action categories.

Manufactured in Japan.

 

[marknyc]

Love Tri-X and it is my go to film. But -- I just posted a thread about this in the Leica User Forum -- my only issue is here in LA I find myself limited a bit with it cos of the sunny days (yes, I know my name is marknyc -- I moved!). So what to do? Use a 100 film, right -- by TMax is yukcy and don't like FP4. Tried Delta this weekend and it is pretty nice, but a bit TMaxy. Have any of you Tri-X fans dealt with this issue? What do you do? ND filter???

Thanks,
Mark

 

[dfoo]

Shoot it at 200?

 

[Sam N]

I use tri-X and diafine, (can't shoot it at 200). I've found myself having to use an ND filter to control DOF. It's worth the hassle.

You could also try Plus-X (or pick up some Arista Premium 100 from freestyle). I have yet to try this film, but it should be closer to Tri-X than TMax... right?

 

[marknyc]

Don't know Diafine -- but why couldn't you pull a stop and adjust like with any other developer.

Any one pulled TriX to 100 -- how's that look? Typically I use DDX to develop it (or D76).

 

[russianRF]

You could just plain switch emulsions; I especially like Efke film for brightly lit days. Shoot Efke 25 or 50 and you won't have to worry about too much light. 🙂

 

[40oz]

Love Tri-X and it is my go to film. But -- I just posted a thread about this in the Leica User Forum -- my only issue is here in LA I find myself limited a bit with it cos of the sunny days (yes, I know my name is marknyc -- I moved!). So what to do? Use a 100 film, right -- by TMax is yukcy and don't like FP4. Tried Delta this weekend and it is pretty nice, but a bit TMaxy. Have any of you Tri-X fans dealt with this issue? What do you do? ND filter???

Thanks,
Mark

I don't live in LA, but during the summer I shoot a lot of Pan F and PlusX. They're not Tri-X but they have their own look.

Pan F is only 50 speed, so it's great on bright sunny days. It captures a different spectrum than Tri-X, almost like a red filter at times. PlusX I shoot at 125, and I really like the look. I need to use it more often.

 

[Keith]

I don't live in LA, but during the summer I shoot a lot of Pan F and PlusX. They're not Tri-X but they have their own look.

Pan F is only 50 speed, so it's great on bright sunny days. It captures a different spectrum than Tri-X, almost like a red filter at times. PlusX I shoot at 125, and I really like the look. I need to use it more often.

PanF is a great film ... I push it to 100 to get a little more contrast and develop in Xtol 1+1 ... it is a very good film.

 

[dfoo]

Holy... more contrast! Now I've only shot a roll of it last summer, but what I got was already very contrasty.

 

[shadowfox]

Tri-X in Rodinal 1+50 for 14 min.

 

[Sam N]

Don't know Diafine -- but why couldn't you pull a stop and adjust like with any other developer.

Diafine is a 2-bath developer where the development time doesn't really matter. The 1st part soaks the film with developer and the 2nd part activates the development of whatever is in the film until it's all gone. It gives excellent results with Tri-X at ~1200 or 1600. Diafine makes it easy to develop different types of film together, but it takes away your freedom to push or pull film.