Developing time for Tri-X 400 (+1 stop)

[Bee Hedge]

Dear Clubsnappers,

If I push Tri-X 400 by one stop (EI = 800), what development time should I use? Based on Kodak's recommended specs, I can keep the same development time like I use for EI=400 because Tri-X has a wide exposure lattitude (according to Kodak). BTW, I shoot on 35mm (which is pretty obvious I think)

What's your experience on this? Do I need to do a compensation on the development time?

The things I use:
Tmax Dev - 1 + 4 mixture
Kodak Rapid Fixer
Agfa Stabilizer or Kodak Photoflow

The development times I use (all based on Kodak's):
EI 400 - 4.75 min at 24 degrees
EI 1600 (+2 stops) - 7 min at 24 degrees
EI 800 - Dunno. Haven't tried yet.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bee Hedge]

Any kind soul experienced in Tri-X?

 

[canturn]

Frankly speaking, I don't really like to use tmax developer for tri-x, esp when it's pushed. Agitate slight bit only, contrast go wild...

I've tried tri-x EI 1000 in tmax 1+4 @ 21c for 8 minutes with very mild and 1 agitation in 2 minutes.

Here are some examples:

Does lotsa funny things to the skin tone, doesn't it?

If you want really good results with tri-x @EI 800, get Ilford's DD-X. Great stuffs but more expensive than a good bottle of Aussie red wine. @ $28 for 1 litre to be used at 1+4, and ONE SHOT, you can't go very wrong....

Not trying to promote anything here, but in terms of overall grain and picture quality wise, DD-x is the way to go if you want to push ya film...

 

[hongsien]

Why not use Kodaks own HC-110 developer? I use it for years.....liquid developer, bit tricky to use, need to use whole bottle for dilution to get accurate dilutions although this shortens its shelf life.....can use for pushing the film...pushing by itself increases the contrast, so only do it if you have no other choice...or if you like the high contrast and increased grain.

Hong Sien

 

[Bee Hedge]

Thanks for your tips guys. I think I'll give it a try. Oddly enuff, I happen to like high contrast and high grain. It's only lately that I tot of shooting at a lower speed. (I normally like to shoot at 1600 at night)

 

[samforce]

Hi guys,
sorry for budging in,
I was looking for HC-110 but could not get it, which shop in singapore sells it?

Thank

 

[crapshot]

cathay and ruby's both sell HC110.

instead of making a stock solution, use it straight as a one shot developer. much more convenient. just search google for HC110 and 400tx, you'll find lots of useful stuff.

the dev times printed in the box for HC110 are too short. At dil B it should be between 6 - 7 mins.

 

[samforce]

Thank you, was at ruby + cathay abt 3 mths back and they have no stock, got dd-x then. will top up when finish.
Any body with experience using DD-X 1:9 or greater dilution? Care to share?

How is the 400TX compare to HP5. Any one?

 

[hongsien]

cathay and ruby's both sell HC110.

instead of making a stock solution, use it straight as a one shot developer. much more convenient. just search google for HC110 and 400tx, you'll find lots of useful stuff.

the dev times printed in the box for HC110 are too short. At dil B it should be between 6 - 7 mins.

I wouldn't use it straight as it is very highly concentrated...........but too high in viscosity.....with highly concentrated HC-110, if you make a small reading error in the volume, it has BIG consequences in your result.....with small volumes, small volume differences has bigger effects than with larger volumes (unless you are using a syringe to measure the volume)

 

[hongsien]

Thank you, was at ruby + cathay abt 3 mths back and they have no stock, got dd-x then. will top up when finish.
Any body with experience using DD-X 1:9 or greater dilution? Care to share?

How is the 400TX compare to HP5. Any one?

Tri-X 400 and HP-5 are almost the same.........hardly any difference, although some might say the Tri-X grain is sharper....

 

[hongsien]

Tri-X 400 and HP-5 are almost the same.........hardly any difference, although some might say the Tri-X grain is sharper....

go
od for using this film for pics of stone....which I do

 

[West_ray]

i have tried Trix 400 with ilford ID 11, at 27 C @ 6 min (as recommended) .. and the contrasts are awfully washout.

any recommendation for developer on trix 400 ??

 

[student]

A classic combo - Tri-x and D76

 

[insomia]

Ist thing first - I caution you against using a development time less than 5 minutes. There are good reasons for this which I will not go into.

Ignoring that based on your starting point timing figures I would suggest as a starting piont - 5.9 minutes at 24C for 800. I think you will need some additional development time - how much I can not advise since I do not know how you metered and what was the light conditions and what is the subject. Your processing methods and actions also have an impact on how the developed neg looks like.

Strange I seem to do ok with Tmax developer - I use this for Tri X , for Delta 400, for Pan X Plus. But there are tweks for each film its not always that the mfger recommended time is the best.

 

[Bee Hedge]

What is your recommended timing for Tri-X with HC-110 (dilution B?)

Why not use Kodaks own HC-110 developer? I use it for years.....liquid developer, bit tricky to use, need to use whole bottle for dilution to get accurate dilutions although this shortens its shelf life.....can use for pushing the film...pushing by itself increases the contrast, so only do it if you have no other choice...or if you like the high contrast and increased grain.

Hong Sien

 

[hongsien]

What is your recommended timing for Tri-X with HC-110 (dilution B?)

Depends what results you want, as a rough guide you can use this: if you shake the tank too much you will get increased contrast.

I normally dunk (not the commando style, poor guy) the tank constantly for the first 1 minute, then 2x every 30 secs. till the end......

For Tri-X i expose at 320 ISO and develop for 7 minutes. This way I get bit overexposed negs which are longer to print, but you get more details in the shadows.....

Good luck!

Hong Sien

 

[waileong]

Re development time, generally when a film is said to have wide exposure "latitude", this means that it can be shot far above the ISO rating on the box, but it must be developed accordingly!

This means if you develop at 8 mins for ISO 400, you likely need to develop at more than 8 mins for ISO 800. How much longer depends on your choice of developer, of course. If you keep to the same development time, all you will get is underexposed negs.

Go to www.digitaltruth.com for the massive developer chart that lists practically every recommended film/developer combination (and some unrecommended ones too!).

Wai Leong
===

Dear Clubsnappers,

If I push Tri-X 400 by one stop (EI = 800), what development time should I use? Based on Kodak's recommended specs, I can keep the same development time like I use for EI=400 because Tri-X has a wide exposure lattitude (according to Kodak). BTW, I shoot on 35mm (which is pretty obvious I think)

What's your experience on this? Do I need to do a compensation on the development time?

The things I use:
Tmax Dev - 1 + 4 mixture
Kodak Rapid Fixer
Agfa Stabilizer or Kodak Photoflow

The development times I use (all based on Kodak's):
EI 400 - 4.75 min at 24 degrees
EI 1600 (+2 stops) - 7 min at 24 degrees
EI 800 - Dunno. Haven't tried yet.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bee Hedge]

What's the dilution ratio u r using? 1:31? That's what I found from Google.

cathay and ruby's both sell HC110.

instead of making a stock solution, use it straight as a one shot developer. much more convenient. just search google for HC110 and 400tx, you'll find lots of useful stuff.

the dev times printed in the box for HC110 are too short. At dil B it should be between 6 - 7 mins.

 

[crapshot]

Hi Bee Hedge,

I use it at 1:63, 20deg C 11.5min at EI320. There's also a lot of info you can dig out www.photo.net, using the search function.

Developing time for each person will differ slightly, due to different exposure and metering habits and agitiation of the tank, even with the same chemicals and film.
So try to set up a set regime that works well enough for you and then make it better by changing one variable at a time.

Having one of those slide viewers/lightboxes and a loupe helps a lot to evaluates negs.

crapshot

 

[kahheng]

I so love the look of Tri-X but I used to get annoyed about having to get things chilled. My lack of cold water pushed me towards investigating the use of the very BFUGLY Tmax films and I got to like the 100 and 400 (though not as much as TriX)

Their saving grace was the fact that their emulsions are so hardened that you can process them safely up to slide processing temps (someone I knew used to do that with extremely dilute HC110). I used to process them at whatever temp the water came out of the tap - usually between 27 to 28.5 C. There's zero reticulation worries with these T grained films.

Basically I love the Tmax films only in the 120 size. Tmax400 is particularly nice when done in D-23 (the only developer I could tolerate mixing up since it only had two components.). As you can tell, I have very little patience for darkroom work. :bsmilie: