TMX and TMY in Rodinal

greenspun.com : LUSENET : B&W Photo - Film & Processing : One Thread

just a note to call attention to my stumbling upon a superb combination of TMX, TMY, and Rodinal. the 1:50 dilution yields a sharpness I haven't seen in my Xtol and ID-11 processes. I thought Xtol was outstanding for reduced grain, but apparently, this was from a solvent action that eroded my edge definitions. Rodinal 1:50, 12 minutes at 20C for TMX, 11 minutes at 20C for TMY, is the new reference. I rated TMX at EI50, TMY at EI200.

of all my film studies, this combination clearly yields something out of the ordinary.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), August 18, 2001

Answers

Daniel, you should have been reading this forum before. This is a well known combination for many years, next you are going to try PMK and REALLY see a beautiful negative! Good luck.

-- Jorge Gasteazoro (jorgegm@worldnet.att.net), August 19, 2001.

I know there has been previous discussion about this combination. there is also no shortage of TMax resistance, and after two years of testing, I was very impressed with this discovery. just wanted to sound the alarm so that newcomers may give it a try and post their own observations. the cost is low, it has one-shot convenience, relatively safe to use and dispose of, and yields marvelous results. sounds like a winner to me.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), August 19, 2001.

Daniel,

On your recommendation I'm going to give Rodinal a try. What sort of agitation are you using? i.e. 30 seconds continuous and then 5 inversions per minute.

I would appreciate your help as I don't want to ruin another film experimenting. I like TMY and have been using Xtol although it's touchy stuff and Rodinal sounds like a better substitute. Can't buy PMK where I live.

-- matt veld (mv@ezysurf.co.nz), August 19, 2001.


Matt,

I hope those that have used this combination for a longer time will chime in with what has worked. I am still fine-tuning this combination, though it looks like TMX EI64, Rodinal 1:50, and something less than 12 minutes (per Agfa). TMY EI250, Rodinal 1:50, 11 minutes at 20C. it will take a while to hone in on exact processing parameters. I used Xtol as my main developer, but the lingering fear of failure haunts me. important work warrants a less- risky venture.

I profile my processing for best scanning. conventional enlarging may require a different contrast-index. I seem to be one of the few that continue to champion Kodak TMax films. have fun!

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), August 19, 2001.


didn't answer your question did I? I use the recommended agitation per Agfa, which is basically what I have used for all my films except for IR films. thirty second initial agitation, followed by a 5 second agitation on thirty-second intervals.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), August 19, 2001.


Daniel,

Thanks. I share your enthusiasm for TMax films and prefer them to the Ilford Delta films although I haven't tried the new Delta 400 yet. I've had a few failures with Xtol that I don't want to repeat.

-- matt veld (mv@ezysurf.co.nz), August 20, 2001.


I give times for various films (including TMX and TMY) in Rodinal on my site at http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Developers/Times_Rodina l/times_rodinal.html.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), August 20, 2001.

Daniel, what format are you using? I posted a question regarding TMX and Rodinal for use with 4x5 a while back. I've done some tests with TMX and Rodinal (1:75)since then with a Jobo 2521 tank and nverting 5 sec. every minute at 68 deg. Although my results are VERY preliminary I have to admit I'm disappointed. The tonal gradation is very nice though it seems more compressed towards the shadows and a bit expanded on the highlights. The real kicker though is a slight 'softness' and in my opinion lack of overall acutance. As I mentioned in my previous post my favorite combo for 4x5 B&W is Tri-X in HC-110 and while I made the TMX negs I also exposed four sheet of Tri-X to use as a reference. I should be able to print the Tri-X negs by the weekend. To be fair I should wait to print the Tri-X negs before making any subjective comparisons. Of course, TXT vs. TMX is comparing apples to oranges, but it will be a very interesting from the point of view of the 'classic' emulsions vs. the T-Grain emulsions. Initially, though, I find the TMX prints to be too 'soft' to my liking from 4x5 negs.

I'm curious, there must be a following of 4x5 TMX users out there, what are your results, methods, what type of photography (landscape, architecture) do you find best suits TMX? My main interest is in landscapes, if you use TMX to good effect here I'd very much appreciate your feedback.

-- Any (akkup@mindspring.com), August 22, 2001.


Oops, that's Andy, not Any!

-- Andy (akkup@mindspring.com), August 22, 2001.

I think one reason for an apparent softness with TMX and Rodinol when using a JOBO or other motorized processor is the continuous agitation. Using Rodinol at high dilutions (1-75 or 1-100) agitate gently for the first minute the five to ten seconds per minute, but do not touch the tank between agitations. The edge effect that comes with Rodinol will not happen with continuous agiation. Brief agitation and complete rest between cycles in needed.

Frank

-- Frank Calidonna (cemeteryman@clarityconnect.com), September 03, 2001.



With respect, Daniel, I believe I gave you some times for TMax in Rodinal 1:50over a year ago.

Kind regards

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), September 04, 2001.


I think we tend to run in circles. many times I will re-discover something that I had been fond of, just out of the desire to try something new. TMX in Rodinal is indeed outstanding, but I have found the grain is too excessive with TMY. in my attempts to find the *one* do-all developer, I went back to Ilfosol S. I have a friend who soups everything in HC110 and never varies. I use many film types, from TMX to Kodak Aerographic 2424 infrared. it would be lovely to standardize on one or two developers, but the engineer in me always peeks around the corner for something just a little more golden. know what I mean? the elusive Holy Grail .. which I thought was Xtol, till she let me down too many times. like an old girlfriend of mine, when she was good, she was very, very, good. when she was bad ....

the search continues ...

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), September 04, 2001.


Yes, Daniel, I do much the same. TMax in Rodinal was my benchmark for a long time, then I managed to find a source for PMK Pyro, in which Delta 100 and Pan F+ seemed to do very well (but both films seemed to have intermittent quality problems). Then I tried DiXactol with a range of films, and most recently I have been using Fuji Acros 4x5 quickloads in PMK, which looks like a new benchmark.

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), September 05, 2001.

Daniel, I also love tmax films and also find that not many people like tmy in all these forums. I have searched (in a very un- scientific way) for some time for a good and easy developer choice for it and I have ended where I started: tmax developer, but at 1+9 instead of 1+4, doubling standard reported times in the bottle. At 1+9 it keeps the beautiful look of the grain and increases apparent acutance, which was my main problem. Rodinal gives too much grain for tmy in my opinion, not a big issue with tmx where it works better I think. Ilfosol-s gives a very rich tonality with both films, but maybe too rich. Anyway, I have decided to stop searching and start taking photos.

-- Miguel Jiménez (miguel.jimenez@oecd.org), October 11, 2001.

TMX in FX-2 is amazing for very long-scale gradation with contrasty light, royally rich silvery tones and "no grain", however acutance is less than X-tol. As an all-rounder have you tried HP5+ in PMK, nice mid-tone expansion, high acutance, good highlight seperation, etc. (I've found Rodinal with TMX 120 had compressed and depressed mid- tones, Rodinal-Special has "better" gradation, more like the D76/Verichrome look). Anyone tried TMX in "Studional" ?

-- dennis paterson (djpaterson@bigpond.com), October 11, 2001.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ