I just looked at the archives and see a good bit of conflicting information on the subject.

The spec inside the box of Tri-X says to use 6 minutes at 20 C with TMAX developer for both ASA 400 and 800 ratings. Elsewhere here I read a general guideline which says to increase developing time by anywhere from 20% (1.2 minutes) to 1.5 minutes for a one stop push.

What's the real answer here?

-- Peter Schauss (schauss@worldnet.att.net), January 12, 2002

Answers

Peter, i suggest you test a roll first. i am not a fan of TMAX developer. i would guess that the highlights of the TX would blow out real easy. you might want to try using a different developer like HC- 110, it will allow you more control of the contrast. George

-- George (zbeeblebrox42@yahoo.com), January 13, 2002.

Definitely do a test roll for your conditions. I'm not a fan of TMax developer either but reading Kodak's promotional info on it, it seems to be specifically recomended for push processing. IMHO, agitation methods make as big a difference as the 20% time number, thus any recomendation is only a guess.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), January 13, 2002.

Hey Peter....I haven't used reg TMAX developer in a few years, but do use TMAX RS daily in a deeptank line....Tri-x is rated at 400/800 for RS as well. It's pretty punchy (hot) if you run it off the listed times ...those TMAX developers are geared around the T-Max family of films, and run those films great....trad. films tend to run a bit hot. We've worked out our own times for the films we shoot in-house (although I run other people's films off the kodak times mostly...they turn out okay-good enough...running somebody else's film is the big mystery always, just as long as you get close you're okay), but I suggest shooting a test roll and running it in your setup at the listed time & temp...and then tweaking the time by however much percent after that, based on what you need to cut or boost contrast....we found that we have to run tri-x at -25%, whereas TMX is closer to -10%. This is in a maintained tank though...so test it out. I'll bet you have to pull it though. TMY would be pretty good in it though....oh yeah we rate the film at 320EI.

-- DK Thompson (kthompson@moh.dcr.state.nc.us), January 16, 2002.