Developers for TMY2

[lawrenceimpey]

I hand process, each agitation every minute is only ONE very gentile inversion

Sorry but this just isn't kosher

 

[lawrenceimpey]

Probably would have been simpler to ask which developers do NOT work with TMY-2!

Thanks but I didn't ask which developers 'work' with TMY2, I asked which will give the kind of result I am looking for.

 

[lawrenceimpey]

have you tried plain D76at1+1?

No I haven't. I had assumed that it would be similar to Xtol but from some of the replies here maybe I was wrong. One combination that hasn't been mentioned so far is what we might call 'Roxtol', which is Xtol spiked with Rodinal. That appeals because I already have both developers, so I intend to try it. If anyone has experience of Roxtol with TMY2 (times, dilutions etc) I'd be interested to hear about it.

 

[StoneNYC]

No I haven't. I had assumed that it would be similar to Xtol but from some of the replies here maybe I was wrong. One combination that hasn't been mentioned so far is what we might call 'Roxtol', which is Xtol spiked with Rodinal. That appeals because I already have both developers, so I intend to try it. If anyone has experience of Roxtol with TMY2 (times, dilutions etc) I'd be interested to hear about it.

I've never heard about this, I thought they were different types of developers such that they wouldn't function the same together but I don't know enough about chemistry to know if that's right at all.

And, sorry I'm a terrible speller...

 

[removed account4]

No I haven't. I had assumed that it would be similar to Xtol but from some of the replies here maybe I was wrong. One combination that hasn't been mentioned so far is what we might call 'Roxtol', which is Xtol spiked with Rodinal. That appeals because I already have both developers, so I intend to try it. If anyone has experience of Roxtol with TMY2 (times, dilutions etc) I'd be interested to hear about it.

i don't have experience with rodinal ( have never used it ) and i can't stand xtol
but here's an article on the unblinkingeye with a little information about mixing them
http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Rodinal/rodinal.html

i guess a little info / starting point is better than none ?

have fun !
john

 

[baachitraka]

With Rodinal it will be sharp and GRAINY for any 400 film, which I personally like.

Before mixing Rodinal + Xtol, I prefer to stay with one developer and try out different dilution, agitation and time and that together with one paper.

* I once mixed Atomal 49 stock + 2ml of Rodinal to develop Delta 3200(no idea about E.I)

 

[MattKing]

And, sorry I'm a terrible speller...

Happy Hanukkah anyways.

 

[StoneNYC]

Happy Hanukkah anyways.

Thanks, I don't celebrate anymore since I stopped dating the Jewish ex, I'm a product of a catholic mother and a Protestant father... So I'm eclectic Christian / pagan... Of course...

 

[MattKing]

Thanks, I don't celebrate anymore since I stopped dating the Jewish ex, I'm a product of a catholic mother and a Protestant father... So I'm eclectic Christian / pagan... Of course...

But are you gentle, or gentile

 

[StoneNYC]

But are you gentle, or gentile

Depends on if you're talking religion it sex...

 

[PKM-25]

But are you gentle, or gentile

Genital....

I get great accutance from TMY in 35mm with HC110 but stick to Xtol 1:1 for 4x5.

 

[StoneNYC]

Genital....

I get great accutance from TMY in 35mm with HC110 but stick to Xtol 1:1 for 4x5.

Wait, Dan, why do you switch for 4x5? What's the benefit?

 

[timor]

Wait, Dan, why do you switch for 4x5? What's the benefit?

Same ?? here.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

TMY-2 really is exceptionally fine grained for being an ISO 400 film. It has similar grain to FP4+, but I find it sharper. Amazing.

If you find the silky smooth results of Xtol too smooth and Rodinal too grainy, then you are a very picky individual. The two developers are different in more ways than one, where Xtol gives amazing shadow speed, and Rodinal less so, Xtol compensates the highlights and shine where light hits the object directly, while Rodinal is extremely powerful and will continue to develop a straight line forever and a day until you run out of range and way way beyond. That means different tonality, which is another reason why Rodinal might seem grainier.
In my comparisons between Rodinal and Xtol for TMY-2 I haven't found Rodinal to be that much more grainy, though, once I've used negatives developed to the same contrast. The main difference was in tonality.

If you like sharp, honest grain, there are no better developers than Crawley's FX-37 or Paterson FX-39. They are amazingly sharp but gives a really clear grain that is beautiful.

If you want something middle of the road, the suggestions for HC-110 and D76 1+1 are going to give you something in between Xtol and Rodinal. Xtol I find is actually as sharp as Rodinal where HC-110 and D76 are not, but if you don't mind a bit of lost sharpness then those two are very strong candidates.
Please note that if you take Xtol and mix it 1+3, you'll retain all the sharpness and will add some grain in your negatives, and the negatives are very close to what replenished Xtol looks like, but you get a bit of a bump in grain.

 

[MattKing]

Wait, Dan, why do you switch for 4x5? What's the benefit?

Dan can correct me if I am wrong, but I expect it is because the larger format removes any concern he has about there being too much grain.

 

[PKM-25]

Wait, Dan, why do you switch for 4x5? What's the benefit?

I find using rotary processing 4x5 with Xtol to give similar results as hand agitated 35mm in HC110. Xtol still yields finer grain and I like the little extra punch of HC110 in my 35mm work, this largely subject driven.

 

[StoneNYC]

Dan can correct me if I am wrong, but I expect it is because the larger format removes any concern he has about there being too much grain.

That still doesn't explain switching developers...

 

[TareqPhoto]

Strange, if you talk about 120 or LF then shooting with TMY-2 is a lot of fun, this film is my top favorite 400iso film, i used Ilfosol 3, TMAX, D76 and last HC-110, with all i get great results for TMY-2, i feel it is hard to screw up this film with any developer, so i really don't know why you can't get good with this film and XTOL.

I have XTOL pack never used, i left it for the future when i have enough film to process and when i am confident enuf with film, but i expect XTOL can do almost same as or even better than TMAX or HC-110, if not then not worse either.

 

[StoneNYC]

I find using rotary processing 4x5 with Xtol to give similar results as hand agitated 35mm in HC110. Xtol still yields finer grain and I like the little extra punch of HC110 in my 35mm work, this largely subject driven.

Hey Dan, thanks, somehow I missed that you replied, makes sense now.

 

[pbromaghin]

Will I be mucking it up if I process any of the tmax films in a gentle roller with tmax developer? It seems to have worked so far.

 

[StoneNYC]

Will I be mucking it up if I process any of the tmax films in a gentle roller with tmax developer? It seems to have worked so far.

Roller as in processor? As in continuous agitation? Then use the continuous agitation times...

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Will I be mucking it up if I process any of the tmax films in a gentle roller with tmax developer? It seems to have worked so far.

No.