Developing Times: Kodak Tri-x 400

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cromatt

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Heya

I just shot with tri-x 400 for the first time and I developed it for 14 mins, agitating for 5 secs every minute... I read that on a forum but I'm not sure if that was too little or too long and if that was enough agitation. Can anyone help?

All my negatives are a bit on the dark side

Thanks
 

Rick A

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It depends on what ISO you shot at, and the developer you used. Where did you get your processing info? Did you look it up on the Massive Development Chart?
I prefer my negatives on the dark side , slightly over exposed and not over developed, unless I'm going to print using an alt process (salted paper, VDB, cyano, etc.).
 

ic-racer

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Print them and see. If they look good on #2 paper, keep using that seme time and temp. Otherwise increase or decrease by 20 %.
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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I used iso 400 with rodinal... But they're dark enough that it's difficult to see when they're in focus
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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And when I print they all come out out-of-focus but the negatives look sharp but that's probably a mix of me not shooting well enough and because I can't get a sharp image
 

guangong

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There are still too many unknowns: strength of Rodinal, temp, etc. as well as initial exposure conditions. I often use Rodinal for triX, but there are better developer choices for this film.
 
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And when I print they all come out out-of-focus but the negatives look sharp but that's probably a mix of me not shooting well enough and because I can't get a sharp image

Do you mean you can't focus the enlarger because the negatives are so dark? Is the aperture open, using no filters for focusing?
You might have overexposed the film. Overdevelopment of well exposed film usually leaves at least a few shadow areas not too dense.
Regarding the original question, makers of film as well as if developers put out data sheets with that information. Check web sites, usually you also find th linked on online shop description pages of the products.
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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Do you mean you can't focus the enlarger because the negatives are so dark? Is the aperture open, using no filters for focusing?
You might have overexposed the film. Overdevelopment of well exposed film usually leaves at least a few shadow areas not too dense.
Regarding the original question, makers of film as well as if developers put out data sheets with that information. Check web sites, usually you also find th linked on online shop description pages of the products.

Yeah, I messed up with using too little fixer as well... And yep, my enlarger is fully open and no filters but I think it's over exposed... I shot outside with 400 iso at 500 SS cos I figured better to stay with that.
If it's over exposed, should I under develop?
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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There are still too many unknowns: strength of Rodinal, temp, etc. as well as initial exposure conditions. I often use Rodinal for triX, but there are better developer choices for this film.
Rodinal was 50+1, 18 degrees - but I've heard a bit of negativity around Rodinal
 

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I assume you have used other films with Rodinal and got good results. The massive development charts list TriX shot at 400 in Rodinal 1:50 for 13 minutes, if the massive development chart is to be believed looks like you over developed by a full stop. Still you should be able to print without much to much troubles. I know that are those who like trix and Rodinal combo, it is not my choice too much grain for my taste. I use D76, F76+ or Xtol.
 

pentaxuser

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Is a print out of focus and if so is it all out of focus or only parts? If it's in parts only then it sounds like your depth of field was not sufficient to cover everything in the scene Is the grain in the negative sharp?If it is then your enlarger is in focus.

In terms of the dark negatives we need to see digital pictures of those negative. Dark negatives is too vague a description

If you developed according to the maker's time for your developer then your agitation is about right or certainly not wrong enough to create a problem

pentaxuser
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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I assume you have used other films with Rodinal and got good results. The massive development charts list TriX shot at 400 in Rodinal 1:50 for 13 minutes, if the massive development chart is to be believed looks like you over developed by a full stop. Still you should be able to print without much to much troubles. I know that are those who like trix and Rodinal combo, it is not my choice too much grain for my taste. I use D76, F76+ or Xtol.

Yep, definitely agree about the grain. Thanks for the help
 

MattKing

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Is it possible that you still have silver that needs to be removed from the film? You can always toss them back into the fixer, rewash and dry.

+1 - and if this is the case, it would contribute to the results appearing un-sharp.
 

madNbad

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Lately, I’ve been using Rollei One Shot R09 to develop Tri-X. At 1:25 for seven minutes at 20C. It gives pretty good results but as Paul Howell mentioned, prominent grain. I found adding time to the fixer helps, I’m using Ilford Rapid Fix but have almost doubled the time. Mostly, I’m just trying to use what’s left in the bottle before going back to HC-110 at 1:47.
 
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cromatt

cromatt

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Lately, I’ve been using Rollei One Shot R09 to develop Tri-X. At 1:25 for seven minutes at 20C. It gives pretty good results but as Paul Howell mentioned, prominent grain. I found adding time to the fixer helps, I’m using Ilford Rapid Fix but have almost doubled the time. Mostly, I’m just trying to use what’s left in the bottle before going back to HC-110 at 1:47.

Thanks!
 

madNbad

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Here's an example. Leica M4, 28 2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH, Kodak Tri-X, R09:




Also, I'm camera scanning but the image has very little adjustment.
 

VinceInMT

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Also on the fixer, I save the exposed and undeveloped tongue off the roll of 35mm and place it in some fixer and agitate it, timing how long it takes to clear It. That tells me the condition of my fixer and the minimum time I need to fix my film.
 

runswithsizzers

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I usually check processing times on the Massive Developement Chart, but only as a last resort. I would prefer to go with times proved by either the film manufacturer or the developer manfacturer, if available.

In this example - Tri-X in Rodinal - Kodak is no help because they provide data only for Kodak chemistry. As for "Rodinal" there are several manufacturers, and I am not sure how much (if any) they may be different. I have a Technical Data Sheet from AgfaPhoto dated 11/2004 that suggests Tri-X should get 14 minutes at 20*c in Rodinal at 1+50 dilution.

The label for R09 One Shot (Connect Chemicals/compard KG) is also showing 14 minutes for Tri-X at 20*c in a 1+50 dilution.
 

Paul Howell

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At least with your camera 14 minutes is just too much time. You can shoot a ring around to find what ISO to shoot your Trix at. Get a short roll of TriX, 24 exposures, in open shade, a swath of white cloth, a white sweater works find, then a black swath of cloth, another black sweater. A person with Caucasian zone VI skin tones, if possible a 18% gray card. Start with ISO 25, shoot a frame, the cover the lens and shoot a repeat for 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200. Then find an outdoor scene, late afternoon broad range of light vales, repeat with last 10 frame, this time shoot 100, 200, 400 and 800. Develop at manufactures recommended time. Standard stop, fix, wash and dry. Print a contact sheet using your usual time for a negative that prints well. After it dries look for the ISO that results in texture in both the black zone III, then look at the white cloth for zone VII, skin tones zone VI and and the gray card zone V. At this stage you are looking for detail in the black cloth this sets your personalized ISO, if zone VII lacks detail and are blocked, or if the skin tone is off you will need to reduce development time until you find the time that gives you white cloth with texture in zone VII. If on the other hand zone VII and the models skin tones are flat you will need to increase development time. Your final personalized ISO should give a proper retention of your out door scene.

In most cases your personal ISO will be within a stop of box speed.
 

Sirius Glass

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I usually check processing times on the Massive Developement Chart, but only as a last resort. I would prefer to go with times proved by either the film manufacturer or the developer manfacturer, if available.
lso showing 14 minutes for Tri-X at 20*c in a 1+50 dilution.

While at times the Massive Development Chart is accurate, I have found enough randomly occurring errors to get my data from the film manufacturer or the developer manufacturer first, Photrio next and the Massive Development Chart twelfth.
 

RalphLambrecht

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It depends on what ISO you shot at, and the developer you used. Where did you get your processing info? Did you look it up on the Massive Development Chart?
I prefer my negatives on the dark side , slightly over exposed and not over developed, unless I'm going to print using an alt process (salted paper, VDB, cyano, etc.).

the MDC gives very workable times and sensitivities for Tri-X.
 

Bill Burk

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Heya

I just shot with tri-x 400 for the first time and I developed it for 14 mins, agitating for 5 secs every minute... I read that on a forum but I'm not sure if that was too little or too long and if that was enough agitation. Can anyone help?

All my negatives are a bit on the dark side

Thanks

Did you use D-76 1:1? If so the negatives should be perfect. Just caught up with the thread, Rodinal 1:50 18-degrees 14 minutes. Still sounds right.

Your camera’s 500 might be slow. Still the photos should be great
 
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