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Favorite Developer for Tmax 400?

haziz

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Jul 3, 2004
Messages
243
Location
Massachusetts
Format
Multi Format
So what is your favorite developer for T-Max 400 (TMY2). Would ideally prefer to be able to shoot it at or close to box speed. Output is both scanned as well as wet printed. This is mainly in 35 mm and 120 format, mainly handheld work.


Thanks.

Sincerely,

Hany.
 
XTOL straight 120 and 135

Box speed

Steve
 
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Replenished XTOL & Replenished Edwal 12.
 
Hmmm ... do I see a pattern here?
 
Pyrocat-HD gives it a bump more character.
 
I love my TMY2 120 in Rodinal 5:900 with a minimal agitation technique. I rate the film at 250 and shadows where I want detail go on Zone 4 - so maybe too slow for your needs.
 
Xtol 1+1

uses less xtol and you can choose the water temp to average with the develop temp to get things just the right temperature really easily.
 
i am still using tmy 400,
haven't run out yet so i don't have tmy2 ..
but i will answer anyways ...
i just processed 20 sheets ...
ansco130 1:6 mixed into caffenolC
let stand in fr tanks for 22mins.

other than caf130 the only other film developer
i would use is sprint film developer ...
 

Hey, no one is backing up their suggestions with a reason (Ok, I didn't either).
But my recommendation of T-max developer is based on the fact that he wants to shoot close to box speed. T-max developer has the best activity at the toe than just about any other developer.
 
Nowadays, I am using TMAX400 as my prefer 35 mm film. I use HC110, concentration E (1:47), 8 minutes, EI 250, 20º C. I develop by hand, and I get the following densities:
Zone I: 0.10
Zone V: 0.66
Zone VIII: 1.25
Henry.
 
Shawn Dougherty said:
I love my TMY2 120 in Rodinal 5:900 with a minimal agitation technique. I rate the film at 250 and shadows where I want detail go on Zone 4 - so maybe too slow for your needs.
Click to expand...

Shawn:

Unless the OP plans to contact print his negs on silver chloride paper, don't you think such a development regimen would yield overly dense negatives? Do you enlarge your 120 negatives?
 
First of all, I expect anyone would be fine tuning whatever they use as a starting point to better suit their needs. Maybe my n-1 dilution of 1:200 might end up being the best N time for him?

Secondly, by using Rodinal I avoid stain (and being a new emulsion it is thinner so I'm not developing so "deeply" into it as with the older emulsions like SXX). As this method is targeted to grade 3 it's really not that dense in the highlights. I also print these negs, as contacts, on enlarging paper with beautiful results, usually at grade 2.5 or so.

Lastly, if you plan to scan negs for any reason the lack of stain will help out there as well.

As I do not work with any alt processes (requiring the denser neg and stain) I feel that this method really is a great multi-purpose developing system when addressing the combination of - silver chloride, silver gelatin and scanning.

Edit: Yes, occasionally I make enlargements which seem to print well around a straight grade 2.
 
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I make 2 exposures...one I develop 2:2:100 in pyro mc for plat/azo and the other in xtol 1:1 for normal silver...I also use the xtol negs for making enlarged negatives onto xray dupe film for alt process
Best, Peter
 
I tested TMAX @ 1+4 and it was great, will test another developers later in the future when i shoot more TMAX film.
 
I have started printing from 20 rolls of 120 TMY-2 developed in Pyrocat-HD. The results are stunning, in my opinion. Rodinal has been my choice for years with the slower films, but for handheld I like the above combination, 1:1:100.

I don't use a meter, but do not sense a loss of speed with Pyrocat-HD. I believe that Sandy suggested a slight increase in speed. I only do silver printing.
 
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