Kodak 100TMX in 4x5.

[Keith Tapscott.]

Although I use Ilford B&W films for my 35mm and medium format cameras, I bought a Kodak Readyload holder this week along with a pack of T-Max 100 Readyloads for convenience when using my 4x5 camera.
Now that I have bought the Readyload holder and the film, I was wondering if there are any regular users of 100TMX out there who have any hints and tips for getting the best out of this film for traditional silver gelatin print enlargements?

Cheers.

 

[waynecrider]

Do a TMX, TMY search and you should find a few threads concerning developers. Lot's of opinions but from what I have read, D76 and especially XTOL come out on top. I myself have used TFX2 with TMX and have yet to print it as I just got my neg carrier, but the negs look very good. There are many others out there already well versed with this film and they should show up here real soon.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I've currently been shooting 4x5 Tmax 100 since last October. I quickly zeroed in with D76 1+1, as opposed to undiluted and/or 1+3.

I run a diffused DeVere colour enlarger and find I get extremely good negs rating the film at 50 ASA. These negs are printing on grade(s) 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 filtration, this is a paper grade value which makes it easy to go slightly harder or softer without running out of filtration possibilities.

I might add though that the film I'm using has a use by date of 1992.

My previous use of this exact same film batch, which was when the film was still not date expired. In those days I was rating the film at 80 ASA and looking back at the old negatives and my development recordings it appears that the film is providing almost identical results. One of the good things about being meticulous with recording your processes!

I had 4 x 100 sheet boxes of this film and I'm onto my last box now.

Two weeks ago I developed some 4x5 Tmax 100 for another photographer. She is currently using freshly bought film. Her rating of the film is 64 ASA and we developed it in D76 1+1 and undiluted. The verdict was 1+1 for her.

Film developed in a Jobo CPE2 with times of 9'45" with the fresh film and 10'45" with the old film.

Mick.

 

[MVNelson]

I think 100Tmax in Ilford DDX 1+6 is great, near box iso. Caveat, tmax100 can get away from you on the high values so test before you get too involved with serious stuff. 100Tmax in Pyrocat-mc in BTZS tubes is @ 50 e.i. is very nice and great highlight control also. Again do some testing of your own....

 

[Kilgallb]

I shoot TMX 100 4x5 at ASA 50. I develop in D76 in a unicolor roller drum.

I find you can easily increase contrast (N+1 or N+2) but reduction (N-1) is possible but a little difficult. The film is very poor performer when under exposed.

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Keith,

I'm a long-time user of TMX; it is, in fact, my favorite film whether in 35mm, 120, or 4 x 5.

I basically agree with Killgallb, except that I use a Chromega drum, usually rate TMX a little higher, and use T-Max Developer at a 1:7 dilution. My usual time is 9-10 minutes for "normal." I back off a minute or so with high-contrast shots, especially for the continuous agitation of 4 x 5 in the drum. Contrary to many others, I have not had any particular problems with high values, but I agree that avoiding underexposure with TMX is highly recommended.

Konical

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Although I use Ilford B&W films for my 35mm and medium format cameras, I bought a Kodak Readyload holder this week along with a pack of T-Max 100 Readyloads for convenience when using my 4x5 camera.
Now that I have bought the Readyload holder and the film, I was wondering if there are any regular users of 100TMX out there who have any hints and tips for getting the best out of this film for traditional silver gelatin print enlargements?

Cheers.

I shoot 100TMX in 4x5 sheet film and I also shoot it in 120 and 35mm rollfilm. I develop it in Pyrocat-HD and Pyrocat-MC. 100TMX stains well in Pyrocat and responds well to high dilutions of Pyrocat and to minimal agitation techniques.

Current production lots of TMX sheet film incorporate a UV filter and this can effect printing processes which require that the negative transmit UV light.

See:
Dead Link Removed

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

I`ve downloaded the technical information from the Kodak site and I will expose some sheets when the weather improves and do a `Ringaround`to find the optimum lightmeter setting. It is interesting that Konical is using T-Max developer even for the 4x5 film sheets as T-MaxRS is usually recommended instead. Also interesting is the use of D-76 diluted 1+1 which I use for processing HP5 Plus and other Ilford films.
The use of a liquid developer does appeal to me, again for convenience.
I certainly agree with avoiding under exposure with any negative material.
Thanks to all who replied.

 

[haryanto]

I use Tmx at EI 80, Pyrocat MC, 1:1:100, 24minutes, agitations at first minute and at 16 and 8, got very good results, like Tom said, it's stain very well

but I prefer Ilford FP4 in PMC results

 

[Konical]

Good Morning, Keith,

"It is interesting that Konical is using T-Max developer even for the 4x5 film sheets as T-MaxRS is usually recommended instead."

When the T-Max films were introduced years ago, I started processing them in either D-76 or HC-110B (can't recall which right now) and got fine results. When the T-Max Developer became available, I started using it and have found it highly satisfactory and very handy. Its only drawback is that it's a bit expensive, but I don't process large amounts, so that is not a problem. I know, of course, that Kodak does not recommend the standard T-Max Developer for sheet film, but, again years ago, I failed to notice that admonition on the bottle; the stuff was working fine for me with 4 x 5, and by the time I did notice the warning,there didn't seem to be much sense in bothering with the RS version. (Some users apparently have had problems with some kind of deposit or sludge on sheet film processed in regular T-Max.) I haven't experienced that, so I stick with the regular stuff for all formats.

Konical

 

[MikeM1977]

Although I use Ilford B&W films for my 35mm and medium format cameras, I bought a Kodak Readyload holder this week along with a pack of T-Max 100 Readyloads for convenience when using my 4x5 camera.
Now that I have bought the Readyload holder and the film, I was wondering if there are any regular users of 100TMX out there who have any hints and tips for getting the best out of this film for traditional silver gelatin print enlargements?

Cheers.

I shot a bunch of TMX 4x5 developed in Rodinal. I was using an ISO of 64.

 

[waynecrider]

I must say that using TFX2 I see the ability to get slightly higher speed, but then non-solvent developers do act that way with a lot of films. More testing is to be done.