P3200 TMAX on D76 1:1

I checked the massive Dev chart. In D76 It offers at dilution 1:1 ISO 3200 68F a massive 18 min development time.
isn't this excessive ? Considering that the film is 3200 , why so long ? I want to double check before I ruin it

thx

Note that there are two versions of that film.
"T-MAX P3200 Professional" and "PROFESSIONAL T-MAX P3200", the times for the latter are about 5-10% longer than those of the former in TMax Developr and Tmax RS, but in D76 it's the former that has the longer developing times.

Decide which one you've got and use the times on the Datasheet.

(I've never user P3200, but I have used Delta3200 a lot, for that the common advice is to use the times for one stop faster than the EI you shot with. Not sure if that holds for P3200 too.)

Use the times Kodak recommends. They're good. That said, D-76 is just about the worst developer for Tmax 3200. You'll get far nicer tonality, finer grain, and more shadow detail if you use Tmax Developer. I've used both.

Kodak's data sheet recommends only D76 full strength @ 68F:
14 mins for "TMax P3200 Professional" shot at 3200
15 mins for "Professional TMax P3200" at 3200

So, D76 1:1 for 18 mins sounds reasonable, but you're taking a chance that the info on the Massive Dev chart is incorrect.

I only use the manufacturer's recommended time, or what I've determined is best from my own testing.

I'd try to find a collaborative source for the 1:1 dilution that agrees with Massive Dev Chart. Most of their times have been good as starting points for me with various chemistry and film combinations, but they do require tweaking on occasion. The Kodak times are the best bet. As far as whether D76 is a 'good choice' for P3200, that depends on the look you're going for and what your subject matter was. Some of my favorite shots that I've ever taken were hand-held P3200 at night pushed to ~12,800, processed in D76 because that's all my school had. The grain is huge, the tonality is great, and my depth of field was really shallow because it was close up portrait work. It all contributes to making images that look like a half-remembered dream and I love them. If you want something sharp, crisp, and really high contrast, TMAX developer is probably a better bet.

As a side note, let me know how it turns out. All P3200 is old at this point and not likely to be as sensitive as it was when it was fresh. I've got a few rolls from right around when it died and they've been in a fridge the entire time, but I have no idea if it'll be any better than shooting some messed up old TMY-2 400 speed at this point...lol

chriscrawfordphoto said:

Use the times Kodak recommends. They're good. That said, D-76 is just about the worst developer for Tmax 3200. You'll get far nicer tonality, finer grain, and more shadow detail if you use Tmax Developer. I've used both.

Click to expand...

Kodak times didn't work for me. They gave me thin negatives with both T-Max and Xtol. With both developers I had to increase development by about 20%.
Xtol seems to give much nicer tones and less crushed highlights than T-Max developer.
After sacrificing three test rolls I settled on EI 2500, xtol 1+1 22mins at 20 degrees.
This prints really nicely.

ericdan said:

Kodak times didn't work for me. They gave me thin negatives with both T-Max and Xtol. With both developers I had to increase development by about 20%.
Xtol seems to give much nicer tones and less crushed highlights than T-Max developer.
After sacrificing three test rolls I settled on EI 2500, xtol 1+1 22mins at 20 degrees.
This prints really nicely.

Click to expand...

My recommendation was for the original Tmax 3200; that post was before Kodak reintroduced the film. I have not tried the new version.

Just a question. What is the difference in nomenclature between old TMax 3200 and new Tmax 3200?

Thanks

pentxuser

I don't know. I've never got a chance to use the old one. Kodak says the new one is the same as the old one "only" reformulated to run on the smaller coating machines. I have no idea what that means. the technical data sheet gives the same development times as for the old film.
I take those times with a grain of salt anyhow. You just need to find your own recipe.