Pushing 800: A Matching Activity

meltronic · Mar 19, 2006

I'd like to know which 400 film and developer pushes to 800 with the best (fine-grain) results. Here are the films available to me (in 120 size) in Osaka:

Fujifilm Presto 400
Kodak Tri-X and T-Max 400
Ilford HP5+ and Delta 400
Foma Action 400

And here are the developers:

Fuji Super Prodol and Super Fujidol
Ilford ID-11 (my standard)
Kodak T-Max, D-76, HC110, X-tol
Forte (can't remember the name)

Which combo do you recommend? I'm shooting in flourescent light, if that has any bearing.

Thanks, Matt

dancqu · Mar 19, 2006

meltronic said:
I'd like to know which 400 film and developer
pushes to 800 ... I'm shooting in flourescent light,
if that has any bearing.
Thanks, Matt

It has bearing if you are using a filter over lens. The
push to 800 could be plus or minus some and there
by affect a choice of film/developer combination.
For color fidelity chose a film with
best red response. Dan

eddym · Mar 20, 2006

I have pushed Tri-X and HP5 for many years, both to 800 and 1600 (and for HP5, sometimes 3200). Of the developers you list, I'd recommend HC110. Can't comment on the other films, but these two are classics; great films and very flexible. You can also push with ID11, but I prefer HC110 or Ilfotec HC (my standard), if you can get it.

--Eddy

df cardwell · Mar 20, 2006

Kodak TMY / Ilford Delta 400.

XTOL for maximum speed, long smooth scale... TMAX for more contrast.

With either film, in either developer, EI 800 is easy.

fschifano · Mar 20, 2006

TMY in XTOL. Apparently the folks at Kodak don't even consider an EI fo 800 to be a push. They publish the same development times for EI 400 or EI 800.

Paul Howell · Mar 20, 2006

For Tri X Acufine or Dinafine. For TMAX DDX or Dinafine. I pushed Forma Action with HC110 with very good results, maintained shadow detail well.

VedranRapo · Mar 20, 2006

i have used t-max and tri x @ 800 asa, with both t-max developer and d76... results were ok ... a bit bettet i would say t-max 400 and t-max developer... also t-max400 and d76 got me nice results... tri X is a contrasty film, with pushing it got even more ... a bit to much for me...

meltronic · Mar 21, 2006

Great responses, thanks everyone! I want to try X-Tol, but it only comes in a 5 liter (or is it gallons?) package. Either way I don't have a big enough mixing/storage vessel. Since there are so many feasible film options, I guess I'll start with T-Max. It's the cheapest film now (290 yen a roll versus 300 for Tri-X versus 400 for Ilford). Alas, Agfapan was only 215 yen per roll.

VedranRapo · Mar 21, 2006

it is goint to be ok, ...

mario Ag+ · Mar 21, 2006

Go for the HP5+/ID 11 combo

Donald Qualls · Mar 22, 2006

Both Tri-X and TMY can be exposed at EI 800 with no change in development and give acceptable negatives. Likely the same is true of HP5+ and Delta 400, Foma Action 400, and Fuji Presto 400. You're simply underexposing one stop, and practically all B&W negative films will let you get away with that.

Failing that, XTOL at 1+1 is probably the best developer for pushing without excessive grain increase, of those on your list I'm at all familiar with; XTOL stock and D-76 or ID-11 stock would be close behind. I've shot Tri-X at 800 and gotten excellent results in HC-110 Dilution F (1+79), however.

kunihiko · Mar 22, 2006

I don't usualy comment on a developer which isn't available world widly, but since you are in Japan, I would say "Neopan 400 presto in Fujidol E".

meltronic · Mar 23, 2006

Hmmm. Thanks everyone for the advice. SOunds like it's just no big deal whatever I choose, but lots of X-tolers out there. I'll have to give it a shot. Kunihiko, I actually have never tried the Fuji developers, but I use Neopan 400 as my standard film for 120. Do you know the diffenrence between Fujidol-E and other Fujidol/Prodol products?

kunihiko · Mar 23, 2006

Hi Matt,
It could sound surprising for those who don't have access to the Fuji developers, they have many types of them. Super Prodol, Minidol, Finedol, Fujidol E, Super Fujidol-L, New Artdol, Microfine, Neo Prodol.
Three of them - Microfine, Fujidol E and Super Prodol(SPD) are very popular and widely available in local camera shops.
Microfine is a fine grain developer like Microdol-X of Kodak.
Fujidol-E is the standard of Fuji developers which gives fine grain and good sharpness. It's a vitamine C developer much like XTOL, very good for normal use and pushing.
Super Prodol(commonly called SPD) is designed to work with replenisher. It's also being used as pushing developer, but I've never thought it's good for that purpose. I do prefer Fujidol E for pushing. I use ILFORD Microphen for hard push, though.
Though I personaly mix and use PC-TEA and Pyrocat-HD for normal use, when I use pre-mixed product Fujidol E does almost everything what I need to do.
XTOL is as nice as Fujidol E, I think.

Pushing 800: A Matching Activity

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