reducing negs

[kwit]

i have ten 4x5 black and white tri-x negs
that were over exposed (not over developed) a few stops
the subject matter was an outdoor snow scene on an overcast day last winter
so the negatives have more highlight density areas than shadow detail areas
but both are equally important
i need to reduce the over exposure density equally
but i do not need to reduce the contrast
anybody have any experience with these photographers formulary products ?
reducer for negatives 2
vs
reducer for negatives 3
i'm not sure which to use in this situation
and would appreciate feedback
from anybody with experience using both products
thanks for your help

 

[Rudeofus]

From what I have read, reducers are a trial and error thing, so you would not want to use them on valuable negatives before you fully understand what they will likely do to them.

Are you 100% sure that these negs are so dense that you can't print through them? It's not like a 4x5 negative needs all that much enlargement ...

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Replicate the 'problem' with a couple more 4x5 Tri-X negatives and work with them before you start working on the actual negatives.

The risk you run is that the bleach will affect the shadow tones more than you want it to, while having a less profound effect on the denser highlights. That would mean an increase in contrast, which is what you are not wanting to achieve.

That's why it's a good idea to do some testing before taking a nose dive into it.