Suggestions for Tri-X developer

[JohnArs]

I soup all my films in XTOL and like the results very much!
Gives me very fine grain and very good sharpness and for portraits I like it!
Test it and look never back!

 

[fschifano]

OK, I'm going to put my 2 cents in here. I don't really see much point in using Microdol-X any more. Film grain is not nearly what it was when this developer was the thing to use. Used full strength, you loose about 1 stop of film speed. At EI 200, you are getting mighty close to the speed of Plus-X (125) and the results will not be nearly as nice. You loose some sharpness as well, and the grain that shows is a bit mushed up. Dilute Microdol-X 1+3 and you gain back film speed, but you loose the fine grain effect.

D-76 (ID-11 for you Ilford fans,) on the other hand can give you full film speed when used either full strength or diluted 1+1. The usual effects are present. Finer grain (not as fine as full strength Microdol-X) is to be had with the undiluted stock solution. Grain goes up a tiny bit if you dilute it 1+1.

Best of the bunch for normal processing is XTOL for me. You can have your cake and eat it too with this brew. Grain is less apparent than with D-76, images are a little sharper, and you get a mild speed boost when used either full strength or diluted.

If push processing is your thing, then try some Diafine. Being a two part developer, it works very well for images exposed under contrasty, but low, light and gives a real speed boost up to about EI 1250 or 1600. It does not work well for normally exposed Tri-X.

 

[AZLF]

The bright bark and background pulls my eye away from the head growing out of the tree. I think a head and shoulders shot would have been a better referenced shot.

I hear what you are saying and I can at least partially agree. Perhaps because I know the woman I happen to like this shot and expression. But there are other shots on the roll that are more in line with your suggestion. When I get them scanned or printed I will post a few of the other shots.

 

[AZLF]

TXP is finer grained and designed to be a portrait film. It has been stated many times here in the forum.

Lay back dude.... :rolleyes: Who designated you to be the thread economy police? I have not read every thread in every subject on this site. Nor do I plan on doing so. Thankfully there are many others who are not so pissy and I am grateful to all of them. I've gotten some solid advice from people who have more experience with the film and various developers than my own. And I will now have the pleasure of experimenting with the suggested solutions. Sounds like a good thing to me.

 

[CLAPhoto]

Kinda hard to shoot Tri-X at EI 400 if you're going to process in Diafine, guys. And it is a contrast reducer - low contrast scenes go flat. But I agree that it is tops in available-light - great combo.

The OP never said anything about iso 400 so this is why I voted for Diafine as it's my fav combo

 

[Petzi]

Lay back dude.... :rolleyes: Who designated you to be the thread economy police? I have not read every thread in every subject on this site. Nor do I plan on doing so. Thankfully there are many others who are not so pissy and I am grateful to all of them.

:confused: ?????

 

[Saganich]

I agree with the Wiggy and the person who said to identify what your not liking. The example you posted, to my eye, is under exposed and over developed, or not exposed and develped in the way you would like. I say that because some folks have made a nice living underexposing and overdeveloping film. I've found that most developers have a wide range of possibilities with a few common limitations. Whatever film/developer combinations you use will have to be domesticated to your particular exposure habits. When trying a new developer I first check for speed loss, then find my normal developement time which most of the time is quite different from the recommended time. I always keep my eyes on how the shadows print out and feed that back to ASA adjustment if necessary and try to keep my exposure habits consistent.