T-grain film?

I just placed orders for 400 feet of Kodak 35mm T-grain film (2 x TMX, 2 x TMY2), so I guess my opinions are clear.

That being said, I'm going to have to work a bit to adapt from Plus-X to the TMX

MattKing said:

I just placed orders for 400 feet of Kodak 35mm T-grain film (2 x TMX, 2 x TMY2), so I guess my opinions are clear.

That being said, I'm going to have to work a bit to adapt from Plus-X to the TMX

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Adapting from PX to TMX is much easier than TX to TMY. TMX has a pretty traditional curve shape in every developer I've used. I like all 4 films mentioned, but TX and TMY are both great films in contrary sort of ways leading to a lot of controversy and accusations. TX works best for me most of the time, while Plus-x is the easiest for me to do without (just traded my last 100' for TMY).

Mark Crabtree said:

Adapting from PX to TMX is much easier than TX to TMY. TMX has a pretty traditional curve shape in every developer I've used. I like all 4 films mentioned, but TX and TMY are both great films in contrary sort of ways leading to a lot of controversy and accusations. TX works best for me most of the time, while Plus-x is the easiest for me to do without (just traded my last 100' for TMY).

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Thanks Mark

I have shot TMX a bit before, but until recently my choices were Plus-X and TMY.

I have a little bit of 35mm Plus-X left, along with a bit more 120 Plus-X. With my recent purchases, I will have both Plus-X and TMX on hand in both formats to do some comparisons.

I'll have to do a bit of boring work, but an excuse to take more photos is never a bad thing.

MattKing said:

Thanks Mark

I have shot TMX a bit before, but until recently my choices were Plus-X and TMY.

I have a little bit of 35mm Plus-X left, along with a bit more 120 Plus-X. With my recent purchases, I will have both Plus-X and TMX on hand in both formats to do some comparisons.

I'll have to do a bit of boring work, but an excuse to take more photos is never a bad thing.

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I ended up with some TMX in a bulk loader I bought a little while ago, really good stuff, I would say personally that would be my favorite kodak B&W emulsion. Unfortunately it competes with a gazillion other 100 speed films. But it's really nice.

Michael R 1974 said:

Just be careful what you read. You'll find a lot of misinformation about tabular films, things for which there is no evidence but repetition. Examples include the notion they do not render highlight details as well as conventional films, or that they require much more careful processing. Etc.

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I'm with you on this.
Repetitions and newbies sounding like experts really pollute the web.

"Not silver-rich" is another insanely stupid remark we keep on reading here and there. And so on...

My experience with TMAX 100 (and many other T-grain films) has been excellent. Those films are truly excellent.

Michael R 1974 said:

We can't generalize regarding the toe shapes of the TMax films. 100 is different than 400. They don't necessarily have less toe than other films. The short vs long toe thing has mostly to do with comparisons of most films to TXP 320. Further, the developer can sometimes have and effect on curve shape.

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TMY-2 seems to take right off with very little toe, 400TX looks like it has a little toe, and TXP has a long toe. At least it looks that way on the data sheets, and it seems to match with what I'm seeing my prints. I don't really do a lot of testing though so what I'm seeing could be due to other factors I suppose. It just seems like the shadows with TMax films really have beautiful tones as compared to others.

StoneNYC said:

I ended up with some TMX in a bulk loader I bought a little while ago, really good stuff, I would say personally that would be my favorite kodak B&W emulsion. Unfortunately it competes with a gazillion other 100 speed films. But it's really nice.

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I thought Acros was cancelled so the only competition was Delta 100? So there only one or two alternates.

The 100 ISO tabular films are detectable finer grain than the conventional grain films by some margin on 16x20s.

Toe (or shoulder) differences are only apparent on H&Ds or maybe if you push to 800 which would be silly when there are 400 ISO films...

The independent H&Ds I have from '86 show the two initial T grains better than plusx or trix, cept for trix's shoulder each in D76 for similar CI=0.55. Le Photographie Oct 86 page 104.

'les ombre un peu plus doux' for 100
more like HP5 for the 400 than trix for toe 'pied' ie softer

that is for '86 films there have been changes in 30 years

Acros has not been canceled! Where on earth did you hear that?

We'd hear the howls through the night if that happened.

HiRoger

Thanks have any Fuji monos been cancelled?

Noel

Neopan 1600 and I think 400. As far as I know only Acros remains.

Roger Cole said:

Neopan 1600 and I think 400. As far as I know only Acros remains.

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Yes 1600 and 400 were cancelled but Acros100 is alive and well.

NB23 said:

"Not silver-rich" is another insanely stupid remark we keep on reading here and there. And so on...

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Such term actually is technically true, but the wrong conclusions are made here...

One of my favorite characteristics of TMax films is the relatively steep toe, and then the long straight line afterwards. This allows me to get
very crisp shadow separation in contrasty outdoor conditions, esp in the high mtns and desert, or selectively to distinctly block out shadows for a bold graphic effect, ala Brett Weston-ish. Conversely, where I want a more gentle gradation in the toe, I choose different films than these. T-grain version exists in a number of such options, and are basically just a method to give the silver more light-capturing surface with
relatively small grain. Then there are choices of speed, edge acutance, spectral sensitivity. There are a lot of wonderful black and white films to choose from at the moment. I use a lot of TMX100 and FP4 in the lab; and for outdoor shooting, a lot of TMX400 and ACROS, in formats from 35mm clear up to 8x10 sheets.

Xmas said:

HiRoger

Thanks have any Fuji monos been cancelled?

Noel

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Neopan 100 SS is also gone.