T-Max 400 film with T-Max developer

[DREW WILEY]

What is missing here is that we don't even know the level of exposure involved. Are you using true box speed 400 ?

I admittedly don't have any experience with TMaX developer, but I do with TMax RS, and know that at elevated temperature and strong concentration, the contrast level or gamma takes off like a rocket.

 

[Dave Krueger]

What is missing here is that we don't even know the level of exposure involved. Are you using true box speed 400 ?

I admittedly don't have any experience with TMaX developer, but I do with TMax RS, and know that at elevated temperature and strong concentration, the contrast level or gamma takes off like a rocket.

When it was first introduced, I was under the impression that TMax developer was intended to be used at 75F. See here.

I always shoot TMax 100 and 400 at box speed, so I suppose that could explain the higher density/contrast, but I don't get that higher density with other developers such as Xtol.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Unlike many other films, I strongly recommend using box speed for TMax films. And I wish I could give a firm answer respecting TMax developer. But as far as related TMax RS is concerned, it was engineered in the first place to achieve a longer straight line clear down into the toe than common developers like D76.
But you need to understand some of the history behind that. Back then TMax was intended as the silver bullet replacing several popular older films. One of those was the usage of Super-XX for sake of RGB color separations from color transparencies. Dye transfer printing was still commercially alive, at least for awhile. An especially long consistent straight line was needed for that kind of purpose, plus relatively high contrast potential at the same time. And it was discovered that 75F was the sweet point in that respect.

But that doesn't mean that level of temperature is ideal for general photographic purposes. In fact, there is a distinct risk of edge frilling that hot. I ran plenty of very careful tests involving an expensive thermoregulator that consistently kept temp within 1/10 deg of that. I even spoke in person to one of the people involved in that 75 F specification. Somehow things got stuck in that gear after the original reason was long forgotten. But that doesn't mean you have to do things that way. Less temp, maybe less time too might be wise to experiment with. Or just go back to a more comfortable developer.

 

[warden]

I used to use TMax regularly years ago, before I switched to Xtol, and don't remember ever having this problem then. Could the density issue possibly have something to do with the "new formula"?
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I also used it in the past without issue. I didn’t know there was a new formula actually. Thanks for sharing your experiences, Dave.