TMAX developer diluition for using "ONE SHOT"

[danzyc]

Hello my friends, could you tell me how i can diluite tmax developer to use it "one shot"?

i always develop 2 roll or 1 roll....and i dont want to mix 1000 liter 1+4......

just tell me the correct proportion...


thnaks

 

[Konical]

Good Morning, Danzyc,

Different users favor different dilutions. Most probably mix just the amount required for each processing session rather than mixing the whole bottle and having to store the resulting solution. For example, I use a 1:7 dilution, so, for one roll of 120 film, I pour 2 oz. of concentrate and add 14 oz. of water. This results in 16 oz. of solution, enough as a one-shot to cover one reel. Others may follow the same procedure with a 1:4 or 1:9 dilution, with developing times adjusted appropriately. The concentrate has a very long life; diluting immediately before each use means efficient use of increasingly expensive developer.

Konical

 

[danzyc]

mhnnn for 300 ml of water i should use it 1+7??? = 37,5 of solution and rest of water?
i should maintain the same strenght of the original 1+4 diluition at 24 celtius)

 

[Konical]

Good Morning, Danzyc,

I normally use English measurements, but all that matters is the correct ratio. That ratio is up to you. Kodak typically recommends 1:4, with "1" being the concentrate from the original bottle and "4" being water. 1:4 will give shorter development times; 1:7 or 1:9 will mean longer times. For example, my "normal" time for T-Max 100 and T-Max Developer is 10 minutes at 68º (20ºC). The ratio you use and the development times for various films are a matter of preference and experimentation. If I understand correctly your question, you would prefer not to re-use the prepared developer solution and intend to discard it immediately after the development step; that's why I'm suggesting preparation of just enough solution for each use.

I think that most users of T-Max Developer (and other liquid concentrates such as HC-110) do not mix the entire bottle of concentrate all at once, although that can be done. It's just a lot simpler to mix enough for each processing session. The concentrate seems to last about forever; I'm not sure that a gallon bottle already mixed (stock solution) would have that kind of shelf life.

I hope that makes sense; if not, perhaps someone else will respond differently and with more clarity.

Konical

 

[danzyc]

thanks konical! mhnnn but increasing the diluition with tmax developer increase the sharpness and grain also?

 

[Konical]

Good Morning Again, Danzyc,

Different developers, different dilutions, different times can all have some effect on the final result, but, aside from the more extreme treatments such as very-high contrast developers, it's the film itself which is the dominate influence. For example, a film such as T-Max 100 will look essentially the same developed by HC-110B or T-Max Developer according to basic Kodak recommendations.

Konical

 

[MattKing]

thanks konical! mhnnn but increasing the diluition with tmax developer increase the sharpness and grain also?

Yes, but the difference, while visible, is quite small.

 

[danzyc]

i have always used d76, and from stock solution to 1+1 there were big differences: in grain ,sharpness, and contrast!.......i love tmax dev due to the gray tones and velvety black....seems to beh "silky"

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

OT WARNING: Okay, what is the meaning of "mhnnn"?

 

[kreeger]

danzyc, I stopped using it because it is very tricky to get the right time and temperature, and I saw no true advantage to using it over other developers out there. I do use Kodak TMAX RS, which is different, and also works with sheet film. TMAX Developer is not recommended by Kodak for sheet film.

TMAX RS is not diluted, and you use full strength each time. You mix 2 bottles from the concentrate. 1 is for use, the other is for replenishing. My desired negative is one with contrast in the lower values and reduced contrast in the high values of the negative. TMAX RS works great for what I want. I am now going on 1 year 4 months using Tmax RS and I only develop 2-3 rolls per month in it. The more you use and replenish, the better it gets.

SImply, after each roll you add a 45 ml's of the TMAX RS fresh developer you keep in the other bottle to the used developer, this keeps the PH and activity up. When bottle #2 the replenisher is used up, you can either buy more Tmax RS and keep replenishing after each roll developed, or start over. I know of one person who has been using it for 2+ years. It looks very dark and grey, but it develops beautifully for the type of negative I want.

For more information from Kodak on this, click here:

Some of my work here in the Media gallery shows negatives developed in TMAX RS, the results speak for themselves.

 

[MattKing]

TMAX RS is not diluted, and you use full strength each time.

For clarity, Kodak does say in J86:

"T-MAX RS Developer and Replenisher is a hydroquinone-based, two-part developer specially formulated for replenished systems, but you can also use it in unreplenished systems."

The RS version shines when you use it in a replenishment regime, but it can also be used in a manner similar to the non-RS version.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Tmax Developer's standard dilution is 1+4, and you can use that one shot. Its expensive to do so, but it works fine.

You can also dilute it 1+7 or 1+9. Kodak only gives times for those dilutions at 75 degrees and only for Tmax 100 and Tmax 400. I've used the 1+7 dilution successfully for all sorts of films, and at other temperatures. For most films, you take the time you would have used for the 1+4 dilution at your chosen temperature, then multiply the time by 1.5. Works beautifully.

 

[TareqPhoto]

Tmax developer is one of my developers, never had bad results out of it with different film, and about dilution i just tried both 1+4 and 1+9 and both worked fine for me, i will choose 1+9 only if i want to save the developer for longer use.

I didn't use Tmax dev RS, i want to give it a try, but not sure how this will be different than Tmax non RS dev one, and i still don't figure out how to use it, but i hope if i buy it one day i will get used to how to use it properly.

 

[danzyc]

differnce between 1+4 and 1+9?

 

[Konical]

Good Morning, Danzyc,

Not much, probably not noticeable except for the most extremely critical eyes. As noted by a previous poster above, 1:9 and 1:7 are more economical; your only "cost" with the weaker dilutions is slightly longer developing time. That is actually a benefit because the longer time makes fill and drain times less significant and makes plus or minus processing somewhat easier to do.

Konical

 

[Punker]

I use Tmax developer at 1:9 dilution (540mL water to 60mL Tmax) when I push film and use it one-shot. The enhanced shadow detail is really stellar. The tradeoff, as others have said, is increased developing time.

I love pushing Kentmere 400 to 1600 in it.

 

[kreeger]

Attached are Kodak's official data sheets on Tmax and Tmax RS developer. The Kodak Chemical Matrix is good reference sheet also to have around as it covers most of the questions asked repeatedly on dilution, shelf life, films supported, application, etc.

 

[ic-racer]

1:4
For example one pours 180ml of tmax developer and adds water to bring it to 900ml which is enough for 8 x 80square inches of film.

 

[Sirius Glass]

You could spend less money, get better tonality and better edge contrast by using replenished XTOL.