Tmax reversal kit tips

metod · Jun 26, 2006

I thought experimenting a bit and bought Tmax reversal kit and 6 rolls of Tmax100 to go with it. Honestly, I was really surprised that this kit is still being made nowadays. I want to surprise the folks at my fotoclub with some beautiful (I hope!) B&W slides next season.
Did anyone try this and could share any tips concerning mostly the filtration (red, yellow, polarizer.) and perhaps how to control the contrast? There is some info on Kodak site about it, but Id like to hear more from anyones own experience.

Thanks. Metod

Donald Qualls · Jun 26, 2006

I haven't used the T-Max reversal kit, but I have done B&W reversal recently, working from raw chemicals and Tri-X film. Done this way, it's possible to control contrast and overall density separately, by separating the development and halide solvent -- that is, develop to desired contrast the usual way (more development = more contrast and slightly lighter slides), then control the overall density of the slides with a separate bath of very weak hypo (6-12 g/L, possibly more to give a shorter density control bath), which can be applied after bleaching, by inspection. Yes, it adds a stop and another wash -- but it allows excellent control of the slide density and effective film speed and independent control of contrast (which, with the Kodak kit, isn't controllable; changing development time, within reason, changes only overall density, not contrast).

I haven't updated my page yet to include the separate density control step, but I plan to do more testing of this method soon.

Filtration works just about the same way it would on negatives -- a filter lightens its own color, and darkens its complement -- but because you're working in direct positives, you have somewhat less latitude than you would with the common negative/positive process; this can be recovered if you learn to control density by inspection (which I expect to have some learning curve, since it'd be done by viewing the undeveloped halide image perodically as the film is treated with the weak hypo).

Hans Borjes · Jun 27, 2006

Donald is right, contrast control in the Tmax kit is limited. The process in the kit is working, but did not convince me. See the FP4 reversal recipe on the left side of this page. It also mentiones experience with the Kodak kit.

unregistered · Jun 27, 2006

Since you can control contrast by agitation, and density by dev. time, you can control the TMax reversal kit. Simply agitate more and/or quicker and you'll increase the contrast.

The kit is pretty good and gives clean results. Expose properly and develop according to the instructions and you'll get good results. You can also tone them if you want with selenium or sepia (to further impress your fotoclub.

Wally H · Jun 27, 2006

I have used Kodak's kit many times (although not in the past few months). I just followed the instructions and it worked fine.

Donald Qualls · Jun 27, 2006

Hans, it was your article about reversing FP4+ that led me to start doing reversal processing. I quite like the slides I've gotten from Tri-X, and I can shoot at EI 800 with excellent shadow detail and still not blow out the skies. OTOH, I'd like to get a little more contrast -- which is why I started thinking about separating contrast control and density control. Short version: this works. I'll have more on it after I process a roll that I haven't finished exposing yet...

Hans Borjes · Jun 28, 2006

Donald, for contrast control it has been shown that a good starting point is to increase (decrease) the amount of Rodinal in the first and second developer by the same amount to increase (decrease) the contrast. Try to use 10ml more Rodinal in both and the film speed will most likely stay as it is.

It is very interesting that you tried Tri-X, this film is somewhere between FP4 and HP5 in emulsion? I will try HP5 in next winter time. You should try FP4 in my recipe, the results are lovely.

If it is possible for you to do a scan of your (Tri-X) results, I would be interested.

Hans Borjes · Jun 28, 2006

Alessandro Serrao said:
Thanks to Hans and his very precious piece of advice (of halving the permanganate concentration) I'm now able to run the process up to 22°C without damage to the emulsion.

Alessandro, to overcome emulsion damage you can also try a different thing. When using Tetenal Eukobrom in the same amount as Rodinal it has the same contrast as Rodinal and damages FP4 film. When using the same amount of Tetenal Variospeed W, the development activity and contrast is higher but the emulsion is not damaged!

The key seems to be to use a developer with sufficient "blackening" activity but low aggression.

Donald Qualls · Jun 28, 2006

Hans, though it was your article that got me going, my process is very similar to the canonical Ilford one -- I'm using Dichromate bleach, Dektol first dev (nice for contrast control) and HC-110 second (helps the grain in the finished slides). I posted a couple scans in the thread where I announced my results (3-4 weeks ago).

Hans Borjes · Jun 29, 2006

Alessandro Serrao said:
This sounds to me as a pH issue: maybe the Eukobrom, as the Rodinal, have both a high pH (due to the sodium hydroxide). Maybe using a first developer with a lower pH could prove beneficial but... I did know that developing activity is on par with high pH.

This also tells me that (being two radically different developers) they yeld the same contrast, assuming the developing time and temperature are the same. This could mean that they are interchangeables without changing drastically all the other parameters. Extremely interesting.

Hmm, you may got me wrong. Let's paint the picture this way:

Developer -------- Contrast ------ Emulsion damage
================================
Rodinal ------------ normal ------------- no
Eukobrom --------- normal ------------ yes
Variospeed W ------ high --------------- no

In this context "normal" contrast is just relative to "high" contrast.

Try Rodinal or Variospeed W and you will be able to work at 24°C.

Hans Borjes · Jun 29, 2006

Donald Qualls said:
I'm using Dichromate bleach ... I posted a couple scans in the thread where I announced my results (3-4 weeks ago).

In Germany it is not allowed for private persons to buy potassium dichromate.

Your scans look promising. Another option for me to try in next winter time, when high speed film season is there.

Hans Borjes · Jun 30, 2006

Alessandro Serrao said:
See...???!!
Hans: I understood that Rodinal created emulsion problems.

You probably mix it up. Emulsion problems only appeared during the test-in phase. Rodinal does not create emulsion problems with the current recipe.

Tmax reversal kit tips

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