Tmax400 in Pyrocat HD and DDX - what times?

After much debate, I have exposed some of the "new" Tmax 400. I have been using the subject developers for processing HP5 and FP4 and like the results very much.

My plan is to process this film in a Jobo expert 3010 drum with my CPA-2. I will be printing the negs with a Beseler 45S diffusion head on VC paper.

Can anyone give me a ballpark shot at time and temp and whether I should pre-soak. Has anyone noticed a great difference in development times between the new and the old Tmax?

I realize that development times will vary but I am using distilled H2O to mix and time, temp and rotation can be controlled. I shot the film at rated speed.

Thanks to all,
Robert

bump please

I did develop some 4x5 Tmax 400 films with Pyrocat HD - both in trays and with Jobo Drum (rolled by hand on a table). But I will be able to check the times only when I get home. Still - as I only scan (and here and then do some contact prints - too little experience yet) take them with a grain of salt.

I did tune my development in the last few months - I first had a tendency to overdevelop - got a quite high contrast and ugly (larger, pepper like) grain. Since I adjusted my dev times it looks much better.

So - I will get back with the numbers tonight (I hope)

So - as promised - here are my 'my numbers'

Jobo 1520 (?? - simply the smallest one for 4x5") with the 2509N reel - I use with 6 4x5" films - no problem

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I rate the film at about EI 320
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Chemistry:
- Pyrocat HD: 1:1:100 (the Pyrocat is made with Glycol by Photographer's Formulary)
- Ilford Ilfofix 1:4
- Kodak Hypam - to support the washing of the fixer (my understanding)
- @ 21 degrees Celsius
- photo flo (cca 1:300)- some "local' stuff - should be ecological
- water stop - tap water

Development procedure:
- 4 minutes presoak
- development: 10 minutes, agitation: constant slow rotation (changing direction - limited table size )
- clean water stop: 4 minutes (constant rotation)
- 1 - 2 water exchanges - to keep the developer out of the fixer
- fixing - 10 minutes (the magenta backing needs time to resolve)
- water wash (either change 2 - 3 times or use the JOBO hose to flush the drum for about 3 - 5 minutes)
- kodak Hypam - about 4 minutes
- clean water wash - 5x change or flush for 5 - 7 minutes
- photo flo (cca 1:300) for 1 minute

good luck

P.S. If I were doing inversion agitation with 4 full inversions every 3 minutes (plus 30 second at the beginning), my development time would go from 10 minutes to 12. I use the same development times with Delta 400.

P.S.2: the above was based on the information provided along with the pre-mixed Pyrocat HD from Photographer's Formulary

P.S.3. You may want to go with a different fixer - namely the TF4 or TF5 (is the name correct??) that is alkaline - it 'should' was less of the pyro stain away from your negatives - but I have no experience on this

For TMY-II 120 roll film I rate the film at about 320 and develop counting down from 16 minutes at 72 degrees. I mix P/cat HD @ 1:1:100. I no longer presoak (not seen ANY difference!!), and dump the developer right into the tank. Agitate constantly for the first 2 minutes, then for 10 seconds at 12 mins, 9 mins, 6 mins, 3 mins. Stop and fix in Ilford Hypam mixed 1:4 for about 5 minutes as TMY-II like all TMAX films requires more fixing and more washing, or it stains pink. Hypam will NOT wash away any of your stain and has been confirmed by the formulary.

Andrew, you use the Hypam as a stop&fix ??

No - I did not say that Hypam would wash away the stain, I said this about the Ilford fixer. Still - I can not really prove or disprove this. I hope that somebody more experienced will chime in ...

Matus, I use really dilute kodak stop on TMY-II with Pyrocat HD even though you can use a water stop if you want. I use Hypam purely as a fixer. Remember to fix for at least 5 minutes with quite fresh fixer with TMY-II otherwise it will stay a pink color and it will not wash out. If you find this happens, extend your fix time and wash as normal.