Tri-X Pushed to 1600 - Best Developer?

gcoates · Aug 25, 2006

I have a roll of 35mm Tri-X that I shot at EI 1600 in the delivery room with my daughter. (I normally use Delta 3200 for this sort of thing, but I didn't have any more on hand.) These are very important photos to me, so I'm willing to buy whatever developer I need to get the best possible negatives. What developer would be best for a two-stop push of Tri-X?

Dorothy Blum Cooper · Aug 25, 2006

For me...Dead Link Removed

BradS · Aug 25, 2006

I believe Kodak's own data sheet for Tri-X recommends Xtol.

lowellh · Aug 25, 2006

That film has always responded very well to our F 76plus Develoer. With extended dilution and time, the results are spectactular.

jim appleyard · Aug 25, 2006

I've always liked Acufine f1+1 for 14 min. at 70F. However, you should do a test roll first!

Roger Hicks · Aug 25, 2006

A true speed-increasing developer such as Ilford Microphen or DD-X should give a true ISO of around 650 with Tri-X, at which point you only need a 1-1/3 stop push. I don't push Tri-X that much -- I prefer HP5 Plus -- but if I were you I'd

(a) Shoot another test roll at 1600

(b) Try DD-X for 12 minutes 1+4 at 75F/24C (check Ilford's web-site)

(c) If that's OK -- and it should be -- dev the 'precious' roll

Cheers,

R. (www.rogerandfrances.com)

Jeremy · Aug 25, 2006

i like HC-110 for Tri-X pushed to 1600.

You are going to get A BUNCH of suggestions and I think you should narrow it down from your "best negatives possible" to what you want from the negatives knowing that you shot pushed 2 stops.

Do you want the developer which will most look like delta3200? Do you want the tightest/smalled grain you can get? Does grain size not bother you as long as the grain is sharp and biting?

A little more info?

P C Headland · Aug 25, 2006

Diafine will do the job - recommended EIs are 1000 for 120 film and 1600 for 35mm. Keeps forever too.

df cardwell · Aug 25, 2006

I regularly use Xtol and Tri X at 1600: it is far better than the old fashioned 'push developers', primarily because it:

1) gives more shadow speed, and
2) normal contrast

I think DD-X is a strong second choice. Both show that chemistry has improved dramatically over the decades.

Take a look at the Xtol chart from Kodak. I'd use Xtol 1+1, and aim for 69 degrees for 12 minutes, that way small errors will still put you on target.

d

Stephanie Brim · Aug 26, 2006

I've done Rodinal 1:50, but it's grainy...for these, you may want to look at using something else.

m_liddell · Aug 26, 2006

P C Headland said:
Diafine will do the job - recommended EIs are 1000 for 120 film and 1600 for 35mm. Keeps forever too.

+1. This combination is excellent.

Markok765 · Aug 26, 2006

Congratulations!

Stephanie Brim · Aug 26, 2006

I used to use Diafine as well, but I'm Rodinal only until I find a place in Iowa that can get me the 1 gallon kit. I've found ONE shop that sells diafine and the 1 quart kit just doesn't last long enough for me. Sucks.

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 26, 2006

Stephanie Brim said:
I used to use Diafine as well, but I'm Rodinal only until I find a place in Iowa that can get me the 1 gallon kit. I've found ONE shop that sells diafine and the 1 quart kit just doesn't last long enough for me. Sucks.

How about mixing up a gallon or two of Diafine Substitute?

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

frugal · Aug 26, 2006

Stephanie Brim said:
I used to use Diafine as well, but I'm Rodinal only until I find a place in Iowa that can get me the 1 gallon kit. I've found ONE shop that sells diafine and the 1 quart kit just doesn't last long enough for me. Sucks.

How are you using it up? I was under the impression you could reuse diafine and that it lasts for quite a long time?

Stephanie Brim · Aug 26, 2006

You can, but it'll dry up eventually. Heh. I did the stupid thing of putting mine in milk jugs and it finally ate through the plastic and started leaking. This also happened with a jug of D76 stock I had. Weird. I need stronger gallon containers, which I plan to buy when I find someone who can sell me the chemicals.

And yeah, I could mix them, but it's even harder to find chemicals around here. I'm also used to using the boxed premixed chemicals...I'd like to just keep using them if I can.

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 26, 2006

For about $30.00 you can place an internet or telephone order for a sufficent amount of the dry chemicals from Photographers Formulary to make several gallons of developer.

And, you would have sufficent sodium sulfite and metabisulfite left over to make several liters of Hypo Clearing Agent

P C Headland · Aug 26, 2006

Stephanie Brim said:
I used to use Diafine as well, but I'm Rodinal only until I find a place in Iowa that can get me the 1 gallon kit. I've found ONE shop that sells diafine and the 1 quart kit just doesn't last long enough for me. Sucks.

Huron Camera will ship you some - they'll ship it anywhere in the world.

df cardwell · Aug 26, 2006

Stephanie

Here's the 'find a dealer' page for BKA, maker and distributor of Diafine:

http://www.bkaphoto.com/retailer_locator.asp

Philippe-Georges · Aug 27, 2006

Stephanie,

Rodinal is good but try this : add 1 gr of Borax per 1 lit. work dillution and an + 10 % to the process time, you will see...

Philippe

Stephanie Brim · Aug 27, 2006

df cardwell said:
Stephanie

Here's the 'find a dealer' page for BKA, maker and distributor of Diafine:

http://www.bkaphoto.com/retailer_locator.asp

I'm going to leave that page up and make some calls on Monday.

leicam5 said:
Stephanie,

Rodinal is good but try this : add 1 gr of Borax per 1 lit. work dillution and an + 10 % to the process time, you will see...

Philippe

I'll try that with my next roll of film. I bought a thing of it for other usage...I believe for when I developed with Caffenol C.

Phillip P. Dimor · Aug 27, 2006

I like Tri-X at 1000 in Acufine. At 1600 I go for Microphen.

Both of these developers are reusable/replenishable.
I put something like 12 to 16 rolls per liter of Acufine with great results.
It gets muddy looking, that's when I generally toss it.
Acufine is awesome. I shot nothing but Acufine and 120 tri-x at 1000 for at least a year.

DBP · Aug 27, 2006

I've used Diafine for this for several years, inpart because it keeps forever. My current batch is about two years old. I replaced the previous batch when it started to develop some sort of sludge.

gcoates · Aug 27, 2006

In answer to the question on the first page, I'd like the negs to look as much like Delta 3200 shot at EI 1250 and dev'd in DD-X as possible. Barring that, let's go for smallest grain. Also, if you folks could post up some samples of scanned negatives representing your recommendations, that would be great!

fhovie · Aug 28, 2006

Two Examples:
Both taken on 6x6 film - TRI-X ASA 1600 with XTOL at 1:1
The grain is very smooth and I blew one of these up to 16x20 without objectionable grain. Just remember that at 1600, the film is about N+2 or so - not unlike what I get with much slower films in contrast at box speeds.

Tri-X Pushed to 1600 - Best Developer?

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