What advantage to T-max developer??

PHOTOTONE · Dec 9, 2006

Back when Kodak introduced T-max b/w films, they also introduced T-max developer, and it was implied that it was a "system", film and developer working together to give superior results to previous films and developers.

Well, I tried the combo, and I was not impressed. I never did get on the "sweet spot" I guess.

Over the years I have developed T-max films in common standard developers such as D-76 and been satisfied with the results, moreso than my earlier trials with T-max developer.

My question is, just what advantages, or qualities are there supposed to be with using T-max films with T-max developer???

jim appleyard · Dec 9, 2006

IMHO, there are no advantages to using T-Max dev., other than it being a liquid and easy to mix.

The grain of t-grained films is great, but I find the tonality is flat and lifeless. I spent many a roll trying to get T-Max 100 and T-Max Dev to work together, but I never found the secret. My best success with t-grained films was with Rodinal. However, after all the rolls of T-Max 100 (and other t-grained films) I went back to traditional grained films; much better for me.

Markok765 · Dec 9, 2006

I love tmax 100 stand devleloped in rodinal 1:200
Very sharp, great tones, and no grain in 11x14 from 35mm negs.
I prefer xtol to tmax developer for most films 400+

MikeSeb · Dec 9, 2006

Not sure what if any advantages T-max developers confer upon T-max films.

Xtol is now Kodak's recommended developer for its T-grain films; I use it--or its homebrew cousins Mytol and PC-TEA--for just about everything at varying dilutions, and it's stellar.

Robert Hall · Dec 9, 2006

Dick and Silvia refered to it as D-76+ but I cant remember what the plus was for. Aside from being premixed, nothing special.

O Fernandez · Dec 9, 2006

My question is, just what advantages, or qualities are there supposed to be with using T-max films with T-max developer???

You can look at Kodak's comparison of their various B&W film developers:
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/chemistry/bwFilmProcessing/selecting.jhtml

Years ago I used T-Max developer with T-Max 100 film and got what I thought was tremendous tonality. As I recall, Cheryll Jacobs used this developer on some of he pictured posted here, if you want to see examples of T-Max developer.

Konical · Dec 9, 2006

Good Afternoon,

I would not claim that T-Max developer is head and shoulders above any other developer; I've obtained highly satisfactory results with T-100 and T-400 in HC-110B also. T-Max developer is, however, extremely convenient, and the concentrate is long-lasting. It also gives, in my opinion, excellent-quality negatives, especially with T-100.

Konical

raucousimages · Dec 9, 2006

I get great results with T-Max RS and 100 TMX in 4X5 but the temp and time must be dead on.

Gerald Koch · Dec 11, 2006

As far as using something like D-76 with Tmax films, these films (and also Delta ones) to not work well with high sulfite developers like D-76 unless they are diluted at least 1+1 and preferably more. Geoffrey Crawley was the first to point this out. See the developers section for his FX-37.

Mark Layne · Dec 11, 2006

The earliest complaint against T-max films was hot highlights with T-max developer. Xtol is a workable cure for this
Mark

Paul Howell · Dec 11, 2006

Gerald Koch said:
As far as using something like D-76 with Tmax films, these films (and also Delta ones) to not work well with high sulfite developers like D-76 unless they are diluted at least 1+1 and preferably more. Geoffrey Crawley was the first to point this out. See the developers section for his FX-37.

Which may explain why I dont like Tmax 3200 in Edwal 12 which uses a lot of sulfite, although I think Tmax 100 is very good in Edwal 12.

htmlguru4242 · Dec 11, 2006

I'm not a fan of TMax in general, and in the TMax developer, IMHO, its even worse. There are many superior developers for this task i'm sure.

I have had good results with Tri-X @ EI 3200 in TMax dev, though.

nworth · Dec 11, 2006

I agree with the consensus here. I have only used T-Max developer once, but I have also looked at the results others have got. I think that D-76 (1+1) produces very superior negatives compared to it with T-Max films.

Jerevan · Dec 12, 2006

raucousimages said:
I get great results with T-Max RS and 100 TMX in 4X5 but the temp and time must be dead on.

Second that. If you're sloppy with developing this combo, prepare for some ugly negatives. I got it to work well, but I wasn't crazy about the look, so I left it. Now, a few years later, I am going to try the combination again and see if it looks better to me this time around...

JLP · Dec 13, 2006

John Sexton get great results from Tmax100 in Tmax dev too!

terri · Dec 13, 2006

My use has been limited, but I've no major complaints with it.

I've used it exclusively for HIE, and have been very satisfied with those negatives. It's easy to use, can be done at room temp without a lot of heartburn, and if you dispense with the agitation directions on the label, you'll get very nice tonality in HIE negatives.

I've also used it on two occasions when I've pushed Tmax 400 - again, easy as pie and nice negatives.

Amund · Dec 23, 2006

I think it`s a great developer and a perfect match for TXP. You can expose at box speed a be rewarded with nice and consistent results.

A couple of examples:

jasparks · Dec 25, 2006

I have found Tmax (and Tmax RS) developer to be the best speed enhancing developers I have tried and I have tried about everything. It gives as much or more real speed than anything I have tried while keeping grain fine. It does seem to increase contrast in the highlights which may or may not be a benifit (it is similar to HC110 this way). It is particularly effective with Delta 3200 where I always thought the highlights were too flat and the film overall too grainy with other developers. With Tmax 400, I find it gives an real speed of 500-640 (I use it diluted 1:7 or 1:9 from stock, I only use 1:4 with D3200).

I don't particularly like Tmax 100 film (too little acutance, looks mushy) and would think Tmax developer would be a particularly poor fit because it also doesn't increase acutance, but it might help the flat highlights. I prefer D76 1:1 with most slow films.

vet173 · Dec 25, 2006

My mentor worked with Kodak engineers for 3 days whern it first came out. They were using HC110. He finally told them to get the crap out of the lab . Same problem as stated before, no control in the highlights.

rjas · Dec 25, 2006

tri-x at 1600 in tmax dev looks sharp sharp sharp. beats out my usual microphen in hp5+ at 1600 for high speed work

Bob AZ · Dec 27, 2006

But what do they look like?

Is there anywhere you can see actual photographs, (scanned of necessity of course), side by side with some of the different developers mentioned here for comparison? I plan on doing some tests with HC 110, TMax, Microdol X soon but don't have any Xtol or any others to try. I would like to be able to exclude at least some of the options without testing since my darkrooom time is limited

rjas · Dec 27, 2006

Bob AZ said:
Is there anywhere you can see actual photographs, (scanned of necessity of course), side by side with some of the different developers mentioned here for comparison? I plan on doing some tests with HC 110, TMax, Microdol X soon but don't have any Xtol or any others to try. I would like to be able to exclude at least some of the options without testing since my darkrooom time is limited

i dont think youll see an appreciable difference. choose a developer that you can buy consistently and for a good price and be done with it. hc110 is cheap, easy to use, and lasts forever. a good photo probably doesnt care if its developed in hc110 or xtol as long as you have your times and temperature right.

MMfoto · Dec 28, 2006

Sulfite

I've never quite understood the "developers with high sulfite being bad for T-max" thing. Isn't XTOL a high sulfite content developer?

What advantage to T-max developer??

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