What do you recommend to develop Tmax 100

dokko · Oct 2, 2024

Angarian said:
It is priced 29,90€ in the JOBO webshop.

I might be missing something, but it displays 18.90 when visiting from germany.

https://www.jobo.com/chemie/9511-sw-entwickler-black

same price at fotoimpex.

I calculated 300ml for 35mm and 500ml for 120, other tanks will differ but no matter how you slice it, 19EUR for 6L is going to be cheaper per roll than 35EUR for 4L.
[edit: I miss calculated the mix and it actually gives 8L]

Rotation processing is obviously more economical than inversion tanks, but I don't do that.
I might run a test with Omega X what happens on reusing it for a second roll since 4.40EUR per 120 film is hard to justify for most projects.
[edit: I miss calculated the mix and it actually is about 2.20 EUR per roll]

Angarian · Oct 2, 2024

dokko said:
I might be missing something, but it displays 18.90 when visiting from germany.

https://www.jobo.com/chemie/9511-sw-entwickler-black
same price at fotoimpex.

Yes, you are right. My mistake, as I looked at the bundle which included the fixer:

https://www.jobo.com/chemie/9510-sw-entwickler-kit-black

dokko said:
Rotation processing is obviously more economical than inversion tanks, but I don't do that.
I might run a test with Omega X what happens on reusing it for a second roll since 4.40EUR per 120 film is hard to justify for most projects.

You don't have costs of 4.40€ per roll:
For TMX the dilution is 1+15 (developer / water). In a JOBO 1520 tank you can develop two 120 films at the same time. With 470ml minimal volume. In the case of TMX and that dilution taking 480ml is easier for calculation:
480 divided by 16 = 30. So you need 15ml of part A, and 15ml of part B of Omega X (and you have 250ml of part A, and 250ml of part B in the package).
Therefore 250ml (package size) divided by 15 = 16.66.
16.66 x 2 (because with that amount you can develop 2 films at once in the 1520 tank) = 33.3
So you can develop 33 TMX 120 roll films with one Omega X package in inversion development.
That makes only 1.07€ per film.

Sal Santamaura · Oct 2, 2024

Henning Serger said:
...if you want to exploit the full potential of TMX concerning detail rendition (fineness of grain, resolution, sharpness)...I can recommend...JOBO Alpha...

Henning, have you a TMX / JOBO Alpha characteristic curve you can share? Thanks in advance.

Alan Edward Klein · Oct 2, 2024

DREW WILEY said:
Hi Alan - I keep both TMY and TMX on hand. In sheet film version (4x5 and 8x10), TMY 400 is itself so fine-grained that it makes little difference. But in smaller roll formats TMX has a visible advantage. I often intermix 16X20 prints from 6X7 and 6X9 negs into the same portfolios as 4X5 and 8X10 shots, and the difference is less apparent when TMax100 has been used. That's not a hard rule, but does predominate. I also made a bigger buy of 4X5 and 8X10 TMX100 because I also use that for secondary purposes like unsharp masking etc, in which case it's a much better choice than TMY, because TMX was designed for those kinds of purposes to begin with.

My work isn't that complicated. Basically I shoot landscapes. I;ve tried both and T400 seems a little more grainy. But it gives me two extra stops which is better if the leaves are moving.

dokko · Oct 2, 2024

Angarian said:
You don't have costs of 4.40€ per roll:
For TMX the dilution is 1+15 (developer / water). In a JOBO 1520 tank you can develop two 120 films at the same time. With 470ml minimal volume. In the case of TMX and that dilution taking 480ml is easier for calculation:
480 divided by 16 = 30. So you need 15ml of part A, and 15ml of part B of Omega X (and you have 250ml of part A, and 250ml of part B in the package).
Therefore 250ml (package size) divided by 15 = 16.66.
16.66 x 2 (because with that amount you can develop 2 films at once in the 1520 tank) = 33.3
So you can develop 33 TMX 120 roll films with one Omega X package in inversion development.
That makes only 1.07€ per film.

unfortunately in my tanks I need 500ml per roll, 1000ml for 2 rolls.

but your pointer made me redo all the calculations and I realised that I made a mistake, since the 1+15 dilution for TMX actually means 0.5 (part A) + 0.5 (part B) + 15 (water), or written a bit simpler 1(A) + 1(B) + 30 water. so the 2x 250ml package will give 8 L total working solution rather than 4 L, which will cut the cost I calculated above in half to 1.30 EUR for 35mm and 2.20 EUR for 120, which is a lot better. so thanks for checking!

Angarian · Oct 2, 2024

dokko said:
unfortunately in my tanks I need 500ml per roll, 1000ml for 2 rolls.

As you are using lots of films, high film consumption, I highly recommend to switch to the JOBO tank system. You will save lots of money.
The JOBO tanks are extremely well built, I am using mine for decades. And you need much less chemistry for them compared to other tanks.
The purchase price will have amortized already in the short term, and in the mid- and long run you will have huge savings for photo chemistry.

The JOBO tank system is also very flexible, as it is a modular system. For you the tanks 1520, 1540 and 2550 probably make the most sense.

dokko said:
so thanks for checking!

Gern .

Henning Serger · Oct 3, 2024

Sal Santamaura said:
Henning, have you a TMX / JOBO Alpha characteristic curve you can share? Thanks in advance.

Not yet, Sal. I did a comparison test with TMX / JOBO Alpha to TMX / XTOL / D-76 concerning detail rendition. JOBO Alpha delivered superior results in that regard.

Best regards,
Henning

DeletedAcct1 · Oct 6, 2024

Chan Tran said:
The only time I developed B&W film was back in the late 70's when I had photography class. Since then I only develop and print color negative film. Now that I no longer have a darkroom but have a Jobo 1520 tank, a changing bag, beaker, graduated cylinders and a Kodak Process thermometer 3 so I think I have enough to develop B&W 35mm film. Back in the days I only used D76 but what would you recommend to use. I prefer fine grain.

Kodak T-Max developer, of course.

SodaAnt · Oct 7, 2024

What do you recommend to develop Tmax 100

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