t-max 100 alternative

[StuartR]

The only other film still in production "like TMX" is Delta 100 AFAIK. It even has more or less the same reciprocity characteristics, which can be important to 10x8 shooters.

That said, FP-4+ is quite a nice film. But it's a cubic grained film and has cubic grained reciprocity characteristics from what I remember. But very nice tonality.

And with 10x8, graininess is almost a non sequitur so I wouldn't worry about that.

As to your process, changing film is a good time to change developer. I'm a big fan of XTOL, if for no other reason that its considerably lower impact on the environment. That, and the two Kodak researchers who invented XTOL (Zadwicki and Dickerson) told me that they created XTOL using TMAX films and Jobo rotary processing. Since that's more or less what you're using, you might as well use a developer that was optimized for your workflow. You did ask "what would you do to process", right? ;-) IOW, feel free to ignore me. Most people do.

Thanks for that information Bruce. That is really interesting...I run a lab where I standardize on XTOL in a Jobo, and my own work is nearly exclusively on Tmax....I get such good results from it (and Acros). It makes even more sense now that I know that they developed it based on the way I am using it... The only time I got results which I would characterize as "better" or at least substantially different, was with pyro, which is environmentally problematic and not nearly as safe...

[Steve Sherman]

Try taking shots of brightly lit glistening snow or ice atop black volcanic rocks with deep deep shadow texture - easily 12 stops of range; FP4 or ACROS or Delta just can't handle things like that without some kind of tonality trade-off in compression development.

Probably true for most processing techniques, however untrue for Minimal Agitation forms of PyroCat development.

Cheers. SS

[Willie]

Whichever film you start checking out seriously look at the reciprocity charts. If you are used to T-Max 100 you might find the alternatives to be a problem with exposures measuring in seconds or minutes.

[Vaughn]

...Try taking shots of brightly lit glistening snow or ice atop black volcanic rocks with deep deep shadow texture - easily 12 stops of range...

Man O Man -- I love 12 stop ranges! I can develop fairly normally when I get those! The below is a scan of a 5x7 carbon print. My Pentax Digital Spot read a 13 stop range, but it might have been more since who knows what is below 0. Anyway, the readings went from 0 to 13. A local sea cave at low tide, from the inside looking out, with direct sun coming into the cave. Without hunting down the negative, it might be on Tri-X, developed slightly less than normal ( a tad less).

PS...Just got 3 boxes of 8x10 FP4+ from B&H via Fed Ex today! $110 a box (no shipping, no tax).

[Jan Becket]

I migrated from T-Max 100 to Delta 100 about 8 months ago and discovered that I had to shift the ISO to 50 from 100. Also, in Pyrocat HD, the dilution of parts A & B had to shift from 1:20 to 1:40 (Iʻm using Sandy Kingʻs recommendation for a sequential processing in which film goes in part A then in part B - the two are never mixed.) None of this is a problem - just sharing.

However, I am running into some issues with Delta 100 - apart from the very nice tonality it yields. I take the film traveling and have to load / unload film holders in sometimes less than optimal conditions. Film tent. Sweaty fingers. No AC (Iʻm in Hawaiʻi.). Delta seems much more physically fragile than T-Max 100. In humid weather, sheets stick together in the box. They stick to my Toyo film holders if they are not quickly removed. Iʻve noticed some faint scratches on the sheets. My fault, but Iʻve been doing this for decades and have learned to play nice with my film. It has turned out to be delicate stuff.

[Michael Kadillak]

I migrated from T-Max 100 to Delta 100 about 8 months ago and discovered that I had to shift the ISO to 50 from 100. Also, in Pyrocat HD, the dilution of parts A & B had to shift from 1:20 to 1:40 (Iʻm using Sandy Kingʻs recommendation for a sequential processing in which film goes in part A then in part B - the two are never mixed.) None of this is a problem - just sharing.

However, I am running into some issues with Delta 100 - apart from the very nice tonality it yields. I take the film traveling and have to load / unload film holders in sometimes less than optimal conditions. Film tent. Sweaty fingers. No AC (Iʻm in Hawaiʻi.). Delta seems much more physically fragile than T-Max 100. In humid weather, sheets stick together in the box. They stick to my Toyo film holders if they are not quickly removed. Iʻve noticed some faint scratches on the sheets. My fault, but Iʻve been doing this for decades and have learned to play nice with my film. It has turned out to be delicate stuff.

Considering the circumstances the changing bag is not getting it done. Carry more holders and load film late at night when the temp drops.

I was recently on the Big Island with my 8x10 camera and only carried four loaded holders at a time. Makes you far more selective / productive. I loaded / reloaded the holders at our destination (the AC came in very handy) at night (but even without the AC it could have been done easily) in the bathroom after I taped a thick plastic bag over the window. Processing the 40 negatives I made there and absolutely no problems. I can't wrap my head around even attempting to load holders in the field given the conditions. Adapt as necessary to the conditions.

[chris_4622]

Considering the circumstances the changing bag is not getting it done. Carry more holders and load film late at night when the temp drops.

I was recently on the Big Island with my 8x10 camera and only carried four loaded holders at a time. Makes you far more selective / productive. I loaded / reloaded the holders at our destination (the AC came in very handy) at night (but even without the AC it could have been done easily) in the bathroom after I taped a thick plastic bag over the window. Processing the 40 negatives I made there and absolutely no problems. I can't wrap my head around even attempting to load holders in the field given the conditions. Adapt as necessary to the conditions.

Michael,
Can you share more information on processing while on the road? Did you bring Pyrocat Hd? How did you transport it, weigh, measure etc. What about tubes or trays? Fixer. Agitation schemes...
thanks
chris

[Michael Kadillak]

Michael,
Can you share more information on processing while on the road? Did you bring Pyrocat Hd? How did you transport it, weigh, measure etc. What about tubes or trays? Fixer. Agitation schemes...
thanks
chris

Absolutely.

Developing film on location I feel would start with mixed Pyrocat HD that you would need to bring with you. I have a plastic case that binoculars came in that would let me feel comfortable putting two bottles of pyrocat (one A and one B) in a plastic sealed bag in my luggage. I would toss in a bag of fixer powder to mix later and stop with water. The other "must have" from my perspective would be my infrared monocle and IR light source that I would wrap in bubble and carry on. Being able to develop by inspection is a must for me. Then the only other components would be trays and developing tubes (or both). I would wash the film individually and hang dry and take home in negative sleeves and archival wash when I got home as necessary. I might even consider buying a pair of knee pads used by tile workers so when I am kneeling over a bath tub or a shower base to develop the film I am not rendered immobile the next day. Heavy plastic bag over the bathroom window and towels to seal up the bottom of the bathroom door. Surely coming home with processsed sheet film would be enormously easier plus you know what you got before you leave. You should be able to blast through a days worth of negatives at the end of a days shooting in no time.

Cheers!

[Drew Wiley]

Ilford sheet films in general are more fragile than Kodak. I've known that for a long time. But it's a minor difference. When I use a changing tent, I have a kit
along which includes some pure alcohol wipes as well as little non-powdered finger cots - just like surgical glove material, but only big enough for the tips of
your fingers. I also have thin black polyethylene trashcan liners along to keep the inside of the tent especially clean. Usually when I've done this has been up
in the mtns backpacking where every inch of me was sweaty and dirty. No problem.

[Jan Becket]

Processing 8X10 on the road - Iʻm impressed. I schlep the film to and from and then of course worry about those airport X-ray machines being out of spec.