TMax RS developer as "one-shot"

[icanthackit]

Thanks for all the replies! I feel like it'd be more productive to actually talk to somebody in person but nobody around here knows of all this stuff, or those that do don't work at photo stores.

I've seen 1:7 and 1:9. My problem has to do with getting the right development time.

Could anybody recommend a developing time for tmax100 film with tmaxRS mixed directly from concentrate?

My problem is that I assume the massive dev chart times that say "stock" assume that I've already mixed the concentrate with water to make 1 gallon of stock solution. As far as I've guessed, if I make one gallon using the whole concentrated mix of A and B, then it would be closer to 1:4, wouldn't it? Since the concentrate of A+B is right around 26oz and a gallon is something like 128oz, right?

Andrew

[icanthackit]

I think I just found something that helped.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ead.php?t=8352

that was in the similar threads below, which I didn't see when I was searching naturally. I wish they'd make a different name for this developer since searching tmax rs or anything similar brings me tons of results about the film.

Now just to find the development times for 1:9 from concentrate.

@BetterSense, the thread link I just posted says indeed that kodaks times are 1:4, so using a gallon, while 1:9 is a greater dilution than kodak's times. It should make a little more than a gallon at that dilution, correct? It should give over 2 gallons of ready developer if you were to mix it all 1:9 for some crazy reason, right?

Andrew

[PViapiano]

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...xton-tmax.html

[Drew Wiley]

Just be aware that greater degrees of dilution seem to introduce a little more sag into
the characteristic curve - generally no big deal, but once you start working with a certain dilution, changing it later might have some surprises.

[Roger Cole]

I think I just found something that helped.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ead.php?t=8352

that was in the similar threads below, which I didn't see when I was searching naturally. I wish they'd make a different name for this developer since searching tmax rs or anything similar brings me tons of results about the film.

Now just to find the development times for 1:9 from concentrate.

@BetterSense, the thread link I just posted says indeed that kodaks times are 1:4, so using a gallon, while 1:9 is a greater dilution than kodak's times. It should make a little more than a gallon at that dilution, correct? It should give over 2 gallons of ready developer if you were to mix it all 1:9 for some crazy reason, right?

Andrew

Most people really mean 1+4 and 1+9 when they say 1:4 and 1:9. 1:4 actually means one part concentrate to four parts total solution, while 1+4 means one part concentrate PLUS four parts water, so 1+4 = 1:5.

So oddly enough, 1+9 actually makes exactly twice as much working solution as 1+4; 1+9 results in ten parts working solution while 1+4 makes five parts working solution.

I've always just used it at 1+4 but I may try the 1+9. It is somewhat expensive but given the amount I have time use, that's really not too important. (Plus, one odd seldom mentioned advantage of getting into flying is that it makes ALL your other hobbies look positively cheap! )

[Heroique]

So Freeystyle sells Tmax RS “to make 1 gallon.” Does that mean it makes 1 gallon, which you can dilute 1:9 [?]…

Short answer is Yes. If you mix it to one gallon, you’ve created an approximate 1+4 ratio (5 total parts). If you mix this w/ an equal portion of water (1+1), you’re mixing the 5 parts of this “gallon” solution (one part of which is A+B concentrate), to 5 parts of water. Now you have 1+9 (or, 10 total parts, one of which has remained the A+B concentrate). This 1+9 solution is typically my “stock” solution described in my longer post above. However, Kodak would technically call their stronger 1+4 solution the stock solution. This all sounds confusing, I realize. What you start with in your gallon of 1+4 solution is what Kodak wants you to use in their published time tables for this developer. However, what many people do instead is create 1+9. Their development times are, naturally, longer than what Kodak recommends for the 1+4 solution.

Roger: there’s reason to agree w/ you, but most film photographers will say 1:4 is the same thing as 1+4. That is, in either case, it’s one part [x] and 4 parts [y], for a total of 5 parts if you count-up all the parts together.

[Roger Cole]

Roger: there’s reason to agree w/ you, but most film photographers will say 1:4 is the same thing as 1+4. That is, in either case, it’s one part [x] and 4 parts [y], for a total of 5 parts if you count-up all the parts together.

I know that's the common usage in film photography. Chemists wouldn't agree, and since we're basically doing chemistry here I think it's incorrect, but so common that unless someone explains otherwise I assume when they write "x:y" they mean x+y.

I was really just explaining why 1+9 (or 1:9 if you must ) is twice as dilute as 1+4 (1:4) rather than slightly more so as it might appear at first glance.

[EdWorkman]

When I first tried Tmax RS years ago, I figured that the little package was separated from the big package because if they were combined the complete developer would begin to deteriorate. I called Kodak to ask what's in the little package. Beyond MSDS information I could learn nada, so i went with my first assumption realizing that Kodak wants one to succeed and makes instructions as conservative as they can. I mixed concentrate directly to final dilution for one-shot use-tossing the little pack in the trash. My darkroom activity is very sporadic so I figured stock would go bad if mixed by the rules. I did a 120 coupla rolls comparing TMY to TX[400] at Sunny Sixteen and was satisfied there were no gross differences nor pitfalls in my madness. Later I tried and liked oneshot Xtol and am glad I kept the original instructions and my notes for 1:3 dilution, so I haven't TMY'd in a few years.
Off topic- yes I did suffer 1-liter pack failure once, so I mix the 5 liter stock in a 4 liter wine jug [who the heck has a 5 liter jug and I live in wine country] and vary the proportions to attain a final 1:2 for sheets and 1:3 for rolls.

[evan clarke]

Use everything one shot, it's the best way to be consistent.