Best developer for 400 TMAX

[John Kasaian]

I always liked T-Max developers for T-Max film, that way the film kept its published speed, with D-76 I had to use ISO 100 or 200 or get too much contrast, never used Pyro.
One question, I lost my digital camera to a kayaking accident, and have an excuse now to resurrect my 4x5s. But I don't have a place in my house for film developing. Is there a dependable b&w processing lab in the US I could use, my local lab just closed down. I am in Vermont/New Hampshire area. If I have to buy film at B&H I may as well ship out the processing.

Tom

Get a Unicolor off ebay dirt cheap & soup fillm on the kitchen drainboard. Graywolf Phillips has the details on the LF Home Page ---click on the blue banner at the top of this page

[Rick A]

A darkroom is not necessary to process film. All you need is a changing tent(I do not like bags)and a decent 4x5 developing tank like a Jobo or Combi-Plan, and the kitchen sink. I have the luxury of a room that I can black-out for loading my Jobo reel and tank, and I process at the kitchen sink. I also print optically (in the utility room off the kitchen), and wash my prints in the kitchen sink. Many people use a spare bathroom for a darkroom.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Xtol 1+1, D-76 1+1, and Pyrocat-HD. Matches made in heaven.

[Jim Jones]

With T-Max developer on hand for smaller film, I also use it for tray developing T-Max 400 sheet film. The diluted developer keeps well even when reused for roll film. A little from that bottle suffices for tray developing sheet film, and is then disgarded.

[Lenny Eiger]

D-76 is no match for Xtol 1:1 or more, or Pyro. D-76 is filled with sodium sulfite, which etches away the edges of grains, to make "finer grains" which are then further apart, making the film appear grainier. It was invented back in the 1920's. Xtol is quite an improvement.

And yes, to answer another's question, there is a big difference when you are trying to match the limited characteristics of darkroom paper, or trying to optimize what one can do with a scanner, or a specific alternative process.

Lenny

[Tom Monego]

Get a Unicolor off ebay dirt cheap & soup fillm on the kitchen drainboard. Graywolf Phillips has the details on the LF Home Page ---click on the blue banner at the top of this page

Already have a really nice Nikor 4x5 tank, its only problem is that it holds 1300cc to develop properly, I also don't have a facet that can hold my gravity works washer. So I can't just have 1 liter tanks hanging around. I had a dark room for 30 years, well aware of how to develop film, just don't want to take it on right now. Have a very demanding job, and time wise and mental wise it is not an option. I would more like to concentrate on making images, so would like to find a lab to develop 4x5 b&w correctly.

thanks
Tom

[Ron Marshall]

What Kodak says:

[Bill Burk]

I would more like to concentrate on making images, so would like to find a lab to develop 4x5 b&w correctly.

I'd almost say anyone on this forum would be a good choice.

But I certainly understand how much pleasure there is taking pictures and how the darkroom work can backup because you're working hard. That is why I have a backlog... Shoot 6 develop 8, that's the only way I can make progress. Now that soccer season has arrived I only have one or two nights a week when I can do even that.

[Rick A]

T-Max 400 exposed at ei200, developed in RO-9 1+50/8.5 minutes @ 20c. Printed on Ilford MGIV RC delux 8x10 souped in Ethol LPD. Scanned print, my favorite way to treat T-Max 400.

[Roger Cole]

D-76 is no match for Xtol 1:1 or more, or Pyro. D-76 is filled with sodium sulfite, which etches away the edges of grains, to make "finer grains" which are then further apart, making the film appear grainier. It was invented back in the 1920's. Xtol is quite an improvement.

And yes, to answer another's question, there is a big difference when you are trying to match the limited characteristics of darkroom paper, or trying to optimize what one can do with a scanner, or a specific alternative process.

Lenny

Um...disagree. Sulphite has some solvent action and was traditionally thought to reduce apparent graininess at the expense of sharpness. There is some debate about that, but D76 (AND Xtol) do appear grainier and sharper used diluted than full strength. Sulphite definitely does not make the negatives look "grainier" though. This flies in the face of decades of experience, including that of people who add a small amount of sulphite to Rodinal.

Remember ID11 Plus? The theory was that it wasn't the solvent effect of the sulphite that caused the apparent loss of sharpness, it was the physical redevelopment of the dissolved silver plating back onto the film, so ID11 Plus contained a silver sequestering agent, Cinnamic acid disulfide, that prevented this. It was discontinued when it was found that this agent reduced film speed with some new technology films:

http://www.usask.ca/lists/alt-photo-...ct99/0358.html

Pop Photo of the day did seem to show improved sharpness over regular ID11/D76, and the plus version contained the same amount of sulphite.

Besides, Xtol contains sulphite too. See MSDS for part A:

http://msds.kodak.com/ehswww/externa...02&P_RES=22371

AND part B:

http://msds.kodak.com/ehswww/externa...12&P_RES=22371

Xtol is a good developer but it isn't a miracle. One thing I distinctly do not like about it is that it dies rather suddenly and with no apparent color change. It looks fine, worked fine last week, then suddenly produces almost blank negatives.

I'd hesitate to even call it better overall than D76, though it's certainly different. D76 has been around so long because it's so good. It's not the fastest or the slowest in shadow detail, not the sharpest or the least sharp, the finest grained or the grainiest, but it is a very good all around developer.

EDIT: I did some Google-Fu on ID11 Plus and found the reason it was discontinued was that the silver sequestering agent, Cinnamic acid disulfide, tended to reduce film speed with some new technology films:

http://www.usask.ca/lists/alt-photo-...ct99/0358.html