New Tmax 400 at BH

[Ed Richards]

BH tells me that they cannot tell whether they have new film or old - Kodak seems to be using the same stock numbers. What are folks experience in ordering from BH - do you get new film? I assume that they do a first in, first out inventory, so the old film should be gone before the new film ships.

For folks who have it, can it replace Tmax 100 for 4x5? The old stuff was close.

[steve simmons]

We have a comparison of the old and new T-Max 400 in the Subscriber's Section of the View Camera web site and this article will also appear in the March/April 08 issue.

steve simmons

PS

The new stuff has a red box on the label that says sharpest in English, French, German and Spanish.

[D. Bryant]

BH tells me that they cannot tell whether they have new film or old - Kodak seems to be using the same stock numbers. What are folks experience in ordering from BH - do you get new film? I assume that they do a first in, first out inventory, so the old film should be gone before the new film ships.

For folks who have it, can it replace Tmax 100 for 4x5? The old stuff was close.

I ordered the new TMAX 400 120 from B&H and got the old emulsion. From looking at drums scans of 35 mm film of the new TMY-2 I have no doubt that there will be a discernible difference between old and new. Perhaps not earth shattering for 4x5 but noticeable. As this film comes into the supply stream I'm sure will will get some good user feed back. My immediate interest is in the 120 emulsion though.

Don Bryant

[D. Bryant]

We have a comparison of the old and new T-Max 400 in the Subscriber's Section of the View Camera web site and this article will also appear in the March/April 08 issue.

steve simmons

PS

The new stuff has a red box on the label that says sharpest in English, French, German and Spanish.
Could any of the View Camera subscribers make a post and synopsize the article for those of us who don't subscribe?

Don Bryant

[Ed Richards]

Steve,

What password is the site looking for? I used the Nov/Dec password, but it would not work. I do not have the Jan/Feb issue yet. I assume I will get it eventually.

[steve simmons]

Could any of the View Camera subscribers make a post and synopsize the article for those of us who don't subscribe?

This was a special bonus we did for our subscribers and the article will be in the March issue as well.


ED

e-mail

amiles@viewcamera.com



to check on your issue and get the access info


I have also sent Ed a PM suggesting he contact Andrea directly.


steve simmons

[mattpallante]

I got a box of the new TMY-2 from B&H this week. I don't have my new view camera magazine yet. I have been using PMK on HP-5 for 4 by 5 and 5 by 7. Is PMK a good alternative for the TMY-2? Can anyone give me starting film speed/development times for this film, and their developer? I will be scanning the film for digital output. I haven't used a Kodak film for ages....Matt.

[steve simmons]

If you don't have your issue of VC e-mail

amiles@viewcamera.com

and she will give you the access info.

steve simmons

[Alex Hawley]

I got TMY2 in 4x5 and 120 from B&H. Badger Graphic has the 8x10.

[Eric Leppanen]

Freestyle also now has 4x5 TMY-2. However, when I dropped by their shipping depot for a will-call pickup (I live nearby), they initially handed me a box of "old" TMY. I described what the new box looked like ("look for the red banner"), and they went back and got a box of the new stuff.

[Stephen Quale]

I ordered a box of Tmax 400 4x5 from B&H last week and received the old emulsion.

I just talked with a sales person at B&H and he seemed pretty confused about the new emulsion. The sales person talked with some other people there including the buyer, and he also said he called Kodak. What he told me was that Kodak did not change the SKU# for the new emulsion in 4x5 size and that the "sharpest 400" and "new development times" labels are only on the 35 and 120 sizes, NOT the 4x5 size so there is no way to distinguish the new emulsion from the old.

From what I've read here on the forum this is not correct. So, I'll be returning my box to B&H and calling some other photo stores....

[steve simmons]

here is a photo of one of the boxes of 4x5 that I have


steve simmons

[Arne Norris]

I've never used Tmax 400 for 4x5 sheet film, and my exprience with the older 35mm emulsion wasn't so positive. I would be interested to get some feedback from users of the 4x5; what developers you like, film characteristics verses TriX or HP5.

Some images to show would be awesome.

[Alex Wei]

Well, B&H clerk doesn't really know the difference, I ordered some T-max 400 three weeks ago and I insist on the new film, the clerk brought me old tmax 400 and told me that's the only thing they have in store. I told him there is new tmax 400 out there, he seems like know nothing about it.

[steve simmons]

I have said this before but in the Subscriber's Sectioon of the View Camera web site is an article comparing the old and new T-Max 400 by Sandy King. This article will be in the March/April issue as well.

steve simmons

[Arne Norris]

Can someone please enlighten me about Tmax 400 4x5, new or old? It sounds like there's a following out there for the film. Can anyone share their thoughts and experiences with Tmax 400?

[D. Bryant]

Can someone please enlighten me about Tmax 400 4x5, new or old? It sounds like there's a following out there for the film. Can anyone share their thoughts and experiences with Tmax 400?

Arne,

TMAX 400 (old version) is a great 4x5 film known for it's ability to allow contractions and expansions of the tonal scale.

It has great reciprocity characteristics.

It does not have a UV coating on the base if you are interested in contact printing for UV processes.

You can obtain box speed with several different developers and works well with pyro developers giving good proportional stain to improve actinic densities but still allowing negatives that are easy to print on gelatin silver.

The grain signature is probably the least noticible for a 400 speed film when it is developed ith a staining developer.

TMY has a fairly straight line curve with a less pronounced toe than films like TRI-X or HP5 but not quite as abrupt as TMAX 100. The spectral response is different that TMAX 100 and other 400 speed films.

I expect that the new emulsion will maintain all of the above positive characteristics plus have a finer grain pattern. Rumor is that the grain will be that of a medium speed film instead of a 400 speed film. I have yet to try the new version so I can't say personally if that is the case, but I have looked at drum scans of exposures made on 35 mm film and the grain pattern does not look as pronounced as the old. However if extra development is given the new emulsion that may change.

The only bad thing about this film IMO, is that it doesn't come in Ready Loads.

Do I like the film? -Yes! Will you like the film? That's for you to decide. Purchase a box when it comes to your neighborhood and give it a try.

Don Bryant

[Arne Norris]

Don,

Thank you for the detailed and very thorough response. It seems like a positive sign that Kodak is introducing a new emulsion for B&W film! Your note about that lack of a UV base coating is very interesting as I have been wanting to try contact printing using UV light. I had never considered that some films might not work well for this. Do you know if any of the common B&W films from Ilford, Kodak, Fuji or Bergger not compatible with UV contact printing?

[D. Bryant]

Don,

Thank you for the detailed and very thorough response. It seems like a positive sign that Kodak is introducing a new emulsion for B&W film! Your note about that lack of a UV base coating is very interesting as I have been wanting to try contact printing using UV light. I had never considered that some films might not work well for this. Do you know if any of the common B&W films from Ilford, Kodak, Fuji or Bergger not compatible with UV contact printing?
AFAIK, Kodak TMAX 100 is the only sheet film with a UV blocking coating on the film base, however I could be wrong about that.

Don Bryant