What film is most like Tri X?

[Robbie Bedell]

I am about to order some film, but I do not have the budget right now for my favorite- (4x5 Tri-X). Of all of the imported films, Foma, Adox, etc., in your experience, which one is most like Tri-X? I would love to buy them all and make my own determination, but right now it is just not possible. Thanks in advance! Robbie Bedell

http://robbiebedell.photoshelter.com

[Jay DeFehr]

Robbie,

Do you mean TX, or TXP?

[Robbie Bedell]

Thanks Jay, yes, TXP. I am en ex-newspaper guy so if its 400 (or 320) it's Tri- X to me! Thanks for the correction!

http://robbiebedell.photoshelter.com

[John Kasaian]

Nothing is quite like TXP. IMHO HP-5+ is about as close as I can get---but it is a very fine film in it's own right. I haven't tried the new Arista.edu 400(Fomapan 400)

[Vlad Soare]

No film I know of has the retouching base of TXP. You can draw on its back with a pencil almost as easily as if you were drawing on paper. I find this a very nice feature. I wish other films had it, too. Now that I'm trying to take up 8x10, the retouching of negatives looks like a very interesting and appealing technique, which I'd like to try.


I haven't tried the new Arista.edu 400(Fomapan 400)
I have, about two years ago, but in 35mm only. It was at best ASA 200 - perhaps even lower if you wanted to raise the shadows into the straight line part of the curve. It was also quite grainy, noticeably grainier than 400TX, though I suppose that would be a non-issue with large formats.
Overall, a nice film for its price, and I might give it a try if it becomes available in 8x10, but I didn't find it to be much of a match to 400TX (I don't know about TXP; I've only used TXP in 8x10, and not for too long at that, so I can't compare them).

[Jay DeFehr]

I've been shooting some Foma 400 lately, and I like it, but I'm not sure it's a match for TXP. TXP has that long toe. Foma definitely has a toe, unlike TMY-2, and I suppose that makes it closer to TXP than TMY-2. HP5+ doesn't have much of a toe, either. What about Neopan 400?

[BetterSense]

They don't make Neopan 400 in sheets, unfortunately.

[Robbie Bedell]

Jay, I love the Neopan 100 in 4x5, 35mm and 120. But I'm trying to hold the cost down at this point. Perhaps I will look into the Foma. I can see I have alot more research to do. I suppose I should call Freestyle and see what they have to say.