T Max 400 (2) Reciprocity Correction

[Michael Kadillak]

Had not checked the newer version of T Max 400 and assumed the older reciprocity correction of the film from the original TMY was still in play and could tell immediately that something was awry when I developed the sheet. I checked the tech publication and the reciprocity correction is published as to be negligible out to 10 seconds where one only need to add 1/3 stop. Has anyone verified this correction in the field? If this is verifiable I will be more than pleasantly surprised and pleased as punch.

Many Thanks!

[Bruce Watson]

Has anyone verified this correction in the field?

That sounds about right for the latest version. I haven't made the effort to build a curve for it, but that sounds about right. The extension on the bottom end (shadow detail) is amazing.

I did some testing years ago where I shot the same image on dialed in Tri-X and dialed in TMY. I was looking at the shadow detail, so old dry-stack stone walls in direct sunlight, boulders in streams in direct sunlight, that sort of thing. I wanted the shadows to be a nice smooth gradient that extended all the way to featureless black, but to carry as much detail as possible on the way there. I metered with a modified Pentax digital one degree spot meter and exposed the target shadows for Zone III.

My intent was so see how far down the gradient the image would go. But that's not what I got. With TMY, I got shadow detail that didn't stop. I didn't get to a point on the film (that I could find) where all detail dropped out and I had clear film. With Tri-X, I got hardly any of the gradient at all -- it dropped to clear film almost immediately. IOW, Tri-X went into reciprocity failure in the shadows, where TMY did not.

I've still got the mostly full box of Tri-X I was using for that test. Haven't shot a sheet of Tri-X since. I've only used TMY since that last test run.

No other iso 400 film can touch TMY for this. The only films that are better, and then only marginally, seem to be TMX and Acros, both iso 100 films.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Reciprocity data that I generated for the old TMY years ago, has worked fine for me and TMY-2.

[Michael Kadillak]

Reciprocity data that I generated for the old TMY years ago, has worked fine for me and TMY-2.

It appears that based upon old T Max 400 reciprocity data that I got from Kodak and that was affirmed by Howard Bond in Photo Techniques as an example shows that a two second exposure of the original T Max 400 sheet film would be corrected to three seconds. The new T Max 400 film in the tech report from Kodak shows that there is no correction out to 10 seconds where you add 1/3 stop. The densities I got with the new film were visually excessive indicating that there was far more exposure than necessary hence the post. I found a German Prontor timer in my drawer that I forgot I had acquired and hope to get to employ this for some testing shortly to take the human error out of the equation and really look at this more closely as Bruce has done. The more I use this sheet film the more I realize that it very likely is the best sheet film likely ever manufactured. Expensive, but oh la laaaaa.

[Andrew O'Neill]

I agree. Definitely is likely the best film ever manufactured... but, once I'm out of 8x10, that's it for me. I'll continue shooting it in 4x5, though.

[Kirk Gittings]

I have some frozen but not sure when I got it exactly. When did the "new" come in?

[Michael Kadillak]

I have some frozen but not sure when I got it exactly. When did the "new" come in?

Several years ago Kodak spent some big bucks to improve the film mainly to increased the resolution as if it really needed it. The new film has been reviewed by Sandy King as well as others and although I was not sure how I would like it over the original product (normal angst when what you are familiar with changes causing you to have to make adjustments). But after giving it some time and effort I can now admit it is a kick ass improvement. I am only learning now that the seemingly innocuous reciprocity correction is another vote of confidence in this direction. You can do a google on this subject Kirk and get a background on this activity. The exact date escapes me.

[Sal Santamaura]

...When did the "new" come in?

Fall of 2007:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...4043/f4043.pdf

[Kodachrome25]

It's become my favorite film, I shoot it in 35, 120 and 4x5 and mostly soup it in Xtol 1:1. Simply spectacular film in any format.

[bgh]

I agree, it is a remarkable film, especially for the reciprocity characteristics. Given the work that I do (HABS/HAER), I shoot quite a lot in low-light situations, and since I'm on a fixed budget and schedule, I can't wait forever to get the series of photographs that I need. TMY-2 is amazing. Unfortunately, now that Kodak has seen fit to jack the price up unmercifully, I need to find an alternative. I'll mix some TMX into the mix on my next job in a couple or weeks, and see how that does.

Bruce