Kodak Tri X 320 Being Made Again?

[Bob Hubert]

Hi All,

I walked into EP Levines in Boston yesterday and was told that 8X10 Tri X is being made again. I purchased several boxes from batch 1001 with an expiration date two years out. Am I the only large format shooter in the dark about this (no pun intended).

Bob Hubert

[Kevin Crisp]

I was not aware that it was discontinued in 8x10.

[Sal Santamaura]

I was not aware that it was discontinued in 8x10.

Several years ago Kodak discontinued all 8x10 film as stock items and made them special order only. Some dealers, including B&H, apparently decided they sell enough 320TXP to place their own special orders and continuously offer it as a retail item with quantities as low as one box.

Not too long ago, Kodak Alaris was not delivering on those special orders. For a few months now, B&H has again been able to stock it. Currently, they have 164 boxes available.

[Oren Grad]

There is word going around that Alaris has made 8x10 TXP a stock item again, though I don't have a solid source to confirm that. From what I know of EP Levine - I was there just a few weeks ago - I would be extremely surprised to see them ordering for their own stock unless they could do it on a small quantity basis.

[Neal Chaves]

Just buy Ilford HP5+. It's a clone of TX320 for much less. 5:00 in HC110B at 68* for EI 100 or 7:30 in HC110B at 68* for EI 400.

[Oren Grad]

Just buy Ilford HP5+. It's a clone of TX320 for much less.

Uhhh, no. HP5 Plus is very different from TXP sensitometrically, and the differences matter both in the field and in the darkroom. I'm not a fan of TXP myself, but for those who prefer its characteristics, HP5 Plus is not a direct substitute.

[Bob Hubert]

Glad to hear this was not some big announcement that I missed! Two years ago, I was in the middle of a large project where I had purchased 500 sheets of TXP. I needed 200 more sheets of film to finish and I was told that it was discontinued. I was able to find the film - B&H and Freestyle had some left and I was OK. But I have not seen a fresh box for some time. That's why I was surprised. I enjoy TXP very much for portraiture - especially in natural light. I can push it to 1200 ASA because I develop in Diafine. This works very well with my early lenses because with the bellows extension, I am usually around an equivalent f/9 for exposure even when I start with an f/3 - 4 lens. I will shoot some this weekend and let you know if the formulation looks the same.

Bob

[StoneNYC]

Uhhh, no. HP5 Plus is very different from TXP sensitometrically, and the differences matter both in the field and in the darkroom. I'm not a fan of TXP myself, but for those who prefer its characteristics, HP5 Plus is not a direct substitute.

Yea agreed, I very much like HP5+ more than TXP and it's nothing like TXP which is fine grained and also has a different contrast and highlight response than HP5+ which is closer to 400TX but it's also not anything like 400TX either.

I do wish they would make TMY-2 in 8x10 regularly available... I'm starting to change my mind about it as a film choice.

[Oren Grad]

I will shoot some this weekend and let you know if the formulation looks the same.

You should be OK. Nothing has changed in the emulsion - it's been continuously available as a stock item in 4x5, it's just that cuttings from the master roll to 8x10 were relegated to special order status.

Enjoy!

[jp]

I do wish they would make TMY-2 in 8x10 regularly available... I'm starting to change my mind about it as a film choice.

I was mocked for hoarding it. It was great at $6-7/sheet. I've got enough for many years now. It's been available once in a while at B&H, but Canham's the place and you have to be patient for an order to come together.
If you don't need great reciprocity and exactly the same spectral response, I've got FP4+ working pretty close to TMY2 for my purposes with pyrocat hd.