processing 4x5

[Raven Garrow]

Hi, Q1) Someone on this site commented that TMax 4x5 film should not be develope d in TMax developer, but TMax RS. I'm not familar with this developer. Is this a true statement, and is the RS liquid or powder? I don't want to work with powder, only because I here its harder to work with. Q 2) I will be developing just like I did in school, the film will go on a film ha nger, and put in, probably a tuperware type container, three lined up. Developer , stop bath, fixer, and then I think, water bath, hypo, water bath, photo flo. D eveloping as follows = film on flm hangers, put in chemistry, lifted up and to t he left, back down, and lifted up and to the right, back down, etc.. What I can' t remember is the sequence, ( like, for 5 sec., every 30 sec.). Can anyone advi se me? School lab is closed till fall so I can't go get the directions. P.S. H ow long for the waterbath, and hypo, and waterbath? Q3) I have a new Gralab dark room timer. The numbers are illuminated with day glo, so it absorbs light and il luminates in the dark. The problem is it doesn't stay illuminated for to long. F rustrating. Its the same with my Beseler enlarging timer. Even more frustrating. What I don't understand is in school we had the Gralab timers, just like mine, but metal instead of plastic. I assumed only because they're older, and everythi ng is made with plastic today. They stayed illuminated for the entire lab, (4 hr s.,), and lights were never turned on. I was at Le Camera and they were selling used Gralab timers. The all metal one was more expensive than the plastic one, b oth in fine condition. I don't get it. Maybe price difference only because of me tal vs plastic, but is there any other difference between the two? I didn't have time to ask them. Thanks for any info, Raven

[Gary Newell]

Raven,

Yes, I've been searching the forum and the net re: your question on the amount of time in each bath as this is someting I'm interested, too. So, I'll be watching responses. Your Question #3, though...I use a WestBend digital kitchen timer (Cat. No. 40000) to time my baths. There are basically 3 separate timers you setup through pushbuttons.Each timer sounds a different alarm when it has reached your preset limit for each bath. I don't know where you are, but comb the local Kitchen-speciality stores in your area. I doubt mine is made anymore, but there are probably better solutions out there and less than the $20 or so that I paid!

-Gary

[N Dhananjay]

Hi,

1/ I remember being told that tmax developer was for rollfilm whereas tmax rs was meant for sheet film, esp using the replenishment system. The kodak darkroom dataguide provides development time only for the tmax rs developer for tmax sheet film. And it is available as a liquid. Maybe www.kodak.com might have more specific information.

2/ re agitation, what you find generally recommended is constant agitation for the first 30 secs and then 5 secs every 30 secs.

Hope this helps. DJ

[N Dhananjay]

Sorry, forgot to add. Development time recommended is 8 minutes for normal processing. I typically use a 1 minute water presoak. Then developer for the required time. Then 30secs - 1 minute through the stop bath, fixing time depends on whether you're using a rapid fixer or not. The package will usually have instructions. Two 30 sec sequences with constant agitation in water. Hypo clear for 1-2 minutes (again refer to mfr's instructions). Final water wash for 20 minutes. Treat with wetting agent. Hang to dry.

[Jacque Staskon]

Hi Raven, sorry to hear your lab is closed during the summer. T-Max rs is a liquid developer. the rs stands for replenisment. Here is a staring time I have used to process t-max 100 using rs developer. First and foremost mix the developer for 1 shot usage. Meaning mix the syrup concentrate and the add packet of "RS" to it. Process at 75 degrees. Use a water bath before you develop your film, place your t- max in the water for at least 1 minute to remove the anti halation coating on your film. Drain, For normal development use 100 ml of t-max rs add 900 ml of distilled water. time for Normal development is 12min 30 seconds.(You'll have to do your own testing for n- or n+.) stop bath with constant agitation for 30 seconds. Fix in a rapid fix (i like Ilford or formulary) Follow the directions usually about six minutes. wash for 2-5 minutes. Use a hypo clearing agent, there are many out there. 1-2 minutes depending on brand. Wash again for 2-5 minutes photo flo 1 minute and hang to dry. Your agitation cycle sounds right. I am sorry I can't help you with the timer problem. How about charging up the flourescent dial with sunlight, or another bright light source. Otherwise just count to 30 using 1-1000, should be close enough. jacque

[Britt Leckman]

I use both the Tmax and the Tmax RS developers, and have found that results are about the same for each. Tmax developer is a one solution developer when mixed with water is used for roll films (it can be used for sheet film in a pinch). Tmax RS as has been stated above is for replenishment, but it is also a two part liquid developer, available in larger bulk sizes up to 10 gal. A very good reference for these and other chemicals from Kodak is at www.kodak.com. They have very extensive PDF files availablre for most of the popular chemicals. As well as all of the various times for dev., stop, fix, ....

[Eric Brody]

Kodak will tell you what they told me via email and that is that there is risk of "dichroic fog" with the plain TMAX developer used with TMAX sheet films. There is no problem with this with the RS developer. It might be worth a personal experiment though I've not gotten around to actually doing it. Good luck.

[John O'Connell]

I used regular T-Max developer instead of the RS on TMY. It worked. No prewet, standard 35mm times. The negatives were no different in color from those developed in D-76.

That said, I'll probably use the RS in the future (I didn't get into this to get lesser quality in my negs).

[Richard Fish]

You-all are not going to like this, but I have to write it anyway........... I HATE TMax developer. In fact, except for copy stand work [T-Max 100], I no longer use TMax film at all. I've returned to good old TRI-X in HC110-B, for everything that I do in b&w, from 35mm and 6x6 to 4x5 and 8x10. Why? I knew you'd ask! There's more control - much more. I couldn't get minus N worth a darn with TMax; at least not with a negative that had detail in the shadows. Yes, I know, in the small formats TRI-X is grainy, but it's not at all objectionable in sheet film. O.k., I've had my "say."

[pat j. krentz]

There is a group or us old farts in Yucca Valley,Ca. and we all tried the T-max developers and the HC-110, the only one that we have all tried and all agree on is Pyro developers, the majority of the guys use PMK, I use pyro-stain. It works great on all b/w films that I have used,(kodak,ilford,arista,agfa) if works good on XP1 also. Forget all that other stuff and simplify your life and photography and go with the pyro developers. Pat