[Leica] Re: December 2007 LUG Photo Contest results

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Before Brian and Steve posted their first comments I was gonna use
> this shot to illustrate my first experiences with New Tmax400  in
> Xtol.  Very good sharpness (as advertised,) really long scale,
> endless highlight latitude (with a creamy, almost medium-format feel
> to them).  Don't exactly know how the grain structure will look in a
> really big enlargement but there's a lot to like about this combo.
> However, I'm not sure yet about the spectral sensitivity.  Whereas my
> fallback combo of Neopan 400 in Xtol usually looks like I actually
> knew enough to filter the shot properly (when I used no filter at
> all), the jury ain't in on this New Tmax stuff.
> snip 
> Bob Palmieri
> 
> 
> 
> 
Depends on which dilution you use Bob!
If you use it straight or 1:1 your grain structure will be :
No
No grain structure.
Mush
Mush I tell you!
If you can make out the grain at all from the mush which surrounds them.
At 1:2 you'll see fairly defined grain but with an edge which needs work
At 1:3 you'll see nicely defined grain but you'll need good magnification to
see it. A good loupe on an 11x14 print. That's a darkroom print. On an
inkjet those are not the subtleties involved.
Just don't do the 1:3 with Tmax 100 or plus x or delta 3200. As it wont ever
obtain enough contrast and density no matter how long you give it.
But any other film is acutance results from a solvent developer.  Almost.
But you cant let it sit in a partially filled bottle over night.
Has to be in filled little glass bottles. And probably distilled water.
And still it could "fail". Never did for me but it did for everyone else.
Most of them screwed up not doing the things I just mentioned but some of
them maybe didn't screw up. So you gotta ask yourself.
Do I feel lucky?


I'm switching to ascorbic acid added to normal MQ developers (D76 etc) and
or Beutlers.
And or Pyro.
In the meanwhile I'm using C41 with whatever  I can fit in there. . Minus
the "I'm".

Mark William Rabiner
markrabiner.com