Digital BW, The Print

Tri-X has changed somewhat (and has undergone another change very recently,
although I'm not sure what it was), but it still looks far more like Tri-X
than anything else, so it's still well worth shooting if you like the
distinctive Tri-X look.  I still shoot it.  I often like it better than
T-Max.  The spectral sensitivity and characteristic curves of Tri-X seem to
produce clearer images than more rigorously panchromatic films like T-Max,
even though I suppose T-Max more accurately reflects real-world
luminosities.  I could do without Tri-X grain, but other than that I like
the film.

I don't do anything special in development.  Just D-76 straight, adjusting
times to reflect whatever the ambient temperature is when I develop (usually
around 22\ufffd C).  However, I scan everything (no enlarger), so exact results
are not as critical for me as they might be if I planned to optically
enlarge and print the negatives.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Truman Prevatt" <tprevatt@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2003 03:32
Subject: [Digital BW] Film


> I started back in photography after lay off - life got in the way. I
> primarly shoot 4x5. I used to use Tri-X but was not all that happy with
> the Tri-X/HC-110 combination I was using. Since I got back in I have
> been looking at other options. I do, however, like the "Tri-X" look. Of
> course I suspect that Tri-X has changed some in the 20 years since I
> used it. Right now I am playing around with TMax 400, but I am not sure
> I like the look of the prints produced from the film. I, however, have
> not printed any TMax negs on silver paper so I can't really compare it
> to TriX. I have scanned and printed some of my old TriX negs on Photo
> Rag and do like them - I would say better than the TMax negs but I don't
> have the same images. Many of my old TriX negs were taken when I lived
> in CO and hence the lighting and subject are much different than I have
> on the TMax so we are talking apples to oranges.
>
> My question is what is TriX like these days and how does it compair to
> TMax and what are the developer combinations/times that work well for
> TriX. I live in FL and it is difficult to get my water below 75 degrees
> and year round it is between 75 and 80 degrees so that somewhat limits
> the developer.
>
> Truman