Digital BW, The Print

Rick,

>Paul, the TMX in Microdol 1:3 is an excellent call.  I shy away from it
>because of the longer development times and the slightly sharper grain ...

I won't go back to my old standard, because I, too, am now concerned more
with grain than sharpness.  In the old darkroom, that was not the case.

>Perhaps Xtol will work better with the "new" TMX100.

I have not tried the new Tmax.  I have quite a lot of the old stuff in the
freezer.

> I thought it one of
>the worst developers with the original TMX, giving mushy grain and a
>decidedly soft look.

I would have agreed when I was doing direct enlargement.  However, while it
looks soft, the detail is all there on the film and scans fine.  Unsharp
mask then makes it as sharp as needed.

The grain is extremely fine with Xtol.  Now that is an attraction for me.

>... Xtol, ... I sometimes think it to be "The VooDoo Developer From Hell".

But I love those grainless 22 x 28" prints made from a medium format TP-Xtol
negative.  Some 4x5 shooters thought I most be using an 8x10 camera.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

____________________________________


>I really believe in KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).   Tech Pan is an
>phenomenal film, but slow, fussy & very contrasty quite quickly.  Next best
>thing, and grainless in an 8x10 print, is TMX100 developed in D76 1:1.  ...

There is a lot of merit in this recommendation.  I rejected TP and used Tmax
100 for years in a relatively traditional developer (in Microdol 1:3) --
very consistent and reliable.  I may end up taking this same approach again.

But the seductive siren song of ultra-fine grain keeps luring me onto the
rocks.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com



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