Developer suggestions for Tri-X?

Korfhage, Willard (Willard-Korfhage@deshaw.com)
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 15:20:38 -0400

A while ago I had to shoot some 8x10 Tri-X instead of the film I usually
use, and I haven't managed to find a developer/time combination that I
like. I would like to draw upon the collective wisdom of the list to get
suggestions for developers I might try with my few remaining test
negatives.

I am developing the negatives in home-made tubes of ABS pipe, and print
VanDyke using a UV lightbox. The negatives get lots of agitation because
the tubes spin continuously in a water bath.

I had some D-76, so I tried that dilulted 1:1 and the negatives were
terribly dense - shadows coming in at 0.6, and maximum negative density
of 2.4 according to my densitometer. I tried printing one, and after a
50 minute exposure the print still didn't have any hilight detail
showing. Less development could lead to undesirably short times.
Farmer's reducer applied to the negatives might will get the density
range into something reasonable - anybody have a recipe?

I tried some Arista developer, from Freestyle. The negatives came out so
thin that it looks like I would have to greatly extend the development
time to get a good density range.

Anybody have developer suggestions for me to try? HC-110? Something
else?

Willard