Tri x 400 Ouch!

[Camerashy]

Just browsed the net to peruse 5x4 sheet film prices. I've had to sit down and have a cup of tea and a digestive. I was shocked at the price of Kodak films, Tri x 400, T max etc. Thankfully there are alternatives, I've settled on a box of Foma 100 for just over £42 (50 sheets). Any advice, sorcery or alchemy about using this film welcome.

 

[Ian Grant]

Just browsed the net to peruse 5x4 sheet film prices. I've had to sit down and have a cup of tea and a digestive. I was shocked at the price of Kodak films, Tri x 400, T max etc. Thankfully there are alternatives, I've settled on a box of Foma 100 for just over £42 (50 sheets). Any advice, sorcery or alchemy about using this film welcome.

Half box speed and reduced development by 25% compared to other films. I've shot a lot of Fomapan 100 & 200 over the past 19 years, in terms of grain, sharpness, tonality, etc the 200 is excellent and that extra stop helps (with 120). I've settled on 200 for all formats, when not using Ilford films.

Ian

 

[Nas]

Just browsed the net to peruse 5x4 sheet film prices. I've had to sit down and have a cup of tea and a digestive. I was shocked at the price of Kodak films, Tri x 400, T max etc. Thankfully there are alternatives, I've settled on a box of Foma 100 for just over £42 (50 sheets). Any advice, sorcery or alchemy about using this film welcome.

Use water as a stop bath. That's in the instructions and something many users overlook. Rodinal is a nice developer when you use the correct dilution. 1+25 for low contrast scenes and 1+50 for high contrast scenes.

 

[Dave_P]

Half box speed and reduced development by 25% compared to other films.

For clarification here Ian, do you mean reduce Foma's datasheet development times by 25%, or reduce some other time that you're already using for other non-Foma films by 25%?

 

[Alan Clark]

I give Foma 100 and FP4 + exactly the same times in the same developer. Occasionally I have developed them together in the same tank. For fairly high contrast scenes, i.e. hazy sun, I use ID11 at 1+2. 12 minutes at 20 degrees C.