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.

 

[Ian Grant]

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%?

Reduced compared to the other films & developer I use. I have a feeling Foma's dev times might have been revised since I did my tests in 2007. When Kodak had the ASA part of the ISO speed testing changed for Tmax films companies could use a developer of their own choice. Foma chose Microphen a speed enhancing developer. Previously all companies had to use the same ASA/BS designated developer, almost identical to Adox Borax MQ. DIN testing uses a different developer, manufacturers can use either the DIN or ASA/BS.

Kodak had the ASA test methodology changed because Tmax films failed the standard ASA speed tests in the required developer. It passed in their in-house Ascorbic developer, but a Swedish US Patent prevented Kodak releasing an Ascorbic developer. When that lapsed they released Xtol.

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.

Actually the Foma datasheet says a water rinse or a 10 second dip in a 2% Acetic Acid solution, that matches all other film manufacturers - who usually put it the other way round - stop bath or water rinse.

All film companies give this Stop bath, or water rinse.

Ian

 

[Nas]

Actually the Foma datasheet says a water rinse or a 10 second dip in a 2% Acetic Acid solution, that matches all other film manufacturers - who usually put it the other way round - stop bath or water rinse.

All film companies give this Stop bath, or water rinse.

Ian

Must be a different data sheet to the one I read. After I switched to using only water instead of a chemical stop bath I stopped seeing strange marks on my Foma films. It's the only type of film I use water instead of stop bath.

 

[Dave_P]

Well, today I developed some Foma 100 for a mate of mine, went for ID-11 1+1 in the Jobo for 8.5mins, with a pre-wash, and it seemed to come out about right. Could have given less development but generally looks OK. This is about a minute less than the Ilford times for FP4+ in ID-11 1+1 (datasheet says 11mins minus 15% for constant agitation, so about 9.5mins) which broadly seems in agreement with what Ian is saying.

 

[Camerashy]

Well, today I developed some Foma 100 for a mate of mine, went for ID-11 1+1 in the Jobo for 8.5mins, with a pre-wash, and it seemed to come out about right. Could have given less development but generally looks OK. This is about a minute less than the Ilford times for FP4+ in ID-11 1+1 (datasheet says 11mins minus 15% for constant agitation, so about 9.5mins) which broadly seems in agreement with what Ian is saying.

Dave did you use water for the stop bath and a fix with hardner? I've read that the emulsion is soft and easily scratched, that's why a hardening fix or pyro developer is recommended.

 

[Ian Grant]

Well, today I developed some Foma 100 for a mate of mine, went for ID-11 1+1 in the Jobo for 8.5mins, with a pre-wash, and it seemed to come out about right. Could have given less development but generally looks OK. This is about a minute less than the Ilford times for FP4+ in ID-11 1+1 (datasheet says 11mins minus 15% for constant agitation, so about 9.5mins) which broadly seems in agreement with what Ian is saying.

I have a US PDF data sheet for Fomapan100 which has an extra first page with additional development times. I guess it's from Freestyle as it includes their Arista developers. It gives a time of 8 - 10 minutes for ID-11/D76 at 1+1 20ºC, intermittent agitation.

Dave did you use water for the stop bath and a fix with hardner? I've read that the emulsion is soft and easily scratched, that's why a hardening fix or pyro developer is recommended.

I use a water rinse instead of stop bath for all my films, I had no space to store stop bath while living in Turkey. Yes Foma films )and papers) are slightly softer emulsions than Ilford & Kodak but you don't need a hardening fixer. In Turkey I process at 27ºC as that's the water temperature most of the year, still no issues. That's with a few hundred rolls of 120 Fomapan 100 & 200.

Ian,

 

[Dave_P]

Dave did you use water for the stop bath and a fix with hardner? I've read that the emulsion is soft and easily scratched, that's why a hardening fix or pyro developer is recommended.

I just use a water stop bath, and take efforts not to scratch the film - which is not really an issue with developing in a jobo anyway. I do usually use Pyrocat for Foma 200, but since this was Foma 100 which I had never used before, and they were shots belonging to a mate, I didn't want to risk going too far off-piste.

 

[Dave_P]

I have a US PDF data sheet for Fomapan100 which has an extra first page with additional development times. I guess it's from Freestyle as it includes their Arista developers. It gives a time of 8 - 10 minutes for ID-11/D76 at 1+1 20ºC, intermittent agitation.

Sounds good, I will see if I can find this PDF online.

 

[Ian Grant]

I've attached the PDF.

Ian

 

[thronobulax]

I have a US PDF data sheet for Fomapan100 which has an extra first page with additional development times. I guess it's from Freestyle as it includes their Arista developers. It gives a time of 8 - 10 minutes for ID-11/D76 at 1+1 20ºC, intermittent agitation.

I find this is a good point of departure for all the ISO 100 films I have tried with ID-11/D-76 1+1, among them including Acros II, APX 100, and Kentmere 100. I do, however, expose at an EI 50 for more shadow detail, so I dial back the development to the short end of that range.

I use a water rinse instead of stop bath for all my films, I had no space to store stop bath while living in Turkey.

Likewise. For sheet film, I have an open tank into which I installed a hose barb and I use continuously running water for stop bath.