Being a Tri-X main liner I find it very difficult to get my head around the "T" grain structure of this film.It seems to pasteurized to me.That said,I have about 90ft of the stuff and would like to find an alternative way to shoot it.Maybe adjust the box speed or developer? All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Having shot globs of this stuff in the 80's and into the 90's, I could never seem to get it "right". So, I went back to trad films; Plus-X, etc.
About four years ago, a friend gave me a couple of rolls of T-Max 100 that he wasn't going to shoot (he likes TMY400) and I souped it in Rodinal at an EI of 64, the times used were on the back of the Rodinal bottle, probably 1+25. Well, I still don't like T-Max, but those Rodinal negs were the best I've ever done with that film.
"too pasteurized" That is an interesting subjective description. I am not sure what it means. It is interesting reading threads asking what film to use and why, they are full of personal descriptions. Usually like .. so and so film is stunning, or beautiful, dramatic. Lots of terms that have no real solid meaning. Perhaps someone should start a dictionary for terms used to describe the look of film. When I first used Tmax 100 for portraits I got the weirdest looking skin tone, like the skin was blank light grey without much modulation. It struck me as "muggy". That impression stuck with me a long time and I never used the film. Then I tried it again and got really beautiful glowing skin tone. I am not sure what changed, me or the film. I guess looking too pasturized might mean looking too accurate or perhaps no range of tones stand out in the print. I think the rodinal is a good suggestion for it.
The only developers that I like with TMax 100 are Edwal 12 or 777. I have a few 35mm rolls that are going to expire in a few months that I will soup in DK 50 or Acufine, maybe I will get lucky. For the most part I now shot Forma Pan 400 for high speed, and Pan F or Efke 25 for low speed, the mid range just does not seem fit my needs at the moment.
Started using Tmax100 alongside AP100 then APX100 when Tmax100 was first released and haven't stopped. Initially I used Rodinal but after about 145 years began also using Xtol (replenished). Now I use Pyrocat HD for 90% of my Tmax processing, but still use Xtol for some commercial work.
Tmax100 is a superb film it's only failing is it's effective EI for my uses is a full stop less than APX100 but apart from that the results are indistinguishable. I stopped using APX100 when they dropped the sheet film.
"too pasteurized" That is an interesting subjective description. I am not sure what it means. It is interesting reading threads asking what film to use and why, they are full of personal descriptions. Usually like .. so and so film is stunning, or beautiful, dramatic. Lots of terms that have no real solid meaning. Perhaps someone should start a dictionary for terms used to describe the look of film. When I first used Tmax 100 for portraits I got the weirdest looking skin tone, like the skin was blank light grey without much modulation. It struck me as "muggy". That impression stuck with me a long time and I never used the film. Then I tried it again and got really beautiful glowing skin tone. I am not sure what changed, me or the film. I guess looking too pasturized might mean looking too accurate or perhaps no range of tones stand out in the print. I think the rodinal is a good suggestion for it.
Good point about the personal descriptions. Perhaps I should add more (unscientific descriptions) as to why I don't like T-Max: I found its contrast to be muddy, dull and lifeless. My negsprints didn't sing the way they did with Pan-X, Plus-X and Tri-X. I souped T-Max 100 in everything from FG-7 to Ethol 90--not one dev did the trick. As soon as I went back to trad-grain films in good old D-76, the sparkle was back. BTW, I did shoot several hundred feet of T-Max; it was THE film and I would think several hundred feet would be enough to "get to know a film".
T-Max 100 
Linear Mode
