The trouble with being self taught!

[Sirius Glass]

When one is self taught they only need look a the mirror to see the source of their problems. I am self taught, but when I could not get the results that I should be able to, I took a private one day class with Per Volquartz and learned so much it took a long time to incorporate everything he taught. Money well spent.

Steve

[Ronald Moravec]

They are thin and lack shadow detail because of 800.

Spinning around causes increased developer replenishment around the edges compared to the center so you may get density differences across the width.

You would be better served with a lift rod technique, or even better a proper tank.

You will also be better served by using one film and and learning to develope it properly. Then move on to something else. The last thing new people need to do is "pushing" film. Does not work, never has, never will.

Do not change technique as that introduces too many variables and you never are sure what changed what.
Consistency is dull, but that is how you get perfect negs.

[brucemuir]

The new Tmax 400 is supposed to tolerate pushing quite well but I have no direct experience yet.

On thing I do know that properly exposed Tmax negs will generally appear "thin" so I'd look at the entire range in the neg and see how they print.

I've found that for me I need to rate TMX @ 80 and sometimes 64 depending on the contrast range I'm shooting.

[cmo]

Update I developed some more Tmax 400 in Xtol 1+1 this time I agitated it properly and it I wasn't pushing it, the negs were less thin but still quit thin anybody else tried this combo should I use stock solution or switch back to Microphen, the only reason I switched was because Microphen is expensive can it or an equivalent be bought in larger sizes?

If all negs are thin and time and agititation and exposure are right... what's left? Yes, temperature.

What kind of thermometer do you use?

[ajuk]

Not dilution? I mean I've not had problems with HP5+ + Xtol or Tmax 400 + Rodinal.

[ajuk]

I'm now thinking the times on the Massive dev chart are wrong and are for the old tmax.

[stradibarrius]

I am like Steve. I have taught myself how to make violins, guitars, music, photography blah-blah-blah! I have done this because it seemed to be the only way at the time I learned. The problem with being self taught is that you don't know what you don't know!!! Or you know something is missing but you don't know exactly what, so you don't know what question is the correct question to resolve the "current" obstacle. But...if you continue to ask questions you inch closer to the answer that "you" need to move forward.
Sometimes if you are lucky, someone who is listening to your questions will "hear" in your question what you are trying to achieve even if you ask the wrong question and the will provide the right answer.
One of the real positive things about being "self taught" is all of the real lessons you learn along the journey. As we all know our mistakes are often our best lessons.

[Existing Light]

As we all know our mistakes are often our best lessons.

Screwing stuff up is the best way for me to learn. By now, though, I should probably be a master of photography, but i'm not quite there yet. I think one more year of mistakes should fix that

[ajuk]

Aha, while for some combinations the MDC and the datasheet still more or less agree, the Massive dev chart says 9:30 for Xtol 1+1 800 at 20c while The Kodak Data sheet says 12:15 quite a difference I'll let y'all know how it goes with the Kodak times.

Oh no the Kodak time is for 1600

[Anon Ymous]

Aha, while for some combinations the MDC and the datasheet still more or less agree, the Massive dev chart says 9:30 for Xtol 1+1 800 at 20c while The Kodak Data sheet says 12:15 quite a difference I'll let y'all know how it goes with the Kodak times.

Eh, Kodak says 9:15 for both 400 and 800 and 12:15 for 1600.