Trying Tri-X

I’ve been trying, dare I say testing Tri-X recently. Tri-X has famously been around for decades, although it has undergone a couple of changes to it’s formulation over the years, so the Tri-X of 1954, is not the Tri-X we buy today. I’d be surprised in a bad way if it was! I’ve written before that generally I’m not a fast/grainy film kind of guy. My tendency is to stick with slower, and therefore less grainy films. Good old FP4+ would frankly cover 95% of what I photograph with no problem. There are times however when it’s both useful to shake up the tool kit a bit and sometimes you just need that speed. To that end I purchased a couple of rolls of 35mm and a 5 pack of 120.

To be clear when I say testing, I mean how I get on with it, Kodak or Tri-X have more than proved themselves over the years and need no comment from me! So it’s more testing me using it! All these images are 35mm. I developed them in “Barry Thornton Two Bath” developer, 5 minutes in each bath at 20 degrees C. They were all shot at box speed of 400 iso. I’m rather pleased with the results. I’ve had to make virtually no corrections to get results that I like.

I have used a roll or two before, (you can read about that here) but not much, it’s not a stock I know well. Typically I’d reach for HP5 but I have to say I think I may slowly be getting converted, especially as the winter months grow nearer. Although I will expose a roll of HP5 and develop in the same developer, to make a more direct comparison. Tri-X, looking at the cheapest source is about 10% more cost here in the UK, not a huge jump – I’m looking forward to trying some 120 soon! I especially like the image below of the sunflowers with the wheel barrow wheel!