Is TMAX plus DD-X the best for me?

TiCoyote · Dec 13, 2016

I shoot medium format B&W, and scan the negatives on a Canoscan 9000F MK II, using the included software. I have tried Kodak T-Max, Delta, and HP5+. I find 400 speed the most verstatile. I like Kodak T-Max 400 because it has a finer grain, it's sharp, it's easy to load onto the reel, and it dries flat.

I have developed it in Ilfosol 3 and Ilfotec DD-X. The DD-X is a little more expensive, but the results were a little better too.

Here's what I like about DDX:
Liquid, I don't have to mess around with mixing up a powder.
One-shot, I don't have to store it or keep track of how many times I've used it.
It seems to last for at least a year

Here's what I would like in addition to what I have:
Finer grain (some of my images seem to come out grainy)
Increased sharpness
Cheaper (this is less of an issue, but DDX is on the expensive side).

I pre-rinse, and I dilute the DDX 1+4. I develop for 8 min, agitating for the first 30 sec, and then 5 agitations every 30 sec.

I imagine there are a lot of variables here:
Scanner
Software
Developing technique
Developer

But focusing on technique and developer, could I get finer grain and increased sharpness by changing my technique, eliminating the pre-rinse, or switching to Rodinal?

Thank you,

john.margetts · Dec 13, 2016

Dilution rate affects grain. More concentrated developer should give you finer grain but at an increased cost. I have never used DDX but if your development time is only 8 minutes, you probably have it as concentrated as is viable.

I always agitate twice as much as you are - ten seconds every minute. I suspect this also affects grain size.