• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Tri-X Pan, Remember that?

Forums New posts
M38A1

M38A1

Admin
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Messages
22,152
Reaction score
4,081
Location
North of Weird
First Name
Scott
...Well, it's now just called 400TX.

Shooting an early 1980's Nikon N2020 with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 with Tri-X at 400, I was able to capture the following on a little walkabout last Friday night in downtown Austin along South Congress.

Precision Camera will develop the film and scan it for about $15. Or, I can develop it myself and they'll do the scans for $6 or so. Wouldn't take too terribly long to recoup the $100 or so for chemicals, a developing tank and reel so I might consider going that route.

But here's a few from my first outing in over 30 years shooting B&W film. (Yeah, I found myself looking at the back of the camera after each shot... :rofl:)

C&C Welcome!



#1 - Our Lady of the Radish
1105653546_mguUV-L.jpg


#2 - Order Here
1105653769_pDQMv-L.jpg


#3 - Hotrods at the Continental Club
1105653779_smZ3W-L.jpg


#4 - Pickin' and singin' at Guero's
1105654036_rErmj-L.jpg


.
 
WOW real B&W. It's been a long time. Those look really good, the more black the better...........:clap:
Give me a shout before you buy hardware, I may be able to help ya out.
TexTom:deal:
 
Tri-X? As in B&W 400 ASA film? You can still buy that stuff? Nice pix.
 
I do remember. That second shot really appeals to me.
 
very cool shots--I like 'em all for different reasons.

What are the specs on the scanner you're digitizing them with?
 
Thanks for the kind words.....

This first roll was a lot of fun to shoot. Knowing you can't see your work until processed, combined with the fact that you actually PAY for your shots sort of made me really think about them. "Do I want that shot"? "How can I make that interesting"? "Is it worthy of 4% of that roll for the shot"? All questions that run through your head.

yeah, i picked up two more rolls too! i'm thinking i'll try shooting one at ASA800 and one at 1600 just to see the results.


@Tom-
Yeah, I'll ping you on some tanks/reels shortly.

.
 
Tracker said:
very cool shots--I like 'em all for different reasons.

What are the specs on the scanner you're digitizing them with?
Click to expand...

Gary-
Not sure.... Precision Camera here in Austin did the developing and scanning for me. I know the GM over there so I can probably find out what developer they use and the scanner specs. If you look close (and it's not that hard to notice) you'll see dust spots and a few little fibers in the scan's. I sort of like that look for street shots.

The shots above were all f/1.8 IIRC in the 1/15-1/60 second range at ASA400. I used a lot of fixed objects like lightpoles and tables to steady the camera when shooting.

As for "different reasons", they ARE different than a digital shot converted to B&W. There's just something alive about them, maybe more depth for a feeling. Maybe I should try to reshoot them with my digital and do a conversion. I could probably get close most of them.

.
 
Very nice indeed. I think film is like tube audio gear. More "soul" or something like that. I did a lot of Tri-X when I was working in Saudi Arabia. I had a lot of fun learning to develop film using this. And yes, you can push Tri-X pretty far if you try.
Robert
 
I do miss military post dark labs & the thrill of watching an image appear for the first time. And like Robert says, there's some similarity between a tube amplifier and the subtlety of Tri-X or Panatomic-X B/W film. And I'm glad others are willing to keep the art of film photography alive. Alas, I'm too old, too lazy, and too resigned to digital.

Then again, if there were a local club with a handy dark lab available.....
 
I don't think I want to get back into the darkroom as it seems time gets more valuable and much more scarce. But I was going through some old boxes and finding old pictures from way back. I realized that all of the digital pictures I have right now really don't get looked at and will they even be around 30 or 40 years from now like these prints are? I keep thinking I need to dig out the Olympus and the Nikonos IV and start doing more prints. Maybe I'll bring some real cameras to the Big Bend ride in February.
So now, where do I get film? I just gave away all my Fuji Chrome but that was slides anyway.
Digital sure is easy though. And instant gratification.
And I wonder if my mother still has that medium format camera I gave her 30 years ago???????????
 
And now I'm wondering what a modern CD would sound like hooked up to a nice old Macintosh or Crown tube amp? I bet it would be nice.
 
Robert,
Precision Camera a few doors down from your old location has all the film you can ask for. And yes, they will push it based on how you shot it, ie: get some Tri-X at 400 and shoot it at 800 or 1600. They charge a buck more for push processing. So for like $17 you can get a roll of 24 processed and back to you on CD in either TIFF or .jpg format and high or low resolution.
 
I have a three ring full of BW negs and my attic is full of dark room junk. Had a lot of fun with it. With today's equipment, can't ever see messing with it again. My daughter did get some use out of it in college. She has developed a keen eye for it. :mrgreen:
 
I really like #2. I still haven't developed my roll of TriX. I've got two 120 rolls of HP5+ that need developing as well. The Canoscan 8800F I've been using to scan does as good of a job as I need and has paid for itself already, fwiw. Comes with a holder for two strips of 135, 135 mounted slides, and a strip of 120.

tshelfer said:
Tri-X? As in B&W 400 ASA film? You can still buy that stuff? Nice pix.
Click to expand...

Yup, you can even order it on Amazon in 120 or 135.
 
The film and paper developing process is very light and temperature sensative. Hard to make a darkroom big enough for photos as even light trickling through an a/c register can ruin the print. They do make bags where you can move the film into the cannister.

About 10 years ago I could not give away my darkroom equipment. Finally donated it to the local community college photo lab.

I would like to take B/W photos on an upcoming Route 66 trip. My freezer is full with TRI-X from 1980 albeit in 120 format. Anyone want to trade original silver 35mm for my 120 Tri-X.

The shot in the diner shows real talent in low light, something that is very difficult since a flash "interrupts" the scene. Great Job.
 
I just throw a sheet of a vinyl material I covered some amp cabinets with over my closet door. Haven't had any problems getting the film into the tanks. I do wait until it's dark out and only turn on one lamp in my room.
 
I would like to take B/W photos on an upcoming Route 66 trip. My freezer is full with TRI-X from 1980 albeit in 120 format. Anyone want to trade original silver 35mm for my 120 Tri-X.
Click to expand...

You have Tri-X in your freezer?! Alas, the shutter on my 1959 Ricoflex packed up about the same time you bought that film.

And now I'm wondering what a modern CD would sound like hooked up to a nice old Macintosh or Crown tube amp? I bet it would be nice.
Click to expand...

Probably really nice. I think CDs got a bum rap because so many early users were either New Wave or New Age artists, who pushed EQing to the extreme, and ended up sounding harsh and brittle. Anyway, everything sounds better through tubes - thus my overweight Fender amp.
 
Old technology - last weekend I cleaned the Dual turntable and cut/reconnected the ground wire to get rid of enormous feedback just in time to play some Firestone Christmas albums.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top