About a year ago, I re-started developing film, mostly Tri-X in Prescysol EF (thanks to the help of a number of forum members over here!), and I'm quite happy with the results I obtained.
Having come back from long-term use of digital cameras, I am still somewhat struggling with grain and its peculiarities when using a hybrid workflow.
This is why I now want to explore film/developer alternatives that promise finer grain - Kodak T-Max 100 & 400 as well as the Ilford Delta film range. I ran a number of T-Max 3200 films at EI 1600 in Prescysol EF, and I didn't like the results. This combo produces really ugly, irregular and coarse grain. I suspect this is not only due to the film's high sensitivity, but also to the film's T-grain technology.
Can you please tell me what type of developer you would suggest for Kodak T-Max 100, 400 and 3200 as well as Ilford Delta films.
- I am looking for developers that deliver a viable compromise between fine grain and acutance, as well as reasonably flat contrast curve which would make negatives suitable for scanning.
- Also, what EI would you suggest for those films if so that they can deliver rich shadow tonality while still offering sufficient highlight detail?