Dream combination: Kodak Tri-X 400 & SPUR SLD

SPUR users may give us feedback on their results and tell us about so-called dream film/ developer combinations they have found. Established dream combinations are e.g. Kodak Tmax 400/ SPUR HRX, Fuji Acros 100/ SPUR SD 2525, Rollei RPX 25/ SPUR SD 2525 and Rollei Ortho 25/ SPUR ACUROL-N.

Now we would like to tell you about a dream combination that is not so well-known but is preferred by some users due to its especially good results.

The combination concerned is Kodak Tri-X/ SPUR SLD. About six months ago Ralf Sänger told me that he had never gotten to terms with Tri-X, no matter which developer he had tried, and so he never used this film.

We recommended SPUR SLD for developing Tri-X. Now he constantly uses this combination. This year, after his holiday in Brittany France, we got the following e-mail by him:

„The discovery of the year to me was actually Tri-X developed in SLD.

As it happens I’m excited about the finely accentuated grain, the outstanding sharpness and the detail contrast, but what stuns me the most is the perfect shadow differentiation at a real speed of ISO 1000/31°.

Even in the deepest shadows there is differentiation. I can decide where I want differentiation and where I want to expose for black. I wouldn’t have thought that my enthusiasm for TMY/ HRX could be topped but now it’s happened.“

Ralf Sänger has made some photos of his available for us to publish. As he uses a condenser for enlarging, he exposes the film at ISO 1000/31° and develops it as indicated for ISO 800/31° in the Push Developing Chart for SPUR SLD (without Push-Master). His developing time he is slightly shorter: 11.5 min. We think the results are great.

Kodak Tri-X 400, exposed as ISO 1000/31°, developed as ISO 800/30° according to the