TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Two or three - I just think of it in terms of stops (If you know the f-stop scale). Pick the highest (or fixed) priority, then balance the other two - simple compromise(s) - how much shutter speed to freeze the motion, how much DOF is needed, and how much noise are you willing to trade? Simple.

Btw, I “push” B&W such as Tri-X by changing the developing time, not the temperature or agitation - isn’t that what you do? I’ve routinely pushed it 2 stops (to 1600) and some have sucessfully pushed it as far as 5 (12,800), but you can certainly see the grain.

A. T.

You are correct once again. I meant in those low light situations where you usually have a choice to use a tripod with a slower shutter speed if your subject is stationary or a higher ISO to bump up your shutter speed if you need to handhold your camera.

A. T.

Absolutely, that's my point as well. When there is ample light, there's no problem. It's in those "golden hour" situations that can cause ISO issues.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

That's the problem, you see, TriX? ... Push processing gains grain. Yes, of course, I've used longer development times, as well as increased agitation, and higher temps - all three of which will gain one or two stops - depending on the increase in each venue. Ideally, of course - one should stick to the temp, time, and agitation procedure provided by the film manufacturer - unless, of course - you switch from D76 to Microdol - which also allows some increase in film speed, at the development stage. And there are other developers in that sphere, too - which also provide some increases.

The "aperture scale" has changed now in the digital age. In the film era (I know - some are still in it) we were dealing with f1.2, f1.4, f1.8, f2, f2.4, f2.8, f3.5, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32, f45, f64, f128, f256 ... of course, Minolta came out with f1.7 ... and one or two other makers also had some other in-between f-stops, if I remember, rightly. But, all that's changed now, in the digital age. We now have things like f5, f6, f7, f9, f10, f12, f13, f15, f18, f20, f24, f28, and so on. Because of the way modern digital cameras are designed - aperture scales are now like sliding rulers - they do not need to double to get to the next stop - if the other assigned parameters dictate in an in-between aperture - that's what you get. Not so difficult ....

And THIS is one of the reasons I prefer SP mode, and Auto ISO, and let the camera figure out the other parameter ... f17??? ... oh, okay!!!

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Early Dawn - does not seem to be much of a problem for most modern dig cams. But, you're right - dusk - can be a pain-in-the-neck!!!!

Some of my shots taken at both times - have an eerie - mystical quality to them ... but I much prefer the ones when there was enough light coming through to create that feeling. The early evening shots - have sometimes worked ... but many of them shot at that time - have only survived - as I saw something magical - in moonlight reflected ... but, for the most part - those shots have been delegated to the waste-basket ...

It's all a learning experience - digital photography, A.T. ... after many moons of practice and experimentation - one can eventually feel when one is shooting at the right moment in time - the "Golden Hours" - as you put it ... but some of them are Silver ... and are no less magnificent!!!!

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

A. T.

LOL, I do understand.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

DxOMark is my go to site for camera sensor comparisons https://www.dxomark.com/cameras/launched-between-2002-and-2018/launch_price-from-0-to-45200-usd/sensor_format-sensor_apsc#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo I searched on APS-C size sensors, but you can search the database for anything you want. The top 3 for low light performance are the Nikon D7500, Sony A6300, and the Nikon D5500 (look at the Sports column).

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

That's OK if you understand what they are testing and that they don't test every camera.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Microdol is gone, but we used to use it for its fine grain characteristics. When not using D-76 or HC-110 with Tri-X, I prefer Acufine when pushing.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Acufine was one of the "others" to which that thought was related ... but there are some others, too. (Acutol, Perceptol)

I didn't know Microdol-X was discontinued by Kodak, TriX ... I've been "in the dark" (or not!) - since I pursued Digital.

HC-110 was okay to use for sheet film (4x5, 5x7) but, I would never have dreamed of using it for 35mm or 120/220 film ...

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

[quote=Chris T]...HC-110 was okay to use for sheet film (4x5, 5x7) but, I would never have dreamed of using it for 35mm or 120/220 film ... [quote/]

Started using HC-110 occasionally for 120 Tri-X LONG ago after reading “The Negative” by A.A. I still have a darkroom and typically use D-76, Acufine or Rodinal now with Tri-X 35 or 120.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

[quote=TriX]

Me, too, TriX ... three enlargers - Beseler 4x5 Motorized, Beseler 21/4x31/4 with Dichroic Head, Vivitar 21/4x31/4 - which I just use for contact sheets.

I've tended to stay with D-76, because I know its properties so well, now ... after 50 years processing film. Although, I have experimented a little.

It's been a while, now, though - since I've spent any kind of major time, in there. There was a time in my life, when I lost track of day and night ...

Lightroom, et al - has opened up my Darkroom Door ... and now my eyes are more used to white light, than red, yellow and green lights ...

User ID

Right you are. Not complicated. When the home freezer
was first marketed, one of the trial balloons for what to
sell folks as frozen food was .... FROZEN WATER ! Just
thaw, and it's ready. NOT joking :-(

Initial advances in AE for camera users was pretty tame
and use of manual control was equally easy. Over time
the same bunch who thought up selling frozen water did
their best to sell complex solutions to simple problems,
such as how to expose a picture. We lately have users
asking questions about how to "steer" the automation to
produce pictures in various situations and scenes, and it
is clear that with AE having become insanely complex at
the user interface, that M-mode is quite unthinkable to
such users. "If Auto is so difficult, Manual must be nearly
impossible .... ".

Sadly, almost no one seems to perceive those situations
where it's just easier, simpler, and more direct, to just
DO a thing than to properly instruct a robotic aid in how
to do that thing.

The "Scene Selection" AE modes are insanity. When so-
called "Matrix Metering" arrived in the the late 1980's I
tested a simple 7-zone version, an all analog system, in
all the situations where ordinary AE would let you down
and expose for the wrong thing. I was AMAZED. It was
nearly impossible to fool the thing, and it didn't need to
be told what kind of scene it was looking at. A scene is
a scene is a scene. It's just a bunch of brightness zones.

Now we have users asking if the Indoor Hockey mode is
possibly good for Birds Against a Bright Sky. The Matrix
Metering just saw them both alike, cuz they ARE alike,
exposure-pattern-wise. So OK the Matrix didn't know if
it should prioritize shutter speed or DoF. The user had to
tend to that little task, which is no trickier than choosing
between Wedding and Penguins in the Scene AE mode.
But "DoF" and "Shutter Speed" are scary terms cuz they
are "Tech Talk" where as "Wedding" and "Penguin" are
just ordinary non-scary language.

Now I need we "Smart Home" AI system to automatically
re-order more Frozen Water when inventory runs low :-(

.