Kodak Tri-X 400, 68 years of shooting with grain - Ep. 2
- 6 years ago
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This episode is about Kodak Tri-X 400. This is probably the best known black and white film available today and Kodak refers to it as the “world’s bestselling black and white film”. It was first introduced in 1940 in large format and about 14 years later it was introduced in 35mm and 120.
Today it is available in ISO 400 known as Kodak Tri-X 400 and it comes in the formats 35mm and 120 and it’s also available in ISO 320, known as Kodak Tri-X 320, but this speed only exists in sheet format.
Kodak claims that it is possible to push Tri-X 400 up to EI1600 and Tri-X 320 up to EI1250, which confers it an amazing ability to withstand abuse. In fact, many photographers argue that it can be successfully exposed from ISO 50 up to 3200, that’s an impressive 7 stops exposure latitude.
Tri-X has a flexible personality and it can gain or lose grain depending on the developer and speed used. That gives the photographer the artistic possibility to fine-tune his work to his best needs.
It is known for its grainy look and high contrast which makes its pictures to look strikingly honest and atmospheric. It is a great film for low light situations and action photography with fast moving objects, therefore it was widely used by photojournalists in the past and today it is loved by film street-photographers.
Famous photographers that used Kodak Tri-X 400 include Josef Koudelka, Bruce Gilden, and Sebastião Salgado. Actually the Brazilian photographer only transitioned to digital when he was able to make his digital work to look like as if it had been shot with Kodak Tri-X and Jane Bown, a portrait photographer used Tri-X all her entire career.
Speed, grain, contrast and exposure latitude are the reasons why photographers that shoot outside with an uncontrolled light and chaotic environments choose it. In the article “Jul 22, 2017 - The Top 10 Camera Films Preferred by Photographers”, PetaPixel states that Kodak Tri-X 400 is the “#1 preferred film by photographers”.
With so many films being discontinued is it likely that Tri-X will have the same destiny as Kodachrome? Will it disappear from the shelves? In my opinion, that’s unlikely for any time soon. When Kodak itself defines it as the “world’s bestselling black and white film” and Petapixel says that it is the photographer’s preferred film and whole new generation of photographers are returning to the basis and shooting film, we can only expect it to continue to be produced, so bring on another 68 years of shooting with grain.
___
https://www.thephoblographer.com/2017/02/22/street-photography-kodak-tri-x-film-62-years-going-grain/
https://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/kodak-tri-x-best-black-white-film-ever-made/
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/dec/21/jane-bown-a-life-in-photography-in-pictures
http://crawfordphotoschool.com/film/film-examples/tri-x.php
https://www.instagram.com/angelo_mpdc/
https://www.facebook.com/angelocphotography/
This episode is about Kodak Tri-X 400. This is probably the best known black and white film available today and Kodak refers to it as the “world’s bestselling black and white film”. It was first introduced in 1940 in large format and about 14 years later it was introduced in 35mm and 120.
Today it is available in ISO 400 known as Kodak Tri-X 400 and it comes in the formats 35mm and 120 and it’s also available in ISO 320, known as Kodak Tri-X 320, but this speed only exists in sheet format.
Kodak claims that it is possible to push Tri-X 400 up to EI1600 and Tri-X 320 up to EI1250, which confers it an amazing ability to withstand abuse. In fact, many photographers argue that it can be successfully exposed from ISO 50 up to 3200, that’s an impressive 7 stops exposure latitude.
Tri-X has a flexible personality and it can gain or lose grain depending on the developer and speed used. That gives the photographer the artistic possibility to fine-tune his work to his best needs.
It is known for its grainy look and high contrast which makes its pictures to look strikingly honest and atmospheric. It is a great film for low light situations and action photography with fast moving objects, therefore it was widely used by photojournalists in the past and today it is loved by film street-photographers.
Famous photographers that used Kodak Tri-X 400 include Josef Koudelka, Bruce Gilden, and Sebastião Salgado. Actually the Brazilian photographer only transitioned to digital when he was able to make his digital work to look like as if it had been shot with Kodak Tri-X and Jane Bown, a portrait photographer used Tri-X all her entire career.
Speed, grain, contrast and exposure latitude are the reasons why photographers that shoot outside with an uncontrolled light and chaotic environments choose it. In the article “Jul 22, 2017 - The Top 10 Camera Films Preferred by Photographers”, PetaPixel states that Kodak Tri-X 400 is the “#1 preferred film by photographers”.
With so many films being discontinued is it likely that Tri-X will have the same destiny as Kodachrome? Will it disappear from the shelves? In my opinion, that’s unlikely for any time soon. When Kodak itself defines it as the “world’s bestselling black and white film” and Petapixel says that it is the photographer’s preferred film and whole new generation of photographers are returning to the basis and shooting film, we can only expect it to continue to be produced, so bring on another 68 years of shooting with grain.
___
https://www.thephoblographer.com/2017/02/22/street-photography-kodak-tri-x-film-62-years-going-grain/
https://petapixel.com/2016/04/04/kodak-tri-x-best-black-white-film-ever-made/
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2014/dec/21/jane-bown-a-life-in-photography-in-pictures
http://crawfordphotoschool.com/film/film-examples/tri-x.php