TMax-100, Microdol-X.

Depends in part on the film you use; some films are more insensitive to
green than others. This subjects gets quite complicated because one has to
consider the other colors in the picture frame, and our impressionistic
human interpretation of colors.

I find that so very strange, unless Brovira has changed. The last time I
used it was in the seventies where all we used was Agfa Brovira graded
papers - for example BS 111 (#3 "Special extra white glossy") dried matt. I
used literally thousands of sheets of this paper and have a lot of very good
detailed highlights, and plenty with just off-base-white highlight images.
But I also used careful exposure/development film adjustments. And I was a
very good printer, too. I'm still trying to catch up to where I was then.

PGG:

I'll take that as an open challenge:

Film:

   Tech Pan
   TMX-100
   Kodachrome 64

Film Developer:

   Technidol
   Microdol-X

Paper:

   Oriental graded

Paper developer:

   Dektol

Camera(s):

   Sinar X
   Leica M5
   Nikon F & FM series, various
   Yashica T4, multiple
   Pacemaker Graphic
   Mamiya Universal
   Hasselblad 500
   Agfa Solina
   Empire Baby

Lenses:

   Rodenstock Sironar, Grandagon & Geronar
   Nikkor SW, M & AI/AIS/AF
   Schnieder Angulon
   Summicron
   Elmar
   Summar(-on ?)
   Hektor
   Zeiss Tessar & Sonar
   Ektar
   Agfa Apotar
   Optical Crystal (the _original_, ACCEPT NO IMITATIONS)
   
Enlargers:

   Beseler 45MX
   Leitz Valoy
   
Special techniques:

   Follow the instructions

& Etc.:

Pray regularly.  God knows, He needs the encouragement.

                         *   *   *

Almost never.

Er, with developer?  -- I take it you meant to inquire of
what hardware I use: SS, Jobo & Patterson (127 only) tanks

Man is born to struggle.

I started with kitchen bowls.  Moved up to Pyrex baking dishes.
Then my Mother entered the darkroom...

Bourgeois.

Tautology.

And I'm ending up.

Only two: Man's stupidity and God's patience.  
So far as known they are both infinite.

Not in the stars but in ourselves.

Never tried it.  The base for these drums work great with Jobo tanks,
though.  This annoys the Jobo rep.

I would suggest getting a Jobo drum, the old 4x5 spiral reels and
a Unicolor motor base.  Used, of course.  My experience is I would
be better off flipping burgers for bucks to pay for the right stuff.

... don't trim your fingernails too short.

  Long thread snipped...

   D-76 is close to being an optimum developer for a lot of
films. It is also pretty fool proof.
   There are a lot of good films on the market although
some have been recently discontinued at lest in some sizes.
The slower the film the more likely they are to give you
smooth tonal rendition. There are several medium speed films
in 120 roll films, Agfa APX 100, Ilford FP-4+, or Kodak
Plus-X all do well. Agfa is the coarsest grain, Plus-X the
finest of the group, not a huge difference. To start try any
of the above and a developer like D-76 diluted 1:1 or Xtol.
   I prefer Agfa papers for printing and Kodak second. I've
used Ilford paper in the past but don't like their current
RC papers. There are good print developers made by all of
the big three. Dektol is of course the old standby. For
somewhat more neutral tones try Ilford Bromophen. Agfa makes
the only Phenidone-Ascorbic acid print developer I know of;
Neutol Plus.
   Process the film according to the instructions. Be
careful of agitation techniques, Kodak recommends 5 seconds
every 30 seconds, Ilford 10 seconds once a minute. They are
not quite the same so follow the agitation given with the
time/temperature chart you are using.
   Even though B&W is not as critical of temperature as
color it is still important to control the temperature if
you want predictible and repeatable development. The
developer temperature should be within on F degree of the
expected temperature. You will note the charts are usualy in
2 F degree steps which tells you that amount of change makes
a significant difference. I use an electronic thermometer
which is calibrated to an accuracy of about 1/2 degree F.
Mine is a CheckTemp made by Hanna Instruments and cost
around $30 US.
  For roll film I use old Nikor stainless steel tanks. I
also have a rare Nikor sheet film tank which I use for 4x5.
I also have used tray development and print drums for sheet
film. Trays are fine for small amounts but I am not the most
skillful film shuffler.
  T-Max films are excellent but are more sensitive to
variations in development. To get a change in contrast of
one paper grade most films need a change of about 33% in
time, T-Max will change taht much in 20% to 25% change in
time. The film is also more sensitive to agitation and to
temperature. If you work carefully you will not have
problems with excessive contrast.
  Kodak charts are for contrast suitable for contact
printing and diffusion enlarging onto Grade 2 paper. In a
condenser enlarger these negatives will print correctly on
Grade 1 paper. If you want to print on Grade 2 you have to
reduce the development time as indicated above and decrease
film speed to about 3/4 of the ISO speed. Ilford gives times
and speeds for a compromise contrast between diffusion and
condenser printing. Agfa seems to use different contrasts
for different charts so you have to look carefully. Agfa
also uses "gamma" a measure of contrast that is not often
used now for pictorial negatives so the numbers are not
directly comparable to those published by either Kodak
(contrast index) or Ilford (average gradient). In any case,
if you follow directions you should be able to figure out
what to do to adjust the negative contrast, or for that
matter, if they need adjustment.
  Because paper is developed to "completion" that is, to
the highest density and contrast it is capable of,
development is less critical than for negatives. However
there IS a change in density with change in development
time. To a very limited degree variations in print
development can be used to compensate for small variations
in exposure. Once you reach full devlopment there is little
change in the contrast of papers despite the existence of
low contrast developers (they are just slower) and variable
contrast developers (good for maybe half a grade). I really
like variable contast paper because I can adjust to get the
best print from each negative. One can do this with graded
paper also but then you need to stock a lot of paper. While
any VC filter set will work with any VC paper the contrast
grades and differences and exposure compensation (so called
constant speed) will be right only for the set supplied by
the paper manufacturer. If you are using a color head each
manufacturer will supply you with a chart showing the
correct settings to obtain the contrast you want. Textured
papers will not give you as much conrast as glossy because
the light scattered from the surface washes out the deep
shadows.
  I develop prints for around 90 seconds to 2 minutes,
depending on the paper. For fiber base paper I sometimes
develop for as long as 3 minutes but like to expose so that
development is complete in around 2 minutes (assuming a
Dektol or Bromophen type developer).
  Get the best enlarging lenses you can afford. With this
exception expensive darkroom equipment is not necessary
(although its nice to have).
  I don't know what else to tell you. There just isn't any
magic. Time and temperature should be accurate, agitation
consistent, and chemicals fresh. Keep things clean.
  I've left out cameras. Film is relativly tollerant of
overexposure, not very tollerant of underexposure. Cameras
should have reasonably accurate shutters (much better in
modern cameras than in the past) and good lenses (not as
much better as you would think).
  Keep records in the darkroom. Note how the prints look
when wet and look at them again the next day when they are
good and dry. Most papers "dry down" or change contrast and
density between wet and dry. This can be compensated for to
some extent but you must learn what the paper does.
  This is turning into a book so I better quit now.

Why not?

Weston
 Adams
   Evans
     Lange
       Steiglitz
         Bourke-White
           Karsh
             Avedon
               Penn
                 ...

The answer is in neither the developer, nor the film, nor
the paper, nor the camera, nor the lens ....